Psychological and physical intimate partner violence and sexual risk behavior among South African couples: a dyadic analysis

This study aimed to examine intimate partner violence (IPV) as it relates to both partners’ perceptions of IPV and sexual behaviors, considering how their IPV might be interdependent within the relationship dynamics. The sample consisted of 713 female–male dyads in which women were pregnant and living with HIV in rural South Africa. Using an actor-partner interdependence model (APIM), we examined the interdependent influence of psychological and physical IPV on men by their female partners and psychological and physical IPV on women by their male partners on sexual risk behavior. The APIM model found there were no actor (b = −0.06, SE = 0.05, p =.221) or partner (b = −1.2, SE = 0.06, p =.056) effects contributing to protected sex by female IPV victimization. In contrast, significant actor (b = −0.28, SE = 0.06, p <.001) and partner (b = −0.29, SE = 0.06, p <.001) effects for protection were related to male IPV victimization. The model also found that the covariate of female HIV disclosure was associated with both male (b = 0.5, SE = 0.12, p <.001) and female protected sexual intercourse (b = 0.58, SE = 0.1, p <.001). Female HIV disclosure was related to an increased likelihood of protected sex by both male and female partners. As male partners reported more IPV victimization, the likelihood of protected sex between male and female partners decreased.Trial registration:ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02085356.