Intimate partner violence is associated with incident HIV infection in women in Uganda.
OBJECTIVE
To quantify the association between intimate partner violence (IPV) and incident HIV infection in women in the Rakai Community Cohort Study between 2000 and 2009.


METHODS
Data were from the Rakai Community Cohort Study annual surveys between 2000 and 2009. Longitudinal data analysis was used to estimate the adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) of incident HIV associated with IPV in sexually active women aged 15-49 years, using a multivariable Poisson regression model with random effects. The population attributable fraction was calculated. Putative mediators were assessed using Baron and Kenny's criteria and the Sobel-Goodman test.


RESULTS
Women who had ever experienced IPV had an adjusted IRR of incident HIV infection of 1.55 (95% CI 1.25-1.94, P = 0.000), compared with women who had never experienced IPV. Risk of HIV infection tended to be greater for longer duration of IPV exposure and for women exposed to more severe and more frequent IPV. The adjusted population attributable fraction of incident HIV attributable to IPV was 22.2% (95% CI 12.5-30.4). There was no evidence that either condom use or number of sex partners in the past year mediated the relationship between IPV and HIV.


CONCLUSIONS
IPV is associated with incident HIV infection in a population-based cohort in Uganda, although the adjusted population attributable fraction is modest. The prevention of IPV should be a public health priority, and could contribute to HIV prevention.
Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3M7, Canada. fiona.kouyoumdjian@mail.utoronto.ca
Fiona G
FG
Kouyoumdjian
Liviana M
LM
Calzavara
Susan J
SJ
Bondy
Patricia
P
O'Campo
David
D
Serwadda
Fred
F
Nalugoda
Joseph
J
Kagaayi
Godfrey
G
Kigozi
Maria
M
Wawer
Ron
R
Gray
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D012307:Risk Factors; D012747:Sexual Partners; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult