Violence victimization after HIV infection in a US probability sample of adult patients in primary care.
OBJECTIVE
This study estimated the proportion of HIV-infected adults who have been assaulted by a partner or someone important to them since their HIV diagnosis and the extent to which they reported HIV-seropositive status as a cause of the violence.


METHODS
Study participants were from a nationally representative probability sample of 2864 HIV-infected adults who were receiving medical care and were enrolled in the HIV Costs and Service Utilization Study. All interviews (91% in person, 9% by telephone) were conducted with computer-assisted personal interviewing instruments. Interviews began in January 1996 and ended 15 months later.


RESULTS
Overall, 20.5% of the women, 11.5% of the men who reported having sex with men, and 7.5% of the heterosexual men reported physical harm since diagnosis, of whom nearly half reported HIV-seropositive status as a cause of violent episodes.


CONCLUSIONS
HIV-related care is an appropriate setting for routine assessment of violence. Programs to cross-train staff in antiviolence agencies and HIV care facilities need to be developed for men and women with HIV infection.
Zierler
S
S
Department of Community Health, Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, RI, USA. sallyvzierler@brown.edu
Cunningham
W E
WE
Andersen
R
R
Shapiro
M F
MF
Nakazono
T
T
Morton
S
S
Crystal
S
S
Stein
M
M
Turner
B
B
St Clair
P
P
Bozzette
S A
SA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012747:Sexual Partners; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*