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

Limited material resources, exposure to violence, and high-risk sexual behaviors were the best predictors of HIV risk.

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.