title: Intimate partner violence and HIV infection among women: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To assess evidence of an association between intimate partner violence (IPV) and HIV infection among women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medline/PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, EBSCO, Ovid, Cochrane HIV/AIDS Group's Specialized Register and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched up to 20 May 2013 to identify studies that examined the association between IPV and HIV infection in women. We included studies on women aged ≥15 years, in any form of sexually intimate relationship with a male partner.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-eight studies [(19 cross-sectional, 5 cohorts and 4 case-control studies) involving 331,468 individuals in 16 countries - the US (eight studies), South Africa (four studies), East Africa (10 studies), India (three studies), Brazil (one study) and multiple low-income countries (two studies)] were included. Results were pooled using RevMan 5.0. To moderate effect estimates, we analyzed all data using the random effects model, irrespective of heterogeneity level. Pooled results of cohort studies indicated that physical IPV [pooled RR (95% CI): 1.22 (1.01, 1.46)] and any type of IPV [pooled RR (95% CI): 1.28 (1.00, 1.64)] were significantly associated with HIV infection among women. Results of cross-sectional studies demonstrated significant associations of physical IPV with HIV infection among women [pooled OR (95% CI): 1.44 (1.10, 1.87)]. Similarly, results of cross-sectional studies indicated that combination of physical and sexual IPV [pooled OR (95% CI): 2.00 (1.24, 3.22) and any type of IPV [pooled OR (95% CI): 1.41 (1.16, 1.73)] were significantly associated with HIV infection among women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Available evidence suggests a moderate statistically significant association between IPV and HIV infection among women. To further elucidate the strength of the association between IPV and HIV infection among women, there is a need for high-quality follow-up studies conducted in different geographical regions of the world, and among individuals of diverse racial/cultural backgrounds and varying levels of HIV risks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine & Health Service Management, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China; Division of Health Promotion Sciences/Global Health Institute, Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Division of Health Promotion Sciences/Global Health Institute, Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
authors.forename: Caitlin M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.affiliation: Division of Health Promotion Sciences/Global Health Institute, Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
authors.forename: Hilary C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Rees
authors.affiliation: Division of Health Promotion Sciences/Global Health Institute, Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
authors.forename: Annabelle
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nunez
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
authors.forename: Echezona E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Ezeanolue
authors.affiliation: Division of Health Promotion Sciences/Global Health Institute, Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; jehiri@email.arizona.edu.
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ehiri
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012747:Sexual Partners
keywords: HIV/AIDS; gender-based violence; intimate partner violence; meta-analysis; systematic review; women's health