Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Abuse in the Close Relationships of People With HIV

  • Published:
AIDS and Behavior Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We estimated the proportion of adults receiving HIV care who are involved in abusive close relationships and identified factors associated with abuse perpetration and victimization. A nationally representative sample of 1,421 persons in care for HIV included 51% who reported having a close relationship (a spouse or a primary relationship partner) during a 6-month period. Of those in a close relationship, 26.8%reported the presence of abuse. Forty-eight percent of all abuse was mutual, and abuse perpetration and victimization occurred equally often. Age, substance abuse, and psychiatric disorder, as well as characteristics of relationships (e.g., both partners seropositive) predicted perpetration and/or victimization. After adjusting for these factors, females were not found to differ from gay men in their likelihood of being perpetrators of abuse or victims. However, African Americans were more likely than Whites to be involved in an abusive relationship. Interventions for people with HIV must address the presence of abuse in close relationships, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, but may benefit from targeting people of color.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Archer, J. (2000). Sex differences in aggression between heterosexual partners: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 126, 651–680.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aron, A., Aron, E. N., and Smollan, D. (1992). Inclusion of other in the self scale and the structure of interpersonal closeness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 596–612.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beckett, M., Burnam, A., Collins, R. L., Kanouse, D. E., and Beckman, R. (2003). Substance use and high-risk sex among people with HIV: A comparison across exposure groups. AIDS and Behavior, 7, 209–219.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brewer, D. D., Fleming, C. B., Haggerty, K. P., and Catalano, R. F. (1998). Drug use predictors of partner violence in opiate-dependent women. Violence and Victims, 13, 107–115.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burnam, M. A., Stein, J. A., Golding, J. M., Siegel, J. M., Sorenson, S. B., Forsythe, A. B., and Telles, C. A. (1988). Sexual assault and mental disorders in a community population. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56, 843–850.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Caetano, R., Cunradi, C. B., Clark, C. L., and Schafer, J. (2000). Intimate partner violence and drinking patterns among White, Black and Hispanic couples in the U.S. Journal of Substance Abuse, 11, 123–138.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • CDC (2000). Prevalence of intimate partner violence and injuries—Washington, 1998. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 49, 589–592.

  • Cohen, M., Deamant, C., Barkan, S., Richardson, J., Young, M., Holman, S., Anastos, K., Cohen, J., and Melnick, S. (2000). Domestic violence and childhood sexual abuse in HIV-infected women and women at risk for HIV. American Journal of Public Health, 90, 560–565.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cunningham, W. E., Rana, H. M., Shapiro, M. F., and Hays, R. D. (1997). Reliability and validity of self-report CD4 counts in persons hospitalized with HIV disease. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 50, 829–835.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cunradi, C. B., Caetano, R., Clark, C. L., and Schafer, J. (1999). Alcohol-related problems and intimate partner violence among White, Black, and Hispanic couples in the U.S. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 23, 1492–1501.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cunradi, C. B., Caetano, R., Clark, C., and Schafer, J. (2000). Neighborhood poverty as a predictor of intimate partner violence among White, Black, and Hispanic couples in the United States: A multilevel analysis. Annals of Epidemiology, 10, 297–308.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Danielson, K. K., Moffitt, T. E., Caspi, A., and Silva, P. A. (1998). Comorbidity between abuse of an adult and DSM-III-R mental disorders: Evidence from an epidemiological study. American Journal of Psychiatry, 155, 131–133.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • El-Bassel, N., Gilbert, L., Schilling, R., and Wada, T. (2000). Drug abuse and partner violence among women in methadone treatment. Journal of Family Violence, 15, 209–228.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frankel, M. R., Shapiro, M. F., Duan, N., Morton, S. C., Berry, S. H., Brown, J. A., Burnam, M. A., Cohn, S. E., Goldman, D. P., McCaffrey, D. F., Smith, S. M., St. Clair, P. A., Tebow, J. F., and Bozzette, S. A. (1999). National probability samples in studies of low-prevalence diseases. Part II: Designing and implementing the HIV Cost and Services Utilization Study. Health Services Research, 34, 969–992.

  • Gielen, A. C., McDonnell, K. A., Burke, J. G., and O’Campo, P. (2000). Women’s lives after an HIV-positive diagnosis: Disclosure and violence. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 4, 111–120.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Greenwood, G. L., Reif, M. V., Huang, B., Pollack, L. M., Canchola, J. A., and Catania, J. A. (2002). Battering victimization among a probability-based sample of men who have sex with men. American Journal of Public Health, 92, 1964–1969.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harned, M. S. (2001). Abused women or abused men? An examination of the context and outcomes of dating violence. Violence and Victims, 16, 269–285.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hays, R. D., Cunningham, W. E., Sherbourne, C. D., Wilson, I. B., Wu, A. W., Cleary, P. D., McCaffrey, D. F., Fleishman, J. A., Crystal, S., Collins, R., Eggan, F., Shapiro, M. F., and Bozzette, S. A. (2000). Health-related quality of life in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection in the United States: Results from the HIV Cost and Services Utilization Study. American Journal of Medicine, 108, 714–722.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Holtzworth-Munroe, A., Bates, L., Smutzler, N., and Sandin, E. (1997). A brief review of the research on husband violence: I. Maritally violent vs. nonviolent men. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 2, 65–99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kantor, G. K., and Jasinski, J. L. (1998). Dynamics and risk factors in partner violence. In J. L. Jasinski and L. M. Williams (Eds.), Partner violence: A comprehensive review of 20 years of research (pp. 1–43) . Thousand Oaks, CA.

