Abstract:
Gender-based violence increases a woman’s risk for HIV but little is known about her
decision to get tested. We interviewed 97 women seeking abuse-related services from
a nongovernmental organization (NGO) in Johannesburg, South Africa. Forty-six women
(47%) had been tested for HIV. Caring for children (odds ratio [OR] = 0.27, 95% confidence
interval [CI] = [0.07, 1.00]) and conversing with partner about HIV (OR = 0.13, 95%
CI = [0.02, 0.85]) decreased odds of testing. Stronger risk-reduction intentions (OR = 1.27,
95% CI = [1.01, 1.60]) and seeking help from police (OR = 5.51, 95% CI = [1.18, 25.76])
increased odds of testing. Providing safe access to integrated services and testing may
increase testing in this population. Infection with HIV is highly prevalent in South Africa
where an estimated 16.2% of adults between the ages of 15 and 49 have the virus. The
necessary first step to stemming the spread of HIV and receiving life-saving treatment is
learning one’s HIV serostatus through testing. Many factors may contribute to someone’s
risk of HIV infection and many barriers may prevent testing. One factor that does both is
gender-based violence.
