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Intimate Partner Violence Against Transgender Women: Prevalence and Correlates in Lima, Peru (2016–2018)

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Abstract

Limited data exists on intimate partner violence (IPV) among transgender women (TW), though global trends suggest IPV is associated with HIV risk in this population. We describe the prevalence of verbal, physical, and/or sexual violence as well as participant- and partner-level correlates of IPV among TW in Lima, Peru. Among 389 respondents, 15.2% reported IPV with one or more of their last three sexual partners: 9.2% verbal, 8.2% physical, and 2.3% sexual violence. Physical and verbal violence were more common with stable partners (aPR 3.46, 95% CI 1.17–10.25, aPR 2.46, 95% CI 1.14–5.28, respectively). Physical violence was associated with condomless receptive anal intercourse (cRAI) (aPR 2.22, 95% CI 1.19–4.13) and partner alcohol use (aPR 4.38, 95% CI 1.56–12.33) while verbal violence correlated with participant inebriation (aPR 4.86, 95% CI 1.63–14.46). Our results link IPV with stable partnerships, alcohol use, and cRAI, suggesting TW in Peru may benefit from multidimensional IPV prevention strategies to foster supportive relationships and reduce HIV transmission.

Resumen

Existen datos limitados sobre la violencia de pareja (IPV) entre las mujeres transgénero (TW), aunque las tendencias globales sugieren que la IPV está asociada con el riesgo de VIH en esta población. Describimos la prevalencia de violencia verbal, física y/o sexual, así como factores asociados a IPV a nivel de participantes y parejas entre TW en Lima, Perú. De 389 encuestadas, el 15.2% reportó IPV con una o más de sus últimas tres parejas sexuales: 9.2% por violencia verbal, 8.2% física y 2.3% sexual. La violencia física y verbal fueron más comunes con parejas estables (aPR 3.46, CI 95%: 1.17-10.25, aPR 2.46, CI 95%: 1.14-5.28, respectivamente). La violencia física se asoció con el coito anal receptivo sin condón (cRAI) (aPR 2.22, CI 95%: 1.19-4.13) y el consumo de alcohol por parte de la pareja (aPR 4.38, CI 95%: 1.56-12.33) mientras que la violencia verbal se correlacionó con la embriaguez de los participantes (aPR 4.86, CI 95%: 1.63-14.46). Nuestros resultados vinculan IPV con asociaciones estables, consumo de alcohol y cRAI, lo que sugiere que las TW en Perú puede beneficiarse de estrategias de prevención de IPV multidimensionales para fomentar relaciones de apoyo y reducir la transmisión del VIH.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the study participants and staff that worked to make this project possible. ECM would also like to acknowledge and thank Faiez K. Saiyed, Vincent B. Ofori, and R. Colby Passaro for their guidance and support throughout the research process. Funding for this work was provided by the US National Institute of Health grants R25 MH087222 and R34 MH105272 to JLC, and K23 AI110532 to JEL and amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, Grant #109071-57-HGMM to JRL.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA

    Ellen C. Murphy

  2. South American Program in HIV Prevention Research, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Ellen C. Murphy, Eddy R. Segura, Jordan E. Lake & Jesse L. Clark

  3. Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Lima, Peru

    Eddy R. Segura

  4. Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston, TX, USA

    Jordan E. Lake

  5. Epicentro, Lima, Peru

    Leyla Huerta

  6. Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA

    Amaya G. Perez-Brumer

  7. Fenway Health and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, The Fenway Institute, Boston, MA, USA

    Kenneth H. Mayer & Sari L. Reisner

  8. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Sari L. Reisner

  9. Asociacion Civil Impacta Salud y Educacion, Lima, Peru

    Javier R. Lama

  10. Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, UCLA Geffen School of Medicine, 10833 Leconte Avenue, CHS 37-121, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA

    Jesse L. Clark

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  1. Ellen C. Murphy
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Murphy, E.C., Segura, E.R., Lake, J.E. et al. Intimate Partner Violence Against Transgender Women: Prevalence and Correlates in Lima, Peru (2016–2018). AIDS Behav 24, 1743–1751 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-019-02728-w

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