Intimate Male Partner Violence Impairs Immune Control Over Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 in Physically and Psychologically Abused Women

Abstract

These findings confirm that the stressful disturbance associated with IPV has important physiological consequences, which could impair health by increasing the likelihood of viral reactivation and reducing the ability to suppress virus proliferation.

Early childhood stress is associated with elevated antibody levels to herpes simplex virus type 1

“…Similarly, abused children exhibit poor health early in development (56), which often persists through adolescence (57,58) and into adulthood (59,60). Several papers have recently reported abnormal cellular and humoral immune responses in adults who retrospectively report abuse histories (31,45).…”

Factors That Contribute or Impede the Physical Health Recovery of Women Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence: A Longitudinal Study

“…Several studies show that IPV increases the prevalence of psychosomatic symptoms and chronic illnesses Lown & Vega, 2001;Plichta, 2004;Plichta & Abraham, 1996). Thus, female victims of IPV use significantly more healthcare services (Coker, Reeder, Fadden, & Smith, 2004;Kernic, Wolf, & Holt, 2000;Vung, Ostergren, & Krantz, 2009) and pharmacologic treatments (Garc ıa-Linares, S anchez-Lorente, Coe, & Mart ınez, 2004;Lo Fo Wong, Wester, Mol, R€ omkens, & Lagro-Janssen, 2007;Stene, Dyb, Jacobsen, & Schei, 2010).…”

“…The primary objective of this study was to assess the course of the physical health of women at a follow-up study 3 years after they were interviewed at the Centers for Helping Women, which assists women who experience IPV (see Garc ıa-Linares et al, 2004;Pic o-Alfonso, Garc ıa-Linares, Celda-Navarro, Herbert, & Mart ınez, 2004). The secondary objective of this study was to determine factors that contribute to physical health recovery or deterioration by focusing on personal and social aspects, such as sociodemographic variables, the evolution of IPV, the nature of the relationship with the aggressor, the lifetime history of victimization, and other salient life events, as well as social support.…”

Violence against women and girls: Mapping the health consequences

“…Evidence to date indicates that women with a history of intimate partner violence (IPV) compared with nonabused controls have higher levels of evening cortisol, higher levels of morning and evening dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) [18] and manifest a significant decrease in immune regulation over herpes simplex virus type 1 [19]. Currently, depressed women with a history of childhood abuse have been reported to have increased pituitaryadrenal and heart rate responses to stress [20].…”