Incidence of violence against HIV-infected and uninfected women: Findings from the HIV epidemiology research (HER) study

Leslie Gruskin, Stephen J. Gange, David Celentano, Paula Schuman, Janet S. Moore, Sally Zierler, David Vlahov

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

The effect of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection on the incidence of violence against women was addressed in a prospective cohort of HIV-infected and uninfected women. Participants were enrolled between 1993 and 1995 in four US cities and followed up semiannually through 1998. Among 1,087 women with a total accrual of 2,988 person-years (PY) of follow-up, there were 185 reports of abuse (incidence rate = 6.19 per 100 PY). The rate of abuse among HIV-infected women with a CD4+ count less than 350 cells/μL was lower than that among HIV-infected women with more CD4+ cells/μL or among uninfected women (4.87, 6.92, and 6.44 per 100 PY, respectively). In multivariate analysis, being separated or divorced, having a history of abuse in adulthood, using marijuana, using crack, and having multiple sex partners were each significantly associated with an elevated abuse rate; being older was inversely associated with abuse. Among HIV-infected women, those with fewer CD4+ cells/μL continued to show a decreased abuse rate (hazard ratio = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.36, 0.82) after adjustment for these factors. It is important to complement existing and future HIV prevention and intervention strategies with efforts to reduce violence against women.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)512-524
Number of pages13
JournalJournal of Urban Health
Volume79
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2002

Keywords

  • Abuse
  • HIV infection
  • Incidence
  • Violence against women

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Health(social science)
  • Urban Studies
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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