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

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.