Disparities in intimate partner violence among women at the intersection of disability and HIV status in South Africa: a cross-sectional study
Objective Previous research suggests a significant relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and HIV infection in women and that the risk of IPV is heightened in women with disabilities. Women with disabilities, particularly those residing in low-income and middle-income countries, may ex...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMJ Publishing Group
2022-09-01
|
| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/9/e054782.full |
| _version_ | 1828343076642357248 |
|---|---|
| author | Monika Mitra Ilhom Akobirshoev Anne Valentine Rachel Jewkes Allyala Nandakumar Hussaini Zandam Mark Blecher |
| author_facet | Monika Mitra Ilhom Akobirshoev Anne Valentine Rachel Jewkes Allyala Nandakumar Hussaini Zandam Mark Blecher |
| author_sort | Monika Mitra |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective Previous research suggests a significant relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and HIV infection in women and that the risk of IPV is heightened in women with disabilities. Women with disabilities, particularly those residing in low-income and middle-income countries, may experience additional burdens that increase their vulnerability to IPV. We aimed to examine the association between having disability and HIV infection and the risk of IPV among women in South Africa.Design Using the 2016 South Africa Demographic and Health Survey, we calculated the prevalence of IPV and conducted modified Poisson regressions to estimate the unadjusted and adjusted risk ratios of experiencing IPV by disability and HIV status.Participants Our final analytical sample included 1269 ever-partnered women aged 18–49 years, who responded to the IPV module and received HIV testing.Results The prevalence of IPV was twice as high in women with disabilities with HIV infection compared with women without disabilities without HIV infection (21.2% vs 50.1%). Our unadjusted regression analysis showed that compared with women without disabilities without HIV infection, women with disabilities with HIV infection had almost four times higher odds (OR 3.72, 95% CI 1.27 to 10.9, p<0.05) of experiencing IPV. It appeared that women with disabilities with HIV infection experience compounded disparity. The association was compounded, with the OR for the combination of disability status and HIV status equal to or more than the sum of each of the individual ORs.Conclusions Women with disabilities and HIV infection are at exceptionally high risk of IPV in South Africa. Given that HIV infection and disability magnify each other’s risks for IPV, targeted interventions to prevent IPV and to address the complex and varied needs of doubly marginalised populations of women with disabilities with HIV infection are critical. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T23:37:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-32d15884d5ad45c0a1a2223e13150a87 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T23:37:51Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj.art-32d15884d5ad45c0a1a2223e13150a872022-12-22T02:24:38ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552022-09-0112910.1136/bmjopen-2021-054782Disparities in intimate partner violence among women at the intersection of disability and HIV status in South Africa: a cross-sectional studyMonika Mitra0Ilhom Akobirshoev1Anne Valentine2Rachel Jewkes3Allyala Nandakumar4Hussaini Zandam5Mark Blecher6Lurie Institute for Disability Policy, Brandeis University Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Waltham, Massachusetts, USALurie Institute for Disability Policy, Brandeis University Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Waltham, Massachusetts, USALurie Institute for Disability Policy, Brandeis University Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Waltham, Massachusetts, USAGender and Health Division, South African Medical Research Council, Pretoria, South AfricaInstitute for Global Health and Development, Brandeis University Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Waltham, Massachusetts, USALurie Institute for Disability Policy, Brandeis University Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Waltham, Massachusetts, USAHealth and Social Development, National Treasury of South Africa, Cape Town, South AfricaObjective Previous research suggests a significant relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and HIV infection in women and that the risk of IPV is heightened in women with disabilities. Women with disabilities, particularly those residing in low-income and middle-income countries, may experience additional burdens that increase their vulnerability to IPV. We aimed to examine the association between having disability and HIV infection and the risk of IPV among women in South Africa.Design Using the 2016 South Africa Demographic and Health Survey, we calculated the prevalence of IPV and conducted modified Poisson regressions to estimate the unadjusted and adjusted risk ratios of experiencing IPV by disability and HIV status.Participants Our final analytical sample included 1269 ever-partnered women aged 18–49 years, who responded to the IPV module and received HIV testing.Results The prevalence of IPV was twice as high in women with disabilities with HIV infection compared with women without disabilities without HIV infection (21.2% vs 50.1%). Our unadjusted regression analysis showed that compared with women without disabilities without HIV infection, women with disabilities with HIV infection had almost four times higher odds (OR 3.72, 95% CI 1.27 to 10.9, p<0.05) of experiencing IPV. It appeared that women with disabilities with HIV infection experience compounded disparity. The association was compounded, with the OR for the combination of disability status and HIV status equal to or more than the sum of each of the individual ORs.Conclusions Women with disabilities and HIV infection are at exceptionally high risk of IPV in South Africa. Given that HIV infection and disability magnify each other’s risks for IPV, targeted interventions to prevent IPV and to address the complex and varied needs of doubly marginalised populations of women with disabilities with HIV infection are critical.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/9/e054782.full |
| spellingShingle | Monika Mitra Ilhom Akobirshoev Anne Valentine Rachel Jewkes Allyala Nandakumar Hussaini Zandam Mark Blecher Disparities in intimate partner violence among women at the intersection of disability and HIV status in South Africa: a cross-sectional study BMJ Open |
| title | Disparities in intimate partner violence among women at the intersection of disability and HIV status in South Africa: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Disparities in intimate partner violence among women at the intersection of disability and HIV status in South Africa: a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Disparities in intimate partner violence among women at the intersection of disability and HIV status in South Africa: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Disparities in intimate partner violence among women at the intersection of disability and HIV status in South Africa: a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Disparities in intimate partner violence among women at the intersection of disability and HIV status in South Africa: a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | disparities in intimate partner violence among women at the intersection of disability and hiv status in south africa a cross sectional study |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/9/e054782.full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT monikamitra disparitiesinintimatepartnerviolenceamongwomenattheintersectionofdisabilityandhivstatusinsouthafricaacrosssectionalstudy AT ilhomakobirshoev disparitiesinintimatepartnerviolenceamongwomenattheintersectionofdisabilityandhivstatusinsouthafricaacrosssectionalstudy AT annevalentine disparitiesinintimatepartnerviolenceamongwomenattheintersectionofdisabilityandhivstatusinsouthafricaacrosssectionalstudy AT racheljewkes disparitiesinintimatepartnerviolenceamongwomenattheintersectionofdisabilityandhivstatusinsouthafricaacrosssectionalstudy AT allyalanandakumar disparitiesinintimatepartnerviolenceamongwomenattheintersectionofdisabilityandhivstatusinsouthafricaacrosssectionalstudy AT hussainizandam disparitiesinintimatepartnerviolenceamongwomenattheintersectionofdisabilityandhivstatusinsouthafricaacrosssectionalstudy AT markblecher disparitiesinintimatepartnerviolenceamongwomenattheintersectionofdisabilityandhivstatusinsouthafricaacrosssectionalstudy |