Public health in your practice: Sex and gender considerations in intimate partner violence, access to healthcare, and immunizations

Many nations today recognize intimate partner violence (IPV) in romantic-sexual relationships as a major public health threat, yet not all victims are treated equally. Contrary to myths, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, and queer (LGBTQ) people are more likely to experience IPV than heterosexual-cisgender people. Unfortunately, LGBTQ victims face major barriers to reaching safety in a world that too often stigmatizes their identities and overlooks their relationships when forming victim services and policies. Offering a roadmap forward, LGBTQ Intimate Partner Violence: Lessons for Policy, Practice, and Research is the first book to synthesize nearly all existing research from the past forty years on this pressing issue. At once highly organized and engaging, it provides evidence-based tips for academic and nonacademic audiences alike.

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Spatial distribution and determinants of intimate partner violence among reproductive-age women in Ethiopia: Spatial and Multilevel analysis

BMC Women s Health ◽

10.1186/s12905-021-01218-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Dessie Abebaw Angaw ◽

Alemakef Wagnew Melesse ◽

Bisrat Misganaw Geremew ◽

Getayeneh Antehunegn Tesema

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Spatial Distribution ◽

Multilevel Analysis ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Reproductive Age ◽

P Value ◽

Public Health Programs ◽

Reproductive Age Women

Abstract Background Intimate partner violence is a serious global public health problem particularly in low-and middle-income countries such as Ethiopia where women's empowerment is limited. Despite the high prevalence of intimate partner violence in Ethiopia, there is limited evidence on the spatial distribution and determinants of intimate partner violence among reproductive-age women. Exploring the spatial distribution of intimate partner violence is crucial to identify hotspot areas of intimate partner violence to design targeted health care interventions. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the spatial distribution and determinants of intimate partner violence among reproductive-age women in Ethiopia. Methods A secondary data analysis was done based on the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) data. A total weighted sample of 6090 reproductive-age women were included in the study. The spatial scan statistical analysis was done to identify the significant hotspot areas of intimate partner violence. A multilevel binary logistic regression analysis was fitted to identify significant determinants of intimate partner violence. Deviance, Intra-cluster Correlation Coefficient (ICC), Median Odds Ratio, and Proportional Change in Variance (PCV) were used for model comparison as well as for checking model fitness. Variables with a p-value less than 0.2 were considered in the multivariable analysis. In the multivariable multilevel analysis, the Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with 95% Confidence Interval (CI) were reported to declare statistical significance and strength of association between intimate partner violence and independent variables. Results The spatial analysis revealed that the spatial distribution of intimate partner violence was significantly varied across the country (Moran’s I = 0.1007, p-value < 0.0001). The SaTScan analysis identified a total of 192 significant clusters, of these 181 were primary clusters located in the Benishangul-Gumuz, Gambella, northwest Amhara, and west Oromia regions. In the multivariable multilevel analysis; women aged 45–49 years (AOR = 2.79, 95% CI 1.52–5.10), women attained secondary education (AOR = 0.61, 95% CI 0.38–0.98), women in the richest household (AOR = 0.58, 95% CI 0.35–0.97), > 10 family size (AOR = 3.85, 95% CI 1.41–10.54), and high community women empowerment (AOR = 0.66, 95% CI 0.49–0.8)) were significantly associated with intimate partner violence. Conclusions Intimate partner violence among reproductive-age women had significant spatial variation across the country. Women's age, education status, family size, community women empowerment, and wealth status were found significant determinants of intimate partner violence. Therefore, public health programs should design targeted interventions in identified hot spot areas to reduce the incidence of intimate partner violence. Besides, health programmers should scale up public health programs designed to enhance women's autonomy to reduce the incidence of intimate partner violence and its consequences.

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Sexual health (excluding reproductive health, intimate partner violence and gender-based violence) and COVID-19: a scoping review

Sexually Transmitted Infections ◽

10.1136/sextrans-2020-054896 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. sextrans-2020-054896

Author(s):

Navin Kumar ◽

Kamila Janmohamed ◽

Kate Nyhan ◽

Laura Forastiere ◽

Wei-Hong Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Health Disparities ◽

Reproductive Health ◽

Sexual Health ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Gender Based Violence ◽

Gender Based ◽

And Gender

ObjectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and exacerbated existing socioeconomic and health disparities, including disparities in sexual health and well-being. While there have been several reviews published on COVID-19 and population health disparities generally—including some with attention to HIV—none has focused on sexual health (ie, STI care, female sexual health, sexual behaviour). We have conducted a scoping review focused on sexual health (excluding reproductive health (RH), intimate partner violence (IPV) and gender-based violence (GBV)) in the COVID-19 era, examining sexual behaviours and sexual health outcomes.MethodsA scoping review, compiling both peer-reviewed and grey literature, focused on sexual health (excluding RH, IPV and GBV) and COVID-19 was conducted on 15 September 2020. Multiple bibliographical databases were searched. Study selection conformed to Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Reviewers’ Manual 2015 Methodology for JBI Scoping Reviews. We only included English-language original studies.ResultsWe found that men who have sex with men may be moving back toward pre-pandemic levels of sexual activity, and that STI and HIV testing rates seem to have decreased. There was minimal focus on outcomes such as the economic impact on sexual health (excluding RH, IPV and GBV) and STI care, especially STI care of marginalised populations. In terms of population groups, there was limited focus on sex workers or on women, especially women’s sexual behaviour and mental health. We noticed limited use of qualitative techniques. Very few studies were in low/middle-income countries (LMICs).ConclusionsSexual health research is critical during a global infectious disease pandemic and our review of studies suggested notable research gaps. Researchers can focus efforts on LMICs and under-researched topics within sexual health and explore the use of qualitative techniques and interventions where appropriate.

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Neighborhoods and Intimate Partner Violence: A Decade in Review

Feminist Criminology ◽

10.1177/1557085120987632 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 155708512098763

Author(s):

Emily M. Wright ◽

Gillian M. Pinchevsky ◽

Min Xie

Keyword(s):

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Structural Features ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Neighborhood Context ◽

Policy Implications ◽

Economic Disadvantage ◽

The Past ◽

Research Findings ◽

And Gender

We consider the broad developments that have occurred over the past decade regarding our knowledge of how neighborhood context impacts intimate partner violence (IPV). Research has broadened the concept of “context” beyond structural features such as economic disadvantage, and extended into relationships among residents, collective “action” behaviors among residents, cultural and gender norms. Additionally, scholars have considered how the built environment might foster (or regulate) IPV. We now know more about the direct, indirect, and moderating ways that communities impact IPV. We encourage additional focus on the policy implications of the research findings.

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