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Selected Works of David Bangsberg
Article
Relationship Power and Sexual Violence Among HIV-Positive Women in Rural Uganda
AIDS and Behavior (2016)
  • Amy A. Conroy, University of California - San Francisco
  • Alexander C. Tsai
  • Gina M. Clark, Kaiser Permanente, San Franscisco
  • Yap Boum
  • Abigail M. Hatcher, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
  • Annet Kawuma, Mbarara University of Science & Technology
  • Peter W. Hunt, University of California - San Francisco
  • Jeffrey N. Martin, University of California - San Francisco
  • David R. Bangberg, Portland State University
  • Sheri D. Weiser, University of California - San Francisco
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Abstract
Gender-based power imbalances place women at significant risk for sexual violence, however, little research has examined this association among women living with HIV/AIDS. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of relationship power and sexual violence among HIV-positive women on anti-retroviral therapy in rural Uganda. Relationship power was measured using the Sexual Relationship Power Scale (SRPS), a validated measure consisting of two subscales: relationship control (RC) and decision-making dominance. We used multivariable logistic regression to test for associations between the SRPS and two dependent variables: recent forced sex and transactional sex. Higher relationship power (full SRPS) was associated with reduced odds of forced sex (AOR = 0.24; 95 % CI 0.07–0.80; p = 0.020). The association between higher relationship power and transactional sex was strong and in the expected direction, but not statistically significant (AOR = 0.47; 95 % CI 0.18–1.22; p = 0.119). Higher RC was associated with reduced odds of both forced sex (AOR = 0.18; 95 % CI 0.06–0.59; p < 0.01) and transactional sex (AOR = 0.38; 95 % CI 0.15–0.99; p = 0.048). Violence prevention interventions with HIV-positive women should consider approaches that increase women’s power in their relationships.

At the time of writing, David Bangsberg was affiliated with Center for Global Health, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University.
Keywords
  • Relationship power,
  • Sexual violence,
  • transactional sex,
  • HIV/AIDS,
  • Afrique
Disciplines
Publication Date
April, 2016
DOI
10.1007/s10461-016-1385-y
Publisher Statement
© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2016
Citation Information
Conroy AA, Tsai AC, Clark GM, Boum Y, Hatcher AM, Kawuma A, Hunt PW, Martin JN, Bangsberg DR, Weiser SD; Relationship Power and Sexual Violence Among HIV-Positive Women in Rural Uganda. AIDS Behav. 2016 Apr 6