Intimate partner violence among women living with HIV in East Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundIntimate partner violence (IPV) is a widespread yet often unrecognized problem that affects millions of women worldwide. It is prevalent among marginalized individuals, such as women living with HIV. However, there is a dearth of available evidence concerning this matter among women living with HIV in East Africa.ObjectiveWe systematically reviewed and analyzed the existing evidence on the prevalence of IPV and its associated factors among women living with HIV in East Africa.MethodsWe included all primary cross-sectional studies published before 20th June/2024. PubMed, HINARI, Web of Science, African Journal Online, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were searched. To appraise the included studies, the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist was used. We used the I2 test to determine the heterogeneity of the included studies. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plot and Egger's test. Lastly, the IPV among women living with HIV and its associated factors were presented using pooled proportion and odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval.ResultsEighteen cross-sectional studies involving 11,168 individuals were included. The pooled prevalence of intimate partner violence among women living with HIV in East Africa was 54.6% (95% CI, 44.1-65.1%). The odds of IPV among women living with HIV in East Africa were high for those with low monthly income (OR: 2.96, 95% CI: 1.32-6.68), alcohol-drinking partners (OR: 2.24, 95% CI: 1.54-3.28), multiple sexual partners (OR: 2.29, 95% CI: 1.52-3.43), experiences of controlling behavior by an intimate partner (OR: 4.65, 95% CI: 2.79-7.73), and favorable attitudes towards wife-beating (OR: 2.56, 95% CI: 1.87-3.51).ConclusionIn East Africa, the prevalence of IPV among women living with HIV was found to be high. As a result, it is crucial to implement focused and targeted interventions that promote behavioral change. Also, the findings emphasize the necessity of establishing and organizing support networks to address IPV among women living with HIV.Trial registrationRegistered in PROSPERO with ID: CRD42024565464.