Associations between recent gender based violence and pregnancy, STIs, condom use practices, and negotiation of sexual practices among HIV positive women

Background: This study sought to establish the prevalence of recent gender based violence (rGBV) among seropositive women and to extend prior research by determining the association between rGBV and biologically confirmed pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), condom use and negotiation of sexual practices. Methods: Participants were recruited from clinics and health departments providing medical care to seropositive women. A total of 304 women between the ages of 18 and 50, who reported being sexually active in the previous 6 months with one main partner were included in these analyses. GBV history during the previous 3 months, as well as condom use and ability to negotiate sexual practices was assessed. Finally, participants provided a urine sample for pregnancy testing as well as a swab sample for testing of Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and Trichomoniasis. Results:In this sample, 9.2% of women reported a history of rGBV. After correcting for covariates, logistic regression models revealed that those with a history of rGBV were more likely to report inconsistent condom use with their partner, even if the partner was HIV negative. Additionally, victimized women were more likely to be pregnant than non-victimized women. No differences were found with regard to ability to negotiate safer sexual practices and STDs. Conclusions: The present findings highlight the importance of understanding the association between rGBV on the sexual health of both HIV positive women and their sexual partners who perpetrate the victimization. Implications for targeting the needs of victimized seropositive women as well as their perpetrators are discussed.