Relationship between Intimate Partner Violence and Quality of Life among Females Attending the HIV Clinic of a Teaching Hospital in North Central, Nigeria

Background: Intimate partner violence is a serious public health concern worldwide and is linked with serious mental and physical health consequences. Despite its commonality and attendant consequences, proper public healthcare intervention is rudimentary. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between quality of life associated with intimate partner violence among females attending the HIV Clinic at Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Plateau, Nigeria. Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional design and data was collected from 174 female patients attending the HIV Clinic who met the inclusion criteria with the aid of a 73-item semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. This captured socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge and attitude towards intimate partner violence and their experiences of violence and quality of life using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale-Brief version (WHOQOL-BREF). Results: Almost half of the respondents, 85 (48.9%) rated their quality of life as good. Respondents experiencing IPV reported poorer quality of life compared to those not experiencing partner violence in all the domains and it was statistically significant in the physical health (p Conclusion: IPV is common among females attending the HIV/AIDS Clinic and those affected reported significantly poorer quality of life.

A Review of Index Case Testing Induced Intimate Partner Violence and Electronic Management of Information in HIV Care

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a form of Gender Base Violence (GBV) where an intimate partner perpetrates violence. In the HIV care continua which has the aim of achieving epidemic control based on the goals defined by UNAIDS, 95% of people living with HIV (PLHIV) have to know their HIV status, 95% initiated ARV treatment and 95% are virally suppressed in order to achieve epidemic control. One of the evidence-based strategies used for achieving an optimal number of PLHIV who know their HIV status is the Index Case Testing Strategy (ICT). While the ICT strategy helps the achievement of epidemic control, its implementation increases the incidence of IPV among either serodiscordant or concordant couples. Tackling information about IPV is very sensitive. A review of the literature on the management of HIV patient information has shown that shifting from paper-based management of HIV patient information to computerized Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems, using software such as OPEN MRS has significantly improved the management of HIV patient information with high-level confidentiality of patient information. The reviews showed that the EMR systems put in place to manage HIV patient information need to integrate the stages used for the management of IPV among PLHIV.

Intimate partner violence:A loop of abuse,depression and victimization

Intimate partner violence has been recognized as a serious public health issue.Exposure to violence contributes to the genesis of,and exacerbates,mental health conditions,and existing mental health problems increase vulnerability to partner violence,a loop that imprisons victims and perpetuates the abuse.A recently described phenomenon is when male violence against females occurs within intimate relationships during youth,and it is termed adolescent or teen dating violence.In this narrative review,factors associated with intimate partner violence and consequences of exposure of children to parental domestic violence are discussed,along with possible intensification of violence against women with the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and subsequent lockdown.Intervention programs with a multicomponent approach involving many health care settings and research have a pivotal role in developing additional strategies for addressing violence and to provide tailored interventions to victims.Prevention policy with a particular attention on healthy child and adolescent development is mandatory in the struggle against all forms of violence.

Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence, Core Self-Evaluations, and Psychological Adaptation of Chinese Adolescents

This study aimed to investigate the link between the exposure to intimate partner violence(IPV),core self-evaluations(CSE),and psychological adaptation of Chinese adolescents,through analysis of the results from the Survey of Children’s Exposure to Domestic Violence Scale,Core Self-Evaluations Scale,and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire,involving a total of 597 Chinese middle school students.It is indicated that the exposure to IPV is positively correlated with lower levels of psychological adaptation and CSE,and CSE is positively correlated with higher levels of psychological adaptation.Mediation analysis revealed that CSE partially mediated the association between the exposure to IPV and psychological adaptation.These results suggest that educators and parents should help adolescents tackle their emotional and behavioral problems by reducing the risk of IPV exposure and increasing their CSE.

Intimate Partner Violence in Papua New Guinea

The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence, associated risk factors, consequences and preventive measures oflPV （intimate partner violence） within the selected population in Goroka, Papua New Guinea. Questions derived from the prevalidated scales were used to measure the IPV. Questionnaires were distributed to both men and women aged from 18 to 60. The participants were staff and students of University of Goroka, staff of the Goroka Secondary school and North Goroka Primary school, Teachers in-charges of the elementary schools in the Eastern Highlands Province and the villagers from Asaroufa and Kotuni villages. Of the 95 respondents, 78.95% were victims of IPV. Among the victims 37.33% were males and 62.67% females. The physical, sexual and psychological abuses were experienced by both men and women. The significant risk factors found to be associated with violence were young age, low education, low socioeconomic status, marital conflicts, history of abuse during childhood, and male patriarchal values. The interpersonal relationship tends to be an important factor for prevailing violence free environment within the intimate partners. Intimate partner violence is prevalent in PNG. The strongest independent predictors were the excessive drinking of alcohol and marital conflict. Preventive measures such as compulsory and free technical education for all children less than 14 years old and life skills training and violence awareness campaign for both men and women must be provided to reduce the intimate partner violence.

