Partner Violence Perpetration and Victimization and HIV Risk Behaviors in St. Petersburg Russia

摘要

Whether intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration and victimization are associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk behaviors is seldom investigated in Russia. The present study hypothesized that patients from a sexually transmitted infection center in Russia who perpetrated IPV or were victims of IPV would be more likely to have HIV risk behaviors including injection drug use, multiple partners, and inconsistent condom use than those who were not involved with IPV. We used a self-administered questionnaire to collect information from 381 patients on demographics, health status, drug injection, sexual behaviors, and violence involving sexual partners between 2008 and 2009. After adjusting for sociodemographics, lifetime IPV perpetration was significantly associated with having had multiple sexual partners among male patients (odds ratio [OR] = 2.61, p < .05). Intimate partner violence victimization was significantly associated with injection drug use among male and female patients (OR = 5.22, p < .05) and with inconsistent condom use among female patients (OR = 8.93, p < .05). Intimate partner violence perpetration and victimization were common among male and female study participants and were associated with greater HIV risk behaviors. Human immunodeficiency virus prevention programs in Russia should address the risks associated with IPV among people at risk for HIV.