Intimate Partner Violence among New HIV Positive Mothers in South Africa

Abstract

There is a lack of data on intimate partner violence in new HIV positive mothers. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of intimate partner violence and associated factors in postnatal HIV-positive women in primary care facilities in South Africa. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 607 HIV-positive postnatal women in 48 primary health care clinics and community health centres in Nkangala District. Postnatal women were recruited by systematic sampling (every consecutive patient over a period of 2 months) and responded to a questionnaire. Overall, 12.9% of women reported to having ever experienced physical partner violence and 11.9% emotional partner violence in the past 12 months. In bivariate logistic regression, having been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (other than HIV) in the past 12 months and having had two or more sexual partners in the past 12 months was associated with physical partner violence. Moreover, having a younger infant, unplanned previous pregnancy, and not having been attended to by a traditional birth attended during antenatal care with previous pregnancy and not having attended a support group were associated with emotional partner abuse in the 12 months.The study findings suggest that routine screening for intimate partner violence by maternity services should be encouraged.

Key words: Intimate partner violence, HIV positive new mothers, risk factors, primary care facilities, South Africa