The health impact of spiritual intimate partner abuse among women living with HIV in Ghana

AIDS. 2025 Apr 22. doi: 10.1097/QAD.0000000000004221. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Although understudied, anecdotal evidence suggests spiritual/religious intimate partner abuse may be prevalent among women living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa and Ghana. This paper examines the prevalence and effects of spiritual/religious intimate partner abuse-spiritual coercion and spiritual control-on the psychosocial (depression) and sexual health (unwanted pregnancies) outcomes of women living with HIV/AIDS in Ghana.

METHODS: Data were collected from 1,007 women living with HIV who attended Voluntary Counseling and Testing services at two district hospitals in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality in the Eastern region of Ghana. Descriptive and multivariate logit models were used to examine the prevalence and impact of spiritual intimate partner abuse, measured as coercion and control on depression and unwanted pregnancies.

RESULTS: Results showed that about 36% of the participants reported spiritual coercion, and 27% experienced spiritual control. Those who experienced spiritual coercion were significantly more likely to report unwanted pregnancies than those who did not. Women who experienced spiritual control reported more likely to report depression than those who did not.

CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest the need to educate Ghanaian women living with HIV about spiritual/religious intimate partner abuse and to screen this type of violence as part of HIV care.

PMID:40265620 | DOI:10.1097/QAD.0000000000004221