Concordance in the reporting of intimate partner violence among male-male couples.

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) among male couples is increasingly recognized as a public health concern. Research on IPV in opposite sex couples indicates frequent underreporting of IPV and high levels of discordance in reporting among dyads. Concordance studies inform refinement methods to measure the experience of IPV among dyads; however the lack of dyadic studies of male couples impedes our understanding of the extent to which IPV is differentially reported in male-male dyads. This study utilized baseline data from a randomized controlled trial of a behavioral intervention to optimize antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence among 160 sero-discordant male couples in three US cities and provides the first analysis of concordance in reporting IPV among male couples. Low degrees of concordance in the reporting of IPV were identified among male dyads, with a greater proportion of men reporting violence perpetration than experiencing violence. The greater reporting of IPV perpetration may be linked to adherence to concepts of masculinity. The results underscore the unique experiences of IPV among male couples and the need to reexamine current IPV measurement and intervention strategies.