This article reviews 35 U.S. studies on the intersection of HIV and adult intimate partner violence (IPV). Most studies describe rates of IPV among women at risk or living with HIV/AIDS and identify correlates, using multiple types of convenience samples (e.g., women in methadone treatment, women in shelters or clinics), cross-sectional designs, and self-reported risk behaviors. HIV-positive women appear to experience any IPV at rates comparable to HIV-negative women from the same underlying populations; however, their abuse seems to be more frequent and more severe. The authors found only four relevant interventions and none addressed sexually transmitted HIV and partner violence risk reduction simultaneously. There is a critical need for research on (a) causal pathways and cumulative effects of the syndemic issues of violence, HIV, and substance abuse and (b) interventions that target IPV victims at risk for HIV, as well as HIV-positive women who may be experiencing IPV.

Research on sexual assault experiences and outcomes has not consistently reported analyses by victim/offender relationship and has not provided much detail on sexual assaults by husbands and ex-husbands. National Crime Victimization Survey data were analyzed to examine sexual assault chronicity and help-seeking behaviors among survivors of marital, acquaintance, and stranger sexual assault. Marital sexual assault survivors were significantly more likely than acquaintance and stranger survivors to experience multiple assaults, with many marital survivors experiencing more than 10 assaults in a 6-month period. The marital group was also less likely to seek medical, police, or agency help. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

ABSTRACT

Most US cities lack built environments that support physical activity, which is a key determinant of health. Making permanent changes to the physical environment to promote physical activity is not always feasible. Play Streets is a place-based intervention that is typically organized by local governments or community organizations and involves temporarily closing streets to create safe places and free opportunities for physical activity. In this descriptive study we examined 162 of Chicago's PlayStreets, held in the summer of 2018, to assess the volume and type of physical activity among youth participants and the variety of services provided to residents. We analyzed implementation data and forms completed after PlayStreets, and we conducted systematic observations at a purposeful sample of PlayStreets. We found that PlayStreets provides opportunities for youth physical activity in areas where opportunities do not otherwise always exist. PlayStreets also provides an avenue for residents to access community resources. This research on Chicago's experience with PlayStreets showed how one city is temporarily turning streets into places for youth physical activity to advance health equity. Local policies that facilitate temporarily closing streets and that provide resources to support opportunities for physical activity and access to community resources can advance health equity in cities nationwide.T here is clear evidence that where people live affects their health, with documented disparities in life expectancy and health outcomes across ZIP codes. 1 Differences in health outcomes by location have been largely attributed to underlying inequities in the social determinants of health, including the physical and social environment, education, affordable housing, and transportation access. 1,2 According to data from 2013, families that live in cities account for 63 percent of the US population. 3 These residents encounter unique barriers to resources that support positive health outcomes and well-being. For example, people who live in certain urban areas face challenges to being physically active because of low levels of walkability, lack of access to safe parks and playgrounds, and concerns related to traffic and crime. 4,5 These barriers are especially significant for youth, because there is consistent evidence that engaging in regular physical activity has numerous benefits for youth, including improved cognitive, emotional, social, and physical health. 6 Despite these benefits, fewer than 60 percent of children (ages 6-11) and 30 percent of adolescents (ages 12-15) in the US report meeting national physical activity guidelines, with notable differences by sex, race and ethnicity, and location. 6

Recent research suggests that the transtheoretical model of behavior change is a promising approach for interventions addressing women's experiences of intimate partner violence. This study explores the distribution of abused women across the stages of change for (a) staying safe from intimate partner violence and (b) leaving an abusive relationship. It explores the relationship between stage assignment and other indicators of a woman's stage (i.e., safety behaviors and desire for services). Quantitative surveys were conducted with 96 low-income, urban abused women recruited from six health care clinics. The findings call into question the appropriateness of using a staging algorithm that uses one "global" question about keeping safe and suggest that staging questions focused on a single action stage (e.g., leaving) are also problematic. In conclusion, additional work remains to be done to develop and validate quantitative measures of stages of change for survivors of intimate partner violence and to design, implement, and evaluated stage-based, tailored intimate partner violence interventions.