HIV/STIs and Intimate Partner Violence: Results from the Togo 2013-2014 Demographic and Health Surveys

• Main Author: Nguyen, Anthony H.
• Format: Others
• Published: Scholar Commons 2016
• Subjects: HIV; AIDS; Epidemiology; Africa; domestic violence; DHS; Public Health
• Online Access: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/6553; http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=7750&context=etd

Background: Among clinic based studies, intimate partner violence (IPV) has been shown to contribute to HIV/AIDS among young girls and women. Results from studies among the general population have been less consistent. This study evaluated the associations between HIV infection, any sexually transmitted infections, and IPV in a population based sample of Togolese women. Methods: Data from the Togo 2013-2014 Demographic and Health Surveys were utilized for these analyses. Women aged 15-49 who were currently married, had HIV test results and answered the Domestic Violence Module were analyzed (n = 2386). Generalized linear mixed-models adjusting for sociodemographic variables, risk behaviors, and cluster effect were used to estimate HIV and STI risks with experience of IPV. Results: HIV prevalence was 2.8%. Prevalence of IPV was 39% among HIV positive women and 38% among HIV negative women. Significant associations between IPV and HIV infection were not detected. Adjusted models found significant associations between experience of any IPV and having had STIs (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.25-3.35). Conclusions: The high rates of violence in this setting warrants community-based interventions that address abuse and gender inequity. These interventions should also discuss the spectrum of STIs in relation to IPV.