Intimate Partner Violence and HIV Infection in sub-Saharan Africa

• We investigate the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and HIV among married and cohabiting women in sub-Saharan Africa. We find a strong association, and that it is primarily due to higher HIV risk among violent men; neither women's decreased ability to protect themselves from HIV within marriage, nor their risky sexual behavior, explains the link. Thus, it is not violence per se that spreads HIV, but that violent men are more likely to become HIV positive and then infect their wives. Programs that aim at reducing HIV by eliminating IPV should therefore also focus on men's risky sexual behavior. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Annan samhällsvetenskap -- Tvärvetenskapliga studier inom samhällsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Other Social Sciences -- Social Sciences Interdisciplinary (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

AIDS

Domestic violence

Gender inequality

HIV

Intimate partner violence

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)