Intimate Partner Violence Experiences Among Men Living with HIV in Rural Appalachia

Abstract

There has been limited study of the syndemic link between HIV and intimate partner violence (IPV) among rural populations in the United States. We utilized the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale-2 to examine the past year prevalence, type (psychological aggression, physical assault, and sexual assault), and the impact of IPV on HIV clinical outcomes among men living with HIV in rural Appalachia. Approximately 39% of participants experienced some type of IPV in the preceding year, with 67% of those individuals experiencing more than 1 type of IPV. Approximately 77% of participants endorsing IPV exposure experienced psychological aggression. Most participants exposed to psychological aggression (70%) and/or physical assault (57%) were both victims and perpetrators, and those experiencing sexual assault reported being exclusively victims (65%). There were no significant differences in clinical outcomes including viral load and CD4 count, which may be secondary to small sample size derived from a clinic population with a high rate of virologic suppression (94%). This study demonstrates the need to assess IPV exposure in men living with HIV and further highlights the intricacies of relationship violence in these individuals.

Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence against Men living with HIV in Birnin Kudu, Northwest Nigeria: A Qualitative Study

“…The interview was conducted face to face using an interview guide constructed based on the review of extant literature [33][34][35]. The length of the interview ranged from 11 -25 minutes.…”

Prevalence of violence towards men living with HIV/AIDS in rural communities of SouthWestern Uganda

“…In sub-Saharan Africa, violence towards men is highest in war-torn countries with a prevalence of up to 64.5% 13 . Violence is more pronounced among HIV positive men and the HIV positive status is one of the risk factors 14 . While the intersection of HIV/AIDS and violence has gained momentum over the years, much focus is on women and children with little attention to HIV positive men 14,15 .…”

“…Violence is more pronounced among HIV positive men and the HIV positive status is one of the risk factors 14 . While the intersection of HIV/AIDS and violence has gained momentum over the years, much focus is on women and children with little attention to HIV positive men 14,15 . According to previous studies, HIV can also be a risk factor for violence since disclosure of a positive status can put the individual at risk of violence by their partners, family or community members.…”

“…However, most previous studies have focused on violence towards women 16,17 . Violence towards the HIV positive men can be perpetrated from the family and the community at large because of different reasons including their HIV positive status 14,18,19 . People living with HIV and experiencing violence in rural communities may be at increased risk for adverse clinical outcomes associated with HIV diagnosis and inadequate management resources 14,20 .…”

“…Violence towards the HIV positive men can be perpetrated from the family and the community at large because of different reasons including their HIV positive status 14,18,19 . People living with HIV and experiencing violence in rural communities may be at increased risk for adverse clinical outcomes associated with HIV diagnosis and inadequate management resources 14,20 . Violence perpetrated in rural communities may be more chronic and may have worse physical, psychological and social health outcomes due to the disparities in access and availability of services [21][22][23][24] .…”