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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2005.067744v1 96/6/1052    most recent Submit a response View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (2) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Koenig, L. J. Articles by Fernandez, M. I. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Koenig, L. J. Articles by Fernandez, M. I. Related Collections HIV/AIDS Injury/Emergency Care/Violence Pregnancy Women's Health

Linda J. Koenig, PhD, Daniel J. Whitaker, PhD, Rachel A. Royce, PhD, Tracey E. Wilson, PhD, Kathleen Ethier, PhD and M. Isabel Fernandez, PhD

Linda J. Koenig is with the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga. Daniel J. Whitaker is with the Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rachel A. Royce is with the Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC. Tracey E. Wilson is with the Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn. Kathleen Ethier is with the Division of STD Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. M. Isabel Fernandez is with the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Miami, Fla.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Linda J. Koenig, PhD, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd, Mail Stop E-06, Atlanta, GA 30333 (e-mail: lek5{at}cdc.gov).

Objectives. We sought to describe and compare prevalence rates of and risk factors for violence against women during pregnancy and postpartum.

Methods. Physical and sexual violence and violence risk factors were assessed during late pregnancy and 6 months postpartum in a prospective study of pregnant women with (n=336) and without (n=298) HIV in 4 US states.

Results. Overall, 10.6% of women reported having experienced violence, 8.9% during pregnancy and 4.9% after delivery. Of these women, 61.7% were abused only during their pregnancy, 21.7% were repeatedly abused, and 16.7% were abused only after their delivery. Sexual violence rarely occurred in the absence of physical violence. The strongest predictor of violence was engaging in bartered sex (adjusted odds ratio [OR]=5.54; 95% confidence interval [CI] =2.0, 15.4). Other predictors included frequent changes in residence (adjusted OR=1.57; 95% CI=1.1, 2.2), financial support from family or partners (adjusted OR=0.42; 95% CI=0.2, 0.8), and HIV diagnosis during current pregnancy (adjusted OR=0.30; 95% CI=0.1, 0.7).

Conclusions. Women more commonly experienced violence during than after their pregnancy, but violence was best predicted by socioeconomic and behavioral indicators whose influence did not vary over time.