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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Kristin Dunkle, MPH PhD¹, Rachel K. Jewkes, MBBS, MSc, MD², Mzikazi Nduna, MA³, Jonathan Levin, PhD⁴, Nwabisa Jama, MPH², Nelisiwe Khuzwayo², Mary Koss, PhD⁵, and Nata Duvvury, PhD⁶. (1) Rollins School of Public Health and Center for AIDS Research, Emory Univeristy, 1518 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, +1 404 712-4702, kdunkle@sph.emory.edu, (2) Gender and Health Research Group, Medical Research Council, 1 Soutpansberg Road, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa, (3) 3. Management Sciences for Health, 602 Pretorius St, Pretoria, South Africa, (4) Biostatistics Unit, Medical Research Council, PB X385, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa, (5) Mel and Enid Zuckerman Arizona College of Public Health, University of Arizona, 1632 E. Lester Street, Tucson, AZ 85719, (6) International Council for Research on Women, 1717 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Suite 302, Washington, DC 20036

Background: Recent research in Africa has consistently shown that experience of intimate partner violence is associated with increased HIV infection among women, but little research has focused on connections between perpetration of violence and HIV risk among men. Methods: We conducted structured interviews with 1,275 sexually experienced men age 15-26 from 70 villages in the rural Eastern Cape who were recruited for an HIV prevention trial. Participants were asked about physical and sexual violence against female intimate partners and a range of HIV risk behaviors. Results: 31.8% of men reported violence against an intimate partner, with 22.9% reporting physical violence only, 3.6% reporting sexual violence only, and 5.3% reporting both physical and sexual violence. Of those reporting violence, 50% reported more than one incident and 11.6% reported “many” incidents. Violent men reported higher numbers of lifetime and past year sexual partners, and more recent intercourse. They were more likely to report concurrent and casual sexual partners, transactional sex, sexually assaulting non-partners, alcohol problems, and illicit drug use. Men who reported perpetrating both physical and sexual violence reported higher levels of sexual risk taking than who reported only physical or only sexual violence. Similarly, increasingly frequency of perpetration was associated with significantly increased levels of HIV risk behavior. Conclusions: Men who reported perpetrating intimate partner violence reported higher levels of HIV risk behavior that could place themselves and the partners they abuse at risk of infection. More severe and more frequent violence perpetration was associated with higher levels of risky behaviour.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Understand the importance and rationale for studying connections between violence and HIV risk among young, rural South African men
• Describe multiple HIV risk behaviors associated with violence perpetration among young South African men
• Articulate the relationship between increasing severity of violence perpetration and increasing risk behavior among young South African men
• Describe intervention strategies that might be efficacious in reducing both violence perpetation and sexual risk-taking among young South African men

Keywords: Violence, HIV Risk Behavior

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered