ABSTRACT
Objectives: Global evidence suggests that individuals who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) can have accelerated risk for HIV transmission. The U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) has high per capita rates of HIV and IPV that can have devastating effects on women's health. Catalysts for these health disparities may be shaped by cultural and social definitions of conventional masculinity. Thus, understanding USVI men's perceptions about HIV risks and IPV are a necessary component of developing strategies to improve women's health. This study aimed to describe perceptions of HIV risks and IPV among USVI men.Design: We conducted two focus groups with 14 men living on St. Thomas and St. Croix, USVI. The focus group interview guide was culturally relevant and developed using findings from research conducted about these issues on USVI. Thematic analysis was used to analyze focus group data. Transcripts were coded and categorized by four research team members and discrepancies were reconciled. Themes were developed based on the emerging data.Results: Focus group participants were all US citizens born on the USVI, had a median age range of 20-25, 86% (12) were of African descent and 14% (2) were Hispanic. Themes emerging from the data were: (1) validating status, (2) deflecting responsibility, and (3) evoking fear and distrust. These ideas underscored the ways that attitudes and beliefs informed by gender and social norms influence IPV and sexual behavior between intimate partners.Conclusion: USVI society could benefit from interventions that aim to transform norms, promote healthy relationships, and encourage health-seeking behavior to improve the health of women partners.
Subject(s)
HIV Infections/epidemiology , Intimate Partner Violence , Masculinity , Perception , Sexual Health/ethnology , Adult , Focus Groups , HIV Infections/ethnology , Humans , Intimate Partner Violence/ethnology , Intimate Partner Violence/psychology , Male , Risk Factors , Sex Factors , Social Norms , United States Virgin Islands/epidemiology , Young AdultABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study examined knowledge, access, utilization, and barriers to use of resources among Black women exposed to multiple types of intimate partner violence in Baltimore, Maryland and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). METHODS: We analyzed quantitative survey data collected by 163 women recruited from primary care, prenatal or family planning clinics in Baltimore and the USVI. In addition we analyzed qualitative data from in-depth interviews with 11 women. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: A substantial proportion of Black women with multiple types of violence experiences lacked knowledge of, did not have access to, and did not use resources. Barriers to resource use were identified at the individual, relationship, and community levels. CONCLUSION: There is need for programs to develop awareness, promote access and utilization of resources, and eliminate barriers to resource use among abused Black women.