When Home is Not a Safe Place: Impacts of Social Distancing Directives on Women Living with HIV

Excerpt

During the current COVID-19 crisis, countries globally are telling citizens to stay home. But what happens when home is not a safe place? Emerging evidence suggests that ‘stay home’ regulations for the COVID-19 pandemic results in elevated rates of domestic violence, including elder and child abuse, as well as physical, sexual, and emotional intimate partner violence (IPV) [1, 2]. In China, police reports of IPV during lockdown were three times higher than prior to quarantine regulations [3]. Similarly, reports of IPV in France have increased by 30% since March 17th, 2020 and by 25% since March 20th, 2020 in Argentina [1]. In the United States, which as of June 1st has the largest COVID-19 epidemic globally, police data in a number of different jurisdictions that have implemented ‘stay home’ regulations have indicated increases in domestic violence reports ranging from 10% in New York City, to 27% in Jefferson County, Alabama [4‐6]. Our response to COVID-19 must not repeat the violations to women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights that occurred during previous pandemic responses, including the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak, whereby women were denied access to violence support and sexual and reproductive health services, which overwhelmed the judicial system, and resulted in a 75% increase in maternal mortality [2]. While health care systems face mounting pressure and resource strains due to COVID-19, this must not be the time to divert resources away from essential services that support and protect women who have experienced or are experiencing IPV [2]. …