Accessibility of Justice for Intimate Partner Violence Victims in the Customary Court at Rohingya Refugee Camp, Bangladesh

This paper explored the norms and mechanisms of access to justice regarding intimate partner violence(IPV),the constraints that affect refugee women when seeking measures against IPV,and the experiences and views of justice providers in giving access to justice to IPV victims in a customary court.This is a qualitative study where purposive sampling was applied.Five,eight,and four in-depth interviews with IPV victims,justice makers from BMC/CMC,and other concerning organizations were conducted,respectively.Moreover,two key-informant interviews were also conducted.Data were analyzed utilizing thematic analysis.The findings revealed that the multi-sectoral approach is the framework in responding to IPV cases followed by each actor,including the BMC and CMC,who are protecting the rights of IPV victims.However,this community-based committee is the first spot to mitigate IPV cases,and the trial procedures are not consistent with national laws and international human rights standards;the committee uses their life experiences,religious norms,and socio-cultural values.IPV victims and the customary court experience obstacles in case reporting,trial processing,and denial of legal justice.Moreover,the committee is more active in keeping the family and societal harmony rather than in protecting the individual(women).United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees(UNHCR)should accelerate efforts to protect,respect,and fulfill the needs of IPV victims in all sectors.Training on human rights and gender,the determination of the rules and regulations of the customary court to protect IPV victims,the development of appropriate sanctions for perpetrators,and the remedies for victims are suggestions from the research to get justice for the IPV victims.

Risk Factors with Intimate Partner Violence among Women Seeking Emergency Care

Background: Identifying women at risk for violence caused by intimate partner violence is difficult in connection with visits at emergency department. Aims and objectives: The aim of this study was to explore and describe risk factors of IPV reported by women in connection with seeking emergency care, Design: This study is part of a larger study using an explorative and comparative design. Method: Based upon data from a questionnaire and some demographic data, 82 women who reported to have experienced intimate partner violence answered the Danger Assessment Scale. Results: The results showed that the violence escalated in frequency and severity when a weapon such as a knife or gun was used to harm the women. When the abuser used narcotics and threatened the woman with a weapon, the risk of being injured increased. The odds for being threatened to death when the abuser was reported to use narcotics and illegal drugs was about thirteen times higher compared to the case when the abuser was not using narcotics. Other life threatening factors were discovered such as the man’s capability of killing the woman. Conclusion: By using a questionnaire about the violence, healthcare personnel can identify women who are at risk of being severely injured or killed. By identifying these women, one can take action to provide for their safety. Relevance to Clinical Practice: Using the Danger Assessment instrument can facilitate health care personnel’s ability at emergency departments to identify women at risk for lethal violence.

Sociodemographic Background and Psychosocial Behaviors of Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence: A Hospital-based Retrospective Study

Background:Intimate partner violence(IPV)is a worldwide issue with a high prevalence rate seen inAsia.Aims and Objectives:To plan and implement preventive measures,it is important to understand the characteristics,background,and medico-legal significance,especially from the perspective of perpetrators.Materials and Methods:This study is a questionnaire-based retrospective study conducted among perpetrators of IPV who presented to a tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka.Results:Out of 325 subjects,97.2%were males and 64.0%were aged 26–45 years.Most(80.9%)perpetrators were older than the victimized partner,with a mean age gap of 4.3 years.Only 2.8%had achieved higher education and 78.5%had been married to the victim for more than5 years.Alcohol and/or other substances were abused by 75.4%and 11.1%of them were diagnosed with a psychiatric illness.Perpetrators have been exposed to child abuse(CA)as minors(50.1%),with physical CA being the most common,whereas 42.5%had witnessed IPV during their childhood.Ill-treatment by the spouse(odds ratio[OR]=24[95%confidence interval(CI):5.6,99.9])and substance use(OR=22[95%CI:5.1,91.5])were significantly associated with perpetrating emotional violence.A victim having an extramarital affair was 5.1 times more likely to be subjected to sexual IPV,whereas previous IPV,parental deprivation,and affairs of perpetrator were proved to be protective factors.IPV had negatively affected the economy of 71.3%of families.Legal procedures were expected by 22.4%,whereas 60%wanted to negotiate with their spouses.Conclusion:Families having low income and alcohol/substance abuse should be targeted to plan preventive programs at the community level.Proper counseling and follow-up of victims of CA can be used as a primary preventive measure of IPV.

Intimate partner violence against women. Does violence decrease after the entry of the alleged offender into the criminal justice system?

Intimate partner violence(IPV)is simultaneously assumed as a serious crime and a major public health issue,having recurrences as one of its main characteristics and,consequently,re-entries of some alleged offenders in the criminal justice system(CJS).The main goal of this study is to assess if in cases of female victims of IPV,violence decreases after the first entry of the alleged offender in the CJS.A retrospective study was performed based on the analysis of police reports of alleged cases of IPV during a 4-year period.The final sample(n=1488)was divided into two groups according to the number of entries in the CJS(single or multiple)followed by a comparative approach.Results suggest that violence decreases after the first entry of alleged offenders in the CJS.Re-entries were found in only 15.5%of the cases but they were accountable for 3.3 times more crimes on average.Besides,victims of recidivism presented more injuries and required more medical care.Thus,a small group of alleged offenders seems to be more violent and accountable for most of the IPV crimes registered in the CJS suggesting that regardless of legal sanctions aiming to deter violence,these measures may not be enough for a certain group of offenders.This study sustains the need for a predictive model to quantify the risk of repeated IPV cases within the Portuguese population.

