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HIV

Trauma Prevalence Among People with HIV Exceeds General Population by 2 Times, Study Reveals

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A new study has found that trauma prevalence among people with HIV (PWH) is significantly higher than in the general population in the United States. Conducted within the Florida Cohort (2019-2022), the study aimed to describe the prevalence of 12 types of traumatic experiences over a lifetime and within the past 12 months among PWH in Florida. The study found that participants were predominantly non-heterosexual men aged 50+ years, identified as Black, White, and Hispanic. Traumatic experiences were measured by participants' responses to questions about experiencing verbal harm, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and other forms of trauma.

Key Takeaways:

  • The trauma prevalence among people with HIV (PWH) exceeds that of the general population by 2 times in the United States.
  • The study found that 42% of participants identified as non-heterosexual men, 59% were aged 50+, 43% identified as Black, 39% as White, and 18% as Hispanic.
  • Traumatic experiences were measured by participants' 'Yes' responses to questions about experiencing verbal harm, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and other forms of trauma.
  • The study reported significant differences in traumatic experience prevalence rates by age, race/ethnicity, sex assigned at birth, and sexual orientation, with p-values < 0.05.
  • The research concluded that further research is needed to determine whether trauma-informed interventions could enhance health care in this population.
  • The study was conducted within the Florida Cohort (2019-2022) with n = 509 participants.
  • The study found that participants experienced a range of traumatic experiences, including verbal harm, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and others.
  • The study reported that participants who experienced traumatic events in the past 12 months tended to be younger and male.

Statistics:

  • The trauma prevalence among people with HIV (PWH) exceeds that of the general population by 2 times in the United States.
  • 42% of participants identified as non-heterosexual men, 59% were aged 50+, 43% identified as Black, 39% as White, and 18% as Hispanic.
  • 87% of participants reported experiencing at least one traumatic event in their lifetime.
  • 64% of participants reported experiencing at least one traumatic event in the past 12 months.
  • The study found that participants who experienced traumatic events in the past 12 months tended to be younger (35.6 ± 12.5 years) compared to those who did not experience traumatic events in the past 12 months (51.2 ± 10.3 years).

Sources:

  • Sociodemographic Characteristics Associated with Lifetime and Recent Traumatic Experiences Among People Living with HIV in Florida. AIDS and Behavior, 2025.
  • University of Florida, Dept. of Epidemiology, Gainesville, FL, United States.
  • Nanyangwe Siuluta, Karina Villalba, Shantrel S. Canidate, Catalina Lopez-Quintero, Nichole M. Scaglione, and Robert L. Cook.
  • Springer|plenum Publishers, 233 Spring St, New York, NY 10013, USA.

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