Effects of Social and Human Capital on Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Among HIV Infected Women

PURPOSE: Intimate partner violence (IPV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) are two significant social problems with huge costs to society. Both IPV and HIV/AIDS greatly impacts woman's physical and psychological well being. According to the 2011’s report of the National Center of Injury Prevention and Control and CDC, 1 in 3 women have been the victim of IPV during their life time while 1 in 5 women is diagnosed with new HIV infection in the United States. Research studies consistently find high rates of IPV among women.
Studies on IPV have long documented the importance of social and human capital. Social capital theorists argue that social capital helps in restoring the psychological and biological wellbeing of an individual. This is critical for the many women who are diagnosed with HIV/AIDS every year. Research studies suggest that women with high level of social support are less likely to experience violence. Women‘s ability to seek security and protection during episodes of violence tends to reduce and detract from the perpetrator‘s ability to freely engage in violence. For this reason, social support from peers, friends and family is an important determinant of the severity of IPV and is examined in this study.
METHODS: During the Fall of 2011, women living with HIV/AIDS and receiving services from AIDS Outreach Center located in the southwestern part of the United States were recruited to participate in a study.  They were asked to complete surveys about their HIV/AIDS diagnosis, disclosure, the level of IPV experienced, and their level of social support. Sixty-four women completed the Revised Conflict Tactic Scale, The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and a HIV/AIDS Questionnaire, CAGE-AID.
RESULTS: The odds of experiencing high severity of IPV among those who use substance is 2.014 times the odds of experiencing high severity of IPV among those who do not use substance (β = -70, p<.05). And the odds of experiencing high severity of  IPV among those who have less than high school degree is  2.622 times the odds of experiencing high severity of IPV among those who have more than high school (β =.96, p<.05).  Finally, the odds of experiencing high severity of  IPV among those who have high level of  social support is .533 times the odds of experiencing high severity of IPV among those who have low levels of social support (β = -.63, p<.1).
IMPLICATIONS: This study found that social support and education served as an important protective factor against IPV among women living with HIV/AIDS. Also substance abuse act as an important risk factor for IPV among HIV infected women.  Programs to improve level of social support among those who attend the HIV clinic should be developed and further tested to assess their effectiveness in reducing IPV. Given the limitation that such as small sample size and collection of data was done only from one agency, future studies should obtain larger sample sizes. Policymakers should ensure that IPV services are accessible to HIV infected women.