article · PLoS ONE
This study examined the relationship between intimate partner violence and engagement with prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV services among 433 pregnant women living with HIV in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Participants were enrolled between 2013 and 2014 and tracked until six weeks after giving birth. Roughly half of the women reported experiencing some form of intimate partner violence, including emotional, physical, or sexual abuse. Despite the high prevalence of abuse, statistical analysis revealed no significant association between experiencing violence and adherence to antiretroviral therapy, clinic attendance, or viral load suppression. The findings show that intimate partner violence did not diminish engagement with essential healthcare steps in this cohort, though the high frequency of abuse points to an urgent need to incorporate violence screening and support into standard maternal care routines.
Understanding how domestic abuse influences maternal HIV care helps public health teams design better support systems. Although intimate partner violence is widespread and harmful, this evidence shows that affected mothers continue seeking care and taking medication to protect their children, highlighting resilience and reinforcing the need to integrate safety screenings directly into maternal healthcare visits.
The abstract does not indicate an application pathway, as it focuses on clinical and epidemiological observations rather than a commercial product or service.
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Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a risk factor for non-adherence to HIV treatment for women, however the evidence on the impact of IPV on uptake of the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) cascade is inconclusive. We examined data from 433 HIV positive pregnant women in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, enrolled between April 2013 and August 2014 and followed-up through 6 weeks postpartum. Participants were asked about their IPV experiences in a face-to-face interview at enrollment. Measures of PMTCT cascade included: uptake of clinical appointments and services, viral suppression, and adherence to antiretrovirals (ARV). Approximately half of the sample (51%) had experienced some form of IPV; 35% had experienced emotional abuse, 29% physical abuse, and 19% sexual abuse. There were no statistically significant associations between experiencing any form of IPV and uptake of clinical appointments and services (Adjusted Prevalence Ratio [aPR] = 1.02; 95% [CI]: 0.89-1.17), viral load suppression (aPR = 1.07, 95% CI:0.96-1.19) and ARV adherence (aPR = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.87-1.18). Findings from this study indicate that, among HIV-infected pregnant women enrolled in PMTCT care, experiencing IPV does not reduce adherence to clinic visits and services, adherence to ARV. The high prevalence of IPV in this population suggests that IPV screening and intervention should be included as part of standard care for PMTCT.
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DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203471
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