Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #113909

Brian W. Weir, MPH¹, Ronda S. Bard, PhD¹, Carol Casciato², Kerth O'Brien, PhD³, and Michael J. Stark, PhD¹. (1) Program Design & Evaluation Services, Multnomah County Health Department, 800 NE Oregon St Suite 550, Portland, OR 97232, (503) 731-4291 ext. 582, brian.w.weir@state.or.us, (2) HIV Prevention, Multnomah County Health Department, Southeast Health Center, 3653 SE 34th Ave, Portland, OR 97292, (3) Program Design & Evaluation Services, Multnomah County Health Dept. and Portland State University, 800 NE Oregon St Suite 550, Portland, OR 97232

Background: The community justice system is an underutilized means for engaging an otherwise hard-to-reach population that is disproportionately affected by a myriad of public health concerns, including intimate partner and other violence. Methods: 529 women at-risk for HIV who are currently or recently involved in the community justice system were recruited to participate in an intervention to prevent HIV and partner violence. Interviews collected data on demographics; life stability; partner status; abuse and injury; substance use; and sexual risk behavior. Prevalences and correlates of violence from main partners and others are reported. Results: Sexual abuse, injury or severely physical abuse in the previous three months from their current main partner was reported by 36.5% of women with a current main partner, and from someone other than a current main partner by 20.8% of women. Among women with a current main partner, the odds of experiencing violence from their current main partner were significantly higher for women who had at least a high school education (OR=1.76), used alcohol or drugs in the last 30 days (OR=2.40), had intercourse in the last 30 days (OR=3.56), traded sex in the last 30 days (OR=4.58), or had low self-esteem (OR=2.38). Conclusions: Women at-risk for HIV who are involved in the community justice system are at extremely high risk of intimate partner and other violence. Correlates of violence presented in this paper underscore the intertwined issues facing these women. Understanding the complex contexts of these women's lives can inform the development of effective prevention interventions.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify factors associated with abuse among women involved in the community justice system.
• Develop better informed prevention intervention.
• Link women involved in the community justice system with prevention services.

Keywords: Violence Prevention, Women and HIV/AIDS

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.