NCJ Number
237242
Journal
Violence Against Women Volume: 17 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2011 Pages: 1014-1023
Date Published
August 2011
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Gender-based violence increases a woman's risk for HIV but little is known about her decision to get tested.
Abstract
Gender-based violence increases a woman's risk for HIV but little is known about her decision to get tested. The authors interviewed 97 women seeking abuse-related services from a nongovernmental organization (NGO) in Johannesburg, South Africa. Forty-six women (47 percent) had been tested for HIV. Caring for children (odds ratio [OR] = 0.27, 95 percent confidence interval [CI] = [0.07, 1.00]) and conversing with partner about HIV (OR = 0.13, 95 percent CI = [0.02, 0.85]) decreased odds of testing. Stronger risk-reduction intentions (OR = 1.27, 95 percent CI = [1.01, 1.60]) and seeking help from police (OR = 5.51, 95 percent CI = [1.18, 25.76]) increased odds of testing. Providing safe access to integrated services and testing may increase testing in this population. Infection with HIV is highly prevalent in South Africa where an estimated 16.2 percent of adults between the ages of 15 and 49 have the virus. The necessary first step to stemming the spread of HIV and receiving life-saving treatment is learning one's HIV serostatus through testing. Many factors may contribute to someone's risk of HIV infection and many barriers may prevent testing. One factor that does both is gender-based violence. (Published Abstract)