  • Kilpatrick, D. G., Saunders, B. E., Veronen, L. J., Best, C. L., and Von, J. M. (1987). Criminal victimization: Lifetime prevalence, reporting to police, and psychological impact. Crime Delinsstquency, 33, 479–489.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koenig, L. J., and Moore, J. (2000). Women, violence, and HIV: A critical evaluation with implications for HIV services. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 4, 103–109.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Leadley, K., Clark, C. L., and Caetano, R. (2000). Couples’ drinking patterns, intimate partner violence, and alcohol-related partnership problems. Journal of Substance Abuse, 11, 253–263.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martino, S. C., Collins, R. L., and Ellickson, P. L. (in press). Substance use and vulnerability to sexual and physical aggression: A longitudinal study of young adults. Violence and Victims.

  • Murphy, C. M., O’Farrell, T. J., Fals-Stewart, W., and Feehan, M. (2001). Correlates of intimate partner violence among male alcoholic patients. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 69, 528–540.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pan, H. S., Neidig, P. H., and O’Leary, K. D. (1994). Predicting mild and severe husband-to-wife physical aggression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 62, 975–981.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shapiro, M. F., Berk, M. L., Berry, S. H., Emmons, C. A., Athey, L. A., Hsia, D. C., Leibowitz, A. A., Maida, C. A., Marcus, M., Perlman, J. F., Schur, C. L., Schuster, M. A., Senterfitt, J. W., and Bozzette, S. A. (1999). National probability samples in studies of low-prevalence diseases. Part I: Perspectives and lessons from the HIV Cost and Services Utilization Study. Health Services Research, 34, 951–968.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Silverman, J. G., Raj, A., Mucci, L. A., and Hathaway, J. E. (2001). Dating violence against adolescent girls and associated substance use, unhealthy weight control, sexual risk behavior, pregnancy, and suicidality. Journal of the American Medical Association, 286, 572–579.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sowell, R., Seals, B., Moneyham, L., Guillory, J., and Mizuno, Y. (1999). Experiences of violence in HIV seropositive women in the south-eastern United States of America. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 30, 606–615.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Steketee, G., and Foa, E. B. (1987). Rape victims. Post-traumatic stress responses and their treatment: A review of the literature. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 1, 69–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Straus, M. A. (1995). Measuring intrafamily conflict and violence: The Conflict Tactics (CT) Scales. In M. A. Straus and R. J. Gelles (Eds.), Physical violence in American families(pp. 29–47). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Straus, M. A. (1999). The controversy over domestic violence by women: A methodological, theoretical, and sociology of science analysis. In X. B. Arriaga and S. Oskamp (Eds.), Violence in intimate relationships (pp. 17–44). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Testa, M., Livingston, J. A., and Leonard, K. E. (2003). Women’s substance use and experiences of intimate partner violence: A longitudinal investigation among a community sample. Addictive Behaviors, 28, 1649–1664.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tjaden, P., and Thoennes, N. (2000). Full report on the prevalence, incidence, and consequences of violence against women. Findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey. National Institute of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved on February 19, 2004, from www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/183781.pdf

  • Tyler, K. A., Hoyt, D. R., and Whitbeck, L. B. (1998). Coercive sexual strategies. Violence and Victims, 13, 47–61.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ware, J. E., Jr., and Sherbourne, C. D. (1992). The MOS 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). I. Conceptual framework and item selection. Medical Care, 30, 473–483.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wingood, G. M., and DiClemente, R. J. (1997). The effects of an abusive primary partner on the condom use and sexual negotiation practices of African-American women. American Journal of Public Health, 87, 1016–1018.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zierler, S., Cunningham, W. E., Andersen, R., Shapiro, M. F., Bozzette, S. A., Nakazono, T., Morton, S., Crystal, S., Stein, M., Turner, B., and St. Clair, P. (2000). Violence victimization after HIV infection in a US probability sample of adult patients in primary care. American Journal of Public Health, 90, 208–215.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for AIDS Research, Education and Services, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, California

    Frank H. Galvan & Steve R. Mitchell

  2. RAND, Santa Monica, California

    Rebecca Collins, David E. Kanouse, M. Audrey Burnam, Susan M. Paddock & Robin Beckman

  3. Center for AIDS Research, Education and Services, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, 1731 East 120th Street, Los Angeles, California, 90059-3025

    Frank H. Galvan

Authors
  1. Frank H. Galvan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Rebecca Collins
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. David E. Kanouse
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. M. Audrey Burnam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Susan M. Paddock
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Robin Beckman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Steve R. Mitchell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Frank H. Galvan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Galvan, F.H., Collins, R., Kanouse, D.E. et al. Abuse in the Close Relationships of People With HIV. AIDS Behav 8, 441–451 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-004-7328-z

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-004-7328-z

Search

Navigation