HIV Status Disclosure Rate to a Sexual Partner, Associated Factors and Outcomes among Pregnant Women in PMTCT Care in Two Large HIV Facilities in Abuja, Nigeria

HIV status disclosure to partners is critical in improving the health and well-being of mother-infant dyad in the prevention of HIV transmission from mother to child (PMTCT) program. This study assesses the HIV disclosure rate to intimate partners, associated factors, and outcomes among women in the PMTCT program in two large HIV clinics in Abuja, Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional study employed a multi-stage sampling technique in selecting 220 pregnant women enrolled in PMTCT care in two clinics. Outcomes measures include HIV status disclosure to intimate partner, women’s viral suppression status (suppressed < 1000 copies/mL, unsuppressed ≥ 1000 copies/mL), and previous MTCT experience. Exposure variables include the participant’s socio-demographic characteristics and HIV care history. Data were presented using frequency tables. Simple and multivariate logistic regression was done to ascertain the predictors of HIV status disclosure and assess the association between HIV disclosure, viral suppression, and MTCT experience at a p-value of less than 0.05. Only 205 (96.7%) entries were completed and analyzed A larger percentage of the participants were married women, 158 (77.1%), within the age group 26 - 35 years (53.3%). Women’s HIV status disclosure rate to intimate partners was 49.3% (101/205). Factors associated with HIV disclosure rate to intimate partners at the univariate level were the participant’s age, Christian religion [COR: 1.80, 95%CI: 1.04 - 3.21, p = 0.04], full employment [COR: 1.92, 95%CI: 1.10 - 3.34, p = 0.02], HIV positivity prior to PMTCT enrollment [COR: 2.88, 95%CI: 1.26 - 6.59, p < 0.01], duration on antiretroviral therapy [COR: 1.07, 95%CI: 1.01 - 1.13, p = 0.03], and knowledge of partner’s HIV status [COR: 0.20, 95%CI: 0.08 - 0.51, p < 0.01]. Only HIV positivity prior to PMTCT enrollment [AOR: 3.27, 95%CI: 1.23 - 8.70, p < 0.01] and awareness of the partner’s HIV status, [AOR: 0.17, 95%CI: 0.06 - 0.49, p < 0.01] were significant predictors of HIV status disclosure after controlling for confounder. The two study outcomes;women’s viral suppression and MTCT experience were not significantly associated with participants’ HIV status disclosure to intimate partners. Our study shows that HIV disclosure to intimate partners is still a big challenge among pregnant women in PMTCT settings in Nigeria, with awareness of the partner’s HIV status and the type of patient enrollment in the PMTCT setting being the two strong predictors of pregnant women’s HIV disclosure status to partners.

Can Sense of Coherence Indicate Resilience and Mitigate the Cycle of Violence in Parenting?

Background: Harsh parenting practices during childhood have long-term negative effects on children’s mental health. A focus of nursing care on women’s resilience should be implemented because mothers who have experienced violence tend to be harsh parents. Aim: This study investigated the association between mothers’ violent experiences and harsh parenting (HP) and examined the effects of a sense of coherence (SOC) on this association, assuming that SOC can be an indicator of resilience. Method: In this prospective cohort study of 487 mothers, data were collected on SOC and history of intimate partner violence (IPV) at 1 year after childbirth and HP of their child at 18 months after childbirth. Results: In the 277 responses analyzed by multiple logistic regression analysis, a strong SOC moderating the effect on HP was observed for current IPV and witnessing IPV in childhood, but not for experiencing childhood corporal punishment. Discussion: SOC is a useful indicator of resilience in female victims of violence and is effective in regulating stress spillover. However, its effects are weakened by the learned acquisition aspect of violence. Conclusion: In nursing, providing support to alleviate stress and relearn parenting based on an assessment of the mother’s history of violence and SOC as the resilience indicator is important in curbing HP.

Gender-based violence and hegemonic masculinity in China:an analysis based on the quantitative research

Based on a survey implemented in a county in central China,the researchers found it is common for women to experience gender-based violence,especially violence at the hands of intimate partners.About half of men surveyed reported inflicting physical or sexual violence on their female partners.One in five men reported having raped a partner or non-partner woman.The physical,mental and reproductive health of the female and male respondents were found to be significantly associated with women’s victimization and men’s perpetration of intimate partner violence.Gender-based violence,including intimate partner violence,is a construction of the social-ecological system.Four elements that are key to hegemonic masculinity are identified:male decision-making,male reputation,violence and heterosexuality.By positing the four elements as standards that define a“real man”,the domination of men over women is naturalized and legitimized.It is necessary to foster other non-violent and more equitable masculinities.