Promotion of Latina Health: Intersectionality of IPV and Risk for HIV/AIDS

Latina women in the United States are vulnerable to two intersecting public health concerns: intimate partner violence (IPV) and subsequent risk for HIV/AIDS infection. Examination of the cultural and contextual life factors of this understudied population is crucial to developing culturally relevant HIV interventions. 

Focus groups with Latinas (15 monolingual; 10 bilingual) who have experienced IPV were conducted. Monolingual and bilingual Latinas endorsed that they were concerned about HIV infection, naming partner infidelity and experiences of forced and coerced sex as primary reasons for their concern. However, monolingual participants had lower levels of HIV knowledge, spending much time discussing myths of HIV infection, whereas bilingual participants spent more time discussing specific prevention techniques, including challenges related to the violence in their relationships. 

These findings suggest that HIV/AIDS prevention programs for Latinas need to pay close attention to the different historical, contextual, and cultural experiences of this at-risk group of women.

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By:  Rountree MA1, Granillo T2, Bagwell-Gray M3.

• 1University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work, USA mrountree@mail.utexas.edu.
• 2Con Mi Madre, Austin, TX, USA.
• 3Arizona State University School of Social Work, Phoenix, USA. 
• Violence Against Women. 2016 Apr;22(5):545-64. doi: 10.1177/1077801215607358. Epub 2015 Oct 14.

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