Intimate Partner Violence and Health Outcomes Among Women Living With HIV/AIDS in Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is known to have negative health consequences for victims. For women living with HIV/AIDS, whose health may be compromised, exposure to IPV can be devastating. Yet few (if any) studies have explored the health implications of exposure to IPV among HIV-positive women. We begin to fill this gap by examining the effects of various dimensions of IPV (physical, sexual, psychological/emotional, and economic) on the cardiovascular, psychosocial, and sexual reproductive health outcomes of HIV-positive women in Ghana. Data were collected from a cross-section of 538 HIV-positive women aged 18 years and older in the Lower Manya Krobo District in the Eastern Region. We used logit models to explore relationships between IPV and health. The findings indicate high prevalence of IPV in our sample: physical violence (61%), sexual violence (50.9%), emotional/psychological violence (79.6%), and economic violence (66.8%). Generally, participants with experiences of IPV reported cardiovascular health problems, unwanted pregnancies and pregnancy loss, and poor psychosocial health. Our findings suggest the importance of screening for IPV as part of HIV care in Ghana.