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HIV testing in an ethnically diverse sample of American university students: associations with violence/abuse and covariates

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Abstract

Associations linking HIV infection to violence and abuse are well documented; however, little is known about how violence/abuse is related to HIV testing behavior, particularly among undergraduate university students, who test at lower rates compared to non-student peers in the United States. We assessed history of HIV testing in an ethnically diverse sample of undergraduates in California (n = 1,210); and examined potential associations between testing and various forms of violence/abuse, while controlling for covariates. Whereas 73.4 % of students were sexually active in the past year, only 26.3 % had ever tested for HIV. At the bivariate level, testing was associated with experiencing verbal abuse and sexual violence/coercion, and perpetrating verbal abuse. Experiencing verbal abuse remained significant in multivariate analysis. We discuss findings in a syndemics framework, considered in combination with social psychology-based health behavior theories. Enhanced HIV testing scale-up initiatives for undergraduates are needed and should consider integration with violence prevention programs.

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Acknowledgments

This project was funded by a State of California Special Fund Mini-Grant/Junior Faculty Award (“Violence, HIV/AIDS, and Other Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Undergraduate Students”). The authors thank the participants; and Angelica Barrera-Ng, Jordan Murray, Annie Au, Tracy Davidson, and Nancy Nguyen for their assistance in survey administration and data entry.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Science, California State University, Fullerton, 800 North State College Boulevard, Fullerton, CA, 92831, USA

    Anthony S. DiStefano & Jasmeet K. Gill

  2. Department of Applied Health Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA

    Randolph D. Hubach

  3. School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Reggie T. Cayetano

  4. College of Liberal and Professional Studies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Cary J. Hilbert

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  1. Anthony S. DiStefano
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Correspondence to Anthony S. DiStefano.

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DiStefano, A.S., Gill, J.K., Hubach, R.D. et al. HIV testing in an ethnically diverse sample of American university students: associations with violence/abuse and covariates. J Behav Med 37, 1030–1046 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-013-9540-7

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