HIV/AIDS Knowledge and Prevention Programming in Domestic Violence Shelters: How Are We Doing?

Abstract

Domestic violence shelters (n = 59) in two southwestern states were surveyed about their services related to HIV prevention. Variables included organizational characteristics, agency protocols and practices, HIV/AIDS prevention programming, staffs’ HIV/AIDS knowledge, and staffs’ attitudes regarding HIV/AIDS prevention for women exposed to intimate partner violence. In this exploratory, descriptive study results indicated that most shelters had a significant awareness of how HIV/AIDS is transmitted, but few shelters offered testing (17%) or sexual safety planning (20%). Results also showed that eighty-one percent of respondents believe that HIV/AIDS educational prevention programs could be effective in protecting abused women from contracting HIV/AIDS. However, less than half (46%) of the respondents reported that they disseminate HIV/AIDS information to all women in the shelter.

KEYWORDS:

• domestic violence shelters
• HIV prevention
• HIV/AIDS knowledge
• intimate partner violence

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Institute for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault for their generous funding support and the domestic violence shelters who participated in the study.