Intimate Partner Violence Among Women Accessing HIV-Care Services at Tertiary Hospitals in Ogun State, Nigeria: Implications for Policy and Practice.

Intimate partner violence is both a predisposing factor for and sequelae of HIV infection. It is more likely for HIV-positive women to experience intimate partner violence compared with HIV-negative women. Previous researches have described the other risk factors for intimate partner violence. This cross-sectional study identified the correlates of intimate partner violence among HIV-positive women accessing HIV-care. We interviewed 458 women accessing HIV-care at the three tertiary hospitals in Ogun State, Nigeria. Trained research assistants conducted 10-min structured interviews with validated questionnaires. We carried out descriptive, bivariate, and regression analyses. We used the backward elimination technique to build a model to predict the experience of intimate partner violence (IPV) within the preceding 12 months. We set the level of significance at .05. A total of 23 (5.02%) participants reported IPV within the preceding 12 months, while the prevalence of lifetime intimate partner violence was 24.02%. Younger age, the experience of IPV in previous relationships, and having multiple sex partners were related to the experience of IPV within the preceding 12 months (p < .05). Also, the partners' age, alcohol intake, and current smoking status were associated with the experience of IPV within the preceding 12 months (p < .05). After regression analysis, participants' age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.892, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.831, 0.957]), experience of IPV in previous relationship (AOR = 12.841, 95% CI = [4.303, 38.318]), and partners' current smoking status (AOR = 4.874, 95% CI = [1.252, 18.969]) retained association with the experience of IPV within the preceding 12 months. IPV among HIV-positive women accessing HIV-care occurs in a complicated, context-specific way. Routine HIV strategies and services should include interventions that involve men and address gender power imbalances. For effectiveness, specific interventions must consider women's' specific context and characteristics.

Influence of Perception of Family Support and Functioning on Adolescent High-Risk Sexual Behavior.

Adolescents often engage in high-risk behaviors which often have lifelong consequences. It is unclear whether an association exists between adolescents' perception of family support and family functioning and sexual risk behavior. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 702 adolescent students (aged 15-19 years) of a university in Nigeria and assessed high-risk sexual behavior (HRSB) and their judgment of family functioning and support. We used multivariable logistic regression analyses to evaluate the relationship between HRSB and the perception of family support and functioning. We found that 114 (16.2%, 95% CI: 13.69-19.16) of the adolescents engaged in HRSB. A higher proportion of boys (22.7%, 95% CI: 17.79-28.47) than girls (12.93, 95% CI: 10.17-16.31) engaged in HRSB (P = 0.001). The prevalence of intimate partner violence in our study was 8% (95% CI: 6.19-10.29). Participants with lower perception scores were more likely to be engaged in HRSB (aOR: 0.920, 95% CI: 0.878-0.965). Likewise, the perception of family functioning was inversely related to HRSB among the participants (aOR: 0.884, 95% CI: 0.813-0.962). There is an association between adolescents' perception of family support and functioning and HRSB. This association may provide a link in the complex interaction between the role of the family and adolescent sexuality. Programs and interventions for preventing HRSB and promoting risk-reducing autonomous decision-making among adolescents should include context- and setting-specific interventions that improve family support and functioning, and those that target in dysfunctional family settings.