Violence, coping, and consistent medication adherence in HIV-positive couples

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which intimate partner violence (IPV) influences antiretroviral medication adherence. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that adherence would differ for men and women based on degree of violence and coping strategies employed by each gender. A sample of HIV seroconcordant and serodiscordant heterosexual couples was recruited from the Miami area and assessed on rates of medication adherence, conflict resolution tactics, and coping strategies. Of these, 190 individual participants were prescribed antiretroviral medication. Baseline rates of adherence were 90.29% for men and 87.77% for women. Acts of violence were found to have negative effects on adherence for women but not for men. However, negative coping strategies were predictive of poor adherence for men but not women. Violence was found to be related to poor coping styles for both men and women. This study offers support for the inclusion of partners in conducting interventions. Furthermore, it underlines the importance of recognizing IPV as a barrier to medication adherence.