How common is domestic violence for people living with HIV/AIDS?
In general, one in three women experiences intimate partner violence (IPV), which is violence in a romantic relationship.1 However, one in every two women living with HIV/AIDS experiences IPV2 as this image from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows:
Domestic violence also increases the risk of exposure to HIV.3 While people living with HIV/AIDS, particularly women and LGBTQ individuals, are more likely to be victims of domestic violence,4 abusers living with HIV/AIDS may use their HIV status to control or hurt their partners as well.5
1 HIV.gov, “What Are HIV and AIDS?”
2 AIDS United, “The Intersection of Women, Violence, Trauma and HIV”
3 Futures Without Violence, “The Facts on Violence Against Women and HIV/AIDS”
4 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Intersection of Intimate Partner Violence and HIV in Women”
5 New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, “Domestic Violence and HIV/AIDS”