You have full access to this open access article. Lesotho has the second-highest prevalence of HIV. Despite progress in achieving HIV epidemic control targets, inequities persist among certain groups, particularly associations between disability, HIV, and violence.
Lesotho VACS was a nationally representative survey of females and males ages 13— We assessed the associations between disability status and HIV, sexual risk behaviours, and violence using logistic regression, incorporating survey weights.
Weighted functional disability prevalence was Compared with females with no disabilities, females with disabilities had higher odds of being HIV positive adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1. Males with disabilities had higher odds of having transactional sex aOR 4. HIV models for males did not converge due to low numbers. Findings emphasize the importance of inclusion and accessibility for adolescents and young adults with disabilities in prevention and services for violence and HIV.
Ending HIV in Lesotho depends on addressing the vulnerabilities that lead to potential infection including violence and ensuring equitable services for all. Despite substantial advances in research on violence and HIV, limited evidence exists in documenting prevalence of disability in low- and middle-income countries and examining vulnerabilities of persons with disabilities to HIV and violence using population-based surveys. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses reflect the fact that most research on disabilities and HIV or violence has focused on adults, primarily adult women, and has been conducted in high-income countries.
Adolescents and young adults are a priority population in sub-Saharan Africa because of heightened risk of HIV acquisition and vulnerability to violence. Young persons with disabilities may disproportionately experience these risks. Nonetheless, limited data exist examining HIV among persons with disabilities using population surveys. To the best of our knowledge, no research has examined violence among persons with disabilities using population surveys in sub-Saharan Africa.
