Addressing the intersections of violence and HIV/AIDS: a qualitative study of service providers

Application of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to Facilitate Violence Screening in HIV Care Settings: a Review of the Literature

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review summarizes the literature on violence screening practices within HIV care settings globally as well as identified salient multi-level barriers and facilitators for adopting and implementing violence screening within HIV care. We utilized the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to systematically identify multi-level factors related to violence screening within HIV services.

RECENT FINDINGS

Across the 15 articles included, several highly salient CFIR constructs emerged as particularly relevant for violence screening adoption and implementation within HIV including inner setting factors, outer setting factors, as well as select constructs specific to characteristics of the violence screening process, the individuals charged with screening, and violence screening execution. This review underscores the importance of considering CFIR constructs to bolster successful violence screening implementation in HIV care settings. We describe several potential implementation strategies to overcome the most salient barriers identified across this limited body of summarized research.

Trauma-Informed Practices to Address Intersections Between HIV and Intimate Partner Violence Among Women: Perspective of Community Service Providers

The current study aimed to document intervention practices, challenges, and training needs concerning the intersections between HIV and intimate partner violence (IPV) among community service providers (n = 12). A direct content analysis using the Trauma-Informed Approach was performed. Results revealed that community service providers need to create a safe, trusting, and mutually collaborative environment in which the intersections between HIV and IPV trauma are recognized, screened, and discussed with women. These results also highlight the need to consolidate partnerships between HIV and IPV organizations to provide relevant services that consider traumatic experiences. Overall, these findings support the urgent need to develop, implement, and evaluate targeted community interventions that jointly address HIV and IPV.

Implementing an intimate partner violence (IPV) screening protocol in HIV care

HIV and intimate partner violence (IPV) epidemics propagate and interact in a syndemic fashion contributing to excess burden of disease and poorer health outcomes. In order to understand the impact of IPV on HIV disease management, a universal screening program was implemented in the Southern Alberta Clinic in May 2009. We evaluated our IPV screening protocol and made recommendations for its usage in HIV care. IPV data obtained from patients were evaluated, supplemented with responses from a subset of in-depth interviews. 35% of 1721 patients reported experiencing IPV. Prevalence was higher among females (46%), Aboriginal Canadians (67%), bisexual male/females (48%), and gay males (35%). Of 158 patients interviewed, only 22% had previously been asked about IPV in any health care setting. Patients were responsive to routine IPV screening emphasizing that referral services need to be easily accessible. 23% of patients disclosing IPV subsequently connected to additional IPV resources after screening. We recommend that universal IPV screening be incorporated within regular HIV clinic care. The IPV survey should be given after trust has been established with regular follow-up every 6-12 months. A referral process to local agencies dealing with IPV must be in place for patients disclosing abuses.

Is violence associated with increased risk behavior among MSM? Evidence from a population-based survey conducted across nine cities in Central America

Background/Objective

There is a dearth of research examining the linkages between violence and HIV risk behavior among men who have sex with men (MSM), including those who identify as transgender women (TW), particularly in Central America where violence is widespread. In this paper, we use population-based survey results to independently examine the correlations between physical, emotional and sexual violence and HIV risk behavior among MSM populations in five countries in Central America.

Design

As part of USAID's Combination Prevention for HIV program in Central America, PASMO conducted population based surveys using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) in nine cities in Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Initial seeds were recruited using the following criteria: individuals who represented subgroups of MSM by self-identification (homosexual vs. heterosexual or bisexual vs. transgender), social economic strata, and by sex work practices. This study examines the association between violence and 1) HIV risk behaviors relevant to the study populations; 2) protective behaviors; and 3) reported STIs. Individualized RDS estimator weights for each outcome variable were calculated using RDSAT software, and logistic regression analysis was used to determine associations between different forms of violence and the outcome variables.

Results

MSM who experienced physical violence were more likely to be engaged in transactional sex (OR: 1.76 [1.42–2.18]), have multiple partners in the past 30 days (OR: 1.37 [1.09–1.71]), and have engaged in sex under the influence of alcohol or drugs (OR: 1.51 [1.24–1.83]). Both physical violence and psychological/verbal violence were also associated with reporting STI symptoms or diagnosis within the past 12 months (OR: 1.72 [1.34–2.21] and 1.80 [1.45–2.23]). The effects of violence on the outcomes were observed after controlling for other risk factors. Transgender women were 3.9 times more likely to report engaging in transactional sex. Respondents who were heterosexual, bisexual, or transgender were also more likely to both report multiple partnerships (OR: 1.44 [1.07–1.96], 1.99 [1.67–2.38], 1.79 [1.37–2.33], respectively) and more likely to report engaging in sex under the influence of alcohol or drugs (OR: 1.52 [1.15–2.01], 1.38 [1.17–1.63], 1.47 [1.16–1.87], respectively), as compared to those identifying as homosexual.

Conclusion

Violence experienced by MSM and TW is widespread in Central America. The experience of violence is shown in this study to be independently associated with risk behaviors for HIV infections. Further research and studies are needed to identify the effects violence has on HIV risk behavior among this under-researched population to improve targeted HIV prevention interventions.