Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration and Sexual Risk Behaviour: Identifying Shared Determinants among Young Men in Tanzania
Outcomes: Gender‑Based Violence, Sexual and Reproductive Health
View SourceKey Social Norms Take-aways The study highlights the critical role of inequitable gender norms—particularly those justifying violence—in fostering both IPV and sexual risk behaviors. Efforts to prevent violence and HIV should integrate gender-transformative approaches that address childhood trauma and promote healthy, equitable masculinities among men in high-risk communities.
Objectives This study aimed to identify the shared and unique social determinants of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration and sexual risk behaviors among young men in Tanzania. Specifically, it sought to understand which factors distinguish men who engage in both IPV and risky sexual behavior from those who engage in either or neither.
Methods Researchers conducted a secondary analysis of follow-up data from a cluster-randomized controlled trial involving 987 sexually active young men from “camps” (male social networks) in Dar es Salaam. The study used latent class analysis to group men based on their IPV and sexual risk profiles and examined how poverty, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and inequitable gender norms influenced group membership. Inequitable gender norms were measured using two domains of the Gender Equitable Men (GEM) Scale focused on attitudes toward violence and sexual relationships.
Results The study identified four behavioral profiles: normative (50%), sexual risk only (31%), IPV only (9%), and comorbid IPV and sexual risk (10%). Men in the comorbid group were more likely to report food insecurity, more ACEs, and higher endorsement of gender norms supportive of IPV. Inequitable gender norms related to violence (but not to sexual relationships) strongly distinguished the comorbid group from all others. Food insecurity was significantly associated with IPV involvement but not with sexual risk behaviors alone. ACEs increased the likelihood of belonging to any of the three high-risk groups compared to the normative group.
Conclusions Findings support the existence of distinct subgroups of men with overlapping patterns of IPV and sexual risk behavior. Interventions must address shared risk factors such as childhood trauma, food insecurity, and harmful gender norms, especially among men showing comorbid behavior.
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