Links between sexual trauma exposure and Quality of Life (QoL) domains among people living with HIV in the Southern United States

ABSTRACT

People living with HIV (PLHIV) in the United States (US) are more likely to experience traumatic events than non-affected peers. Sexual violence is a unique trauma that has important implications for HIV-related treatment and care. The aim of the current study was to examine links between sexual violence and Quality of Life (QoL) among PLHIV in South Carolina – a Southern state that is disproportionately impacted by the HIV epidemic. Specifically, we surveyed 402 PLHIV about their past exposure to sexual traumas and their current QoL across multiple domains. Results indicated that women living with HIV were more likely to have experienced sexual trauma than men. Participants with histories of sexual trauma reported poorer overall QoL, as well as less satisfaction with their health. Multiple regression analyses indicated that exposure to sexual violence was associated with lower QoL in four of six domains, including psychological functioning, independence, social relationships, and environment. Sexual trauma was not associated with physical health QoL in the current study. Surprisingly, sexual trauma was associated with higher spiritual QoL. Findings support the need to screen PLHIV for sexual trauma exposure, adopt trauma-informed practices, and ensure that all PLHIV have access to comprehensive psychological services when indicated.

KEYWORDS:

• Trauma
• sexual violence
• quality of life
• HIV
• Southern US

Acknowledgement

The authors want to thank Drs. Joi Anderson, Michelle Deming, Rifat Haider, LaDrea Ingram, and Crystal Stafford and other team members from the SC SmartState Center for Healthcare Quality who assisted in data collection for this project. We also wish to recognize the invaluable efforts of the people living with HIV in South Carolina who generously gave their time and efforts to be a part of this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

ORCID

Sayward E. Harrison http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7316-7640

Monique Brown http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9552-244X

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded in part by the South Carolina SmartState Program^® and the South Carolina SmartState Center for Healthcare. This research was also supported by the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health under Award Numbers K01MH118073 and K01MH115794. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the South Carolina SmartState Program^® or the National Institutes of Health.