Intimate partner violence among people living with the human immune virus: a quantitative analysis of prevalence and associated sociodemographic factors in Ghana

Abstract

Objective

Intimate partner violence (IPV) among people living with the human immune deficiency virus (PLHIV) poses a significant threat to efforts to reduce the spread of human immune deficiency virus (HIV) and achieve the sustainable development goals. In Ghana, scholarly research on the forms and prevalence of IPV is available, however knowledge of the prevalence of IPV among PLHIV is limited. To understand the prevalence of IPV among PLHIV and the intersectional factors that contribute to it, this study examined the overall prevalence of IPV among PLHIV and the associated sociodemographic factors across ten regions of Ghana.

Methods

We administered face-to-face survey questionnaires to 661 randomly selected antiretroviral therapy (ART) clients using Research Electronic Data Capture tools. We used descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, minimum, and maximum), pairwise correlation, and multivariate regression analysis to look at the data.

Results

The clients of ART experienced various forms of IPV, including sexual, physical, emotional, and economic violence and controlling behaviour. The overall prevalence of IPV among PLHIV was 27.5 %. This result, although on par with the global IPV average (27 %), is 1.5 % higher than the national rate (26 %). The Upper West Region had the highest prevalence in all the categories of IPV analysed, followed by Oti Region in second place and the Upper East Region in third, except for the prevalence of sexual violence, where Greater Accra Region ranks second. In specific regions of Ghana, sociodemographic factors shaped by patriarchal and economic considerations contribute to a higher prevalence of IPV among people living with HIV.

Conclusion

The findings have implications for developing policies and interventions that address the specific factors associated with HIV-induced IPV in different regions of Ghana. These interventions should also include screening PLHIV receiving ART for their IPV status regardless of gender and deploying culturally appropriate education at the community level to foster empathy towards intimate partners living with HIV.