Understanding the Intersections of IPV and HIV and Their Impact on Infant Feeding Practices among Black Women: A Narrative Literature Review

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV), particularly sexual and emotional violence, against Black mothers who acquire human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) during childbearing age is a significant health and social concern requiring targeted interventions and precautions. IPV against women increases the chances of early mixed feeding, placing infants at high risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and increasing infant morbidities. Although violence complicates many Black mothers’ lives, limited research evidence exists about the critical intersections of violence, HIV, and motherhood. Women’s fear associated with IPV makes them less likely to disclose their positive HIV status to their partners, which subsequently prevents them from applying the guidelines for safe infant feeding practices. This review aims to explore the critical intersections between IPV and HIV and their impact on the infant feeding practices of Black mothers living with HIV. Furthermore, the theme of IPV and how it overlaps with other factors such as HIV-positive status and gender dynamics to compromise the motherhood experience is also the focus of this narrative review of existing literature. Understanding the intersection of IPV and other factors influencing infant feeding practices among women living with HIV will help inform programming and policy interventions for HIV-positive Black women who may experience IPV during the perinatal period.