141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

276567
IPV-HIV interrelated risks: A socioecological approach

Monday, November 4, 2013 : 7:10 PM - 7:30 PM

Yolanda R. Davila, PhD, RN , School of Nursing, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX
Elnora P. Mendias, PhD, RN, FNP, BC , School of Nursing, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX
Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) and HIV are two major and interrelated public health epidemics adversely impacting women's health. Although an association between the epidemics has been identified, IPV and HIV assessment and intervention efforts often fail to recognize the intersection between the two epidemics with interventions addressing either IPV or HIV. Thus, intervention efforts have limited effectiveness as they ignore the life realities that influence women's interrelated IPV-HIV risk factors and/or behaviors.

Description: The purpose of this presentation is to describe an IPV-HIV socio-ecological model (SEM) that assists in understanding and identifying women's interrelated IPV-HIV risk factors and corresponding points of intervention to prevent or reduce women's IPV-HIV risk and enhance their health and well-being. The use of a SEM assists in the understanding of how women live and function within multi-levels of influence. The levels of influence are: 1) individual (biology, genetics, personal history), 2) interpersonal (family, friends, social networks), 3) community (neighborhoods), and 4) societal (local, state, national laws/policies).

Lessons Learned: A SEM approach supports a public health perspective that recognizes women's interrelated IPV-HIV risk, focuses on the social/environmental levels of influence that create and/or perpetrate the conditions that foster women's increased risk of IPV-HIV, and acknowledges that women's behavior/behavior changes are contextually driven.

Recommendations: Increased awareness of the interrelation of IPV-HIV among women's health care providers, development of protocols for IPV-HIV assessment and intervention, and cross training of staff to assess and intervene for both public health epidemics will enhance the health and well-being of women.

Learning Areas:
Public health or related nursing

Learning Objectives:
Explain the components of a socioecological model (SEM) Identify factors from a SEM approach that influence women's IPV-HIV risks

Keywords: Battered Women, HIV Risk Behavior

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have approximately 20 years in the field of academia, research, and community/public/mental health experience. My work has been disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international conferences.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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