Does a History of Trauma Contribute to HIV Risk for Women of Color? Implications for Prevention and Policy

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Objectives. We investigated history of abuse and other HIV-related risk factors in a community sample of 490 HIV-positive and HIV-negative African American, European American, and Latina women. Methods. Baseline interviews were analyzed, and logistic regressions were used to identify predictors of risk for positive HIV serostatus overall and by racial/ethnic group. Results. Race/ethnicity was not an independent predictor of HIV-related risk, and few racial/ethnic differences in risk factors for HIV were seen. Regardless of race/ethnicity, HIV-positive women had more sexual partners, more sexually transmitted diseases, and more severe histories of abuse than did HIV-negative women. Trauma history was a general risk factor for women, irrespective of race/ethnicity. Conclusions. Limited material resources, exposure to violence, and high-risk sexual behaviors were the best predictors of HIV risk.