Abuse Among People Living with HIV/AIDS

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 26% of people living with HIV have been physically hurt by a romantic or sexual partner. Furthermore, 17% of HIV-positive people have been threatened with harm or physically forced to have unwanted sex.¹ 

Intimate partner violence (IPV) can:

1. happen as a result of an HIV infection- 24% of women experience abuse by their partners after disclosing their HIV serostatus;
2. affect people living with HIV at a larger scale- an estimated 55% of women and 20% of men living with HIV infection are victims of intimate partner violence;
3. increase the chance of exposure to HIV; and
4. interfere with victims’ willingness and ability to care for themselves medically when living with HIV.²

¹ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral and Clinical Characteristics of Persons with Diagnosed HIV Infection, Revised June 2019
² Sullivan TP.  The Intersection of Intimate Partner Violence and HIV: Detection, Disclosure, Discussion, and Implications for Treatment Adherence (May 2019)