Diagnosis and Disclosure of HIV Status: Implications for Women's Risk of Physical Partner Violence in the Postpartum Period.

introductionThis study prospectively examined whether HIV leads to elevated risk for intimate partner violence (IPV) for women and how this risk varies depending on HIV status disclosure to a partner.

methodsWe ran a series of logistic regression models using data from 1092 pregnant and postpartum women enrolled in an RCT in Durban, South Africa. Model 1 assessed whether baseline HIV status predicted 14-week postpartum physical IPV, controlling for baseline physical IPV, disclosure to partner, and demographic and study covariates. Model 2 added the interaction between HIV status and disclosure.

resultsHIV was not associated with 14-week physical IPV in the main effects model [adjusted odds ratio: 1.34, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.88 to 2.05]. However, there was a statistically significant positive interaction between HIV and disclosure (adjusted odds ratio: 0.22, 95% CI: 0.05 to 0.96). Among women who disclosed their HIV status, HIV was not significantly associated with 14-week IPV (adjusted odds ratio: 1.12, 95% CI: 0.71 to 1.89). However, among women who had not disclosed, the odds of reporting IPV at 14 weeks was 5.15 times higher for HIV-positive women as compared with HIV-negative women (95% CI: 1.25 to 21.00). DISCUSSION: Although we established that HIV does not increase incidence of IPV for all HIV-positive women, we found an elevated risk of IPV among the HIV-positive women who chose not to disclose their status to their partner. Nondisclosure is likely a marker for other problematic aspects of the relationship, and counselors should either find alternative safe options for disclosure or support women's decisions not to disclose.