© 2002 American Public Health Association
Linda J. Koenig and Daniel J. Whitaker are with the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga. At the time of the study, Rachel A. Royce was with the Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Tracey E. Wilson is with the Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, Health Science Center, State University of New York at Brooklyn. Michelle R. Callahan is with the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn. At the time of this study, M. Isabel Fernandez was with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Fla. Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Office of Communications, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, Mail Stop E-06, Atlanta, GA 30333
Objectives. This study estimated the prevalence of violence during pregnancy in relation to HIV infection. Methods. Violence, current partnerships, and HIV risk behaviors were assessed among 336 HIV-seropositive and 298 HIV-seronegative at-risk pregnant women. Results. Overall, 8.9% of women experienced recent violence; 21.5% currently had abusive partners. Violence was experienced by women in all partnership categories (range = 3.8% with nonabusive partners to 53.6% with physically abusive partners). Neither experiencing violence nor having an abusive partner differed by serostatus. Receiving an HIV diagnosis prenatally did not increase risk. Disclosure-related violence occurred, but was rare. Conclusions. Many HIV-infected pregnant women experience violence, but it is not typically attributable to their serostatus. Prenatal services should incorporate screening and counseling for all women at risk for violence. (Am J Public Health. 2002;92:367370) This article has been cited by other articles:
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