Intimate partner violence and uptake of HIV testing and STI treatment among married women in Nigeria

Context/Background: Nigeria has a high prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and STIs including HIV/AIDS - which constitute a major public health problem.
Data Sources and Methods: This study examines the association between IPV, uptake of HIV testing and STI treatment and their correlates among married women of reproductive age, with recent STI, using the 2013 Nigeria DHS Data.
Results: We observed high prevalence of any IPV (60%), lower prevalence of HIV testing uptake (20%) and higher prevalence of STI treatment (74%). There was reduced odds of HIV testing uptake and increased odds of STI treatment among women who experienced IPV, but these were not statistically significant. Education and health facility visit were associated with HIV testing uptake while wealth quintile and autonomy were associated with STI treatment.
Conclusion: There is need to improve early identification of women at risk of experiencing IPV, understand the barriers to HIV testing uptake and STI treatment and intervene early.