Amsterdam 2015
Menu
AIDSImpact.com
Conference Details
Authors
International Committee
Plenary Speakers
Presenting Speakers
Programme
Sessions
Scientific Committee
Acknowledgements
| Abstract #2356 - Family matters: Relationships and HIV | ||||
|
Session: 28.1: Family matters: Relationships and HIV (Parallel) on Thursday @ 11.30-13.00 in C002 Chaired by Eline Op de Coul, Francine Cournos Authors: Presenting Author: Dr Jacqueline Mthembu - Human Sciences Research Council, South Africa |
||||
| Additional Authors: | ||||
| Aim: South Africa has one of the most progressive constitutions aspiring to uphold human rights, gender equality, and the empowerment of women. However, indicators of women’s health and safety in South Africa undermine these basic constitutional rights. For instance, Jewkes et al. (2010) showed that relationship inequality and intimate partner violence (IPV) is a risk factor for HIV infection amongst young South African women. Furthermore, women who experience abuse from an intimate partner often are less able to negotiate safer sex (e.g., condom use), which significantly increases their risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (Dunkle et al., 2004 Jewkes et al., 2010). This paper aimed to examine the association between men’s self-reported perpetration of IPV and risk-taking behaviours. | ||||
| Method / Issue: This study was a retrospective cross-sectional survey. A total of 975 men, aged 18 years and older, were recruited to participate in an alcohol-reduction group intervention in a Cape Town township and were asked to complete an anonymous behavioural survey. Linear regression analysis was used to assess associations between self-reported perpetration of IPV and risk-taking behaviours. These included sensation seeking behaviour, alcohol misuse, and risky sexual behaviour. | ||||
| Results / Comments: Overall, most of the men reported that they perpetrated IPV (66.0%). Most men were aged between 25 – 34 years (40.0%), with an education level of Grade 3 to Grade 11 (66.5%) and 85.2% of the men reported being unemployed. The overwhelming majority reported not being married (91.8%) while most reported having fathered one or more children (60.8%). This study found that men who self-reported the perpetration of IPV were more likely to report a higher level of education, higher levels of alcohol use, and higher levels of sensation seeking behaviour while men who reported less perpetration of IPV were more likely to have a casual sexual partner and having had a conversation with to someone about testing for HIV, condom use, or violence against women (p < 0.05). | ||||
| Discussion: The results suggest that men who report intimate partner violence most often also engage in other forms of risk-taking behaviours such as high risk drinking and sensation seeking. Men who have casual or non-regular sexual partners are less likely to perpetrate IPV. This finding may suggest that men are more likely to perpetrate IPV against their regular or steady sexual partner. In addition, education as a predictor of IPV may point to an underlying dynamic of power inequality that is inherent within relationships where partners do not have an equal level of education. Furthermore, it was found that conversational norms (talk to their peers about IPV, and other risk behaviours), may be a deterrent for perpetration of IPV. | ||||
| Go Back | ||||