Citation

Roberts ST, van der Straten A, Rael CT, Gorbach PM, Palanee-Phillips T, Reddy K, Naidoo K, Dadabhai S, Chinula L, Gaffoor Z, Levy L, Balkus JE, Riddler SA. AIDS Behav. 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10461-022-03835-x

PMID

36098846

Abstract

Research suggests that women's experience of intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with poor engagement in HIV care and treatment. However, most studies have been cross-sectional and conducted in North America. We examined the association between physical IPV and HIV care outcomes in a prospective cohort study of women living with HIV (WLHIV) in Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. At enrollment, 15% of the 351 participants self-reported physical IPV. IPV experience was not associated with time to first engagement in HIV care or the proportion virally suppressed after 6 months on ART. Women reporting physical IPV were less likely to initiate ART within 6 months of becoming eligible (adjusted RR 0.74, 95% CI 0.53-1.03). IPV screening is critical to identify survivors and link them to appropriate services. However, addressing IPV may not increase engagement in HIV care or viral load suppression among WLHIV in sub-Saharan Africa.

Language: en

Keywords

Intimate partner violence; ART initiation; HIV care continuum; Sub-Saharan Africa; Viral suppression; Women living with HIV