User:Ratilley/sandbox

Definition
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a recent term used to refer to several forms of domestic violence. Unlike the term domestic violence, intimate partner violence encompasses several relationship types: "married, non-married, herterosexual, and same-sex" relationships. This type of violence can be enacted by partners, as well as spouses; additionally, IPV "does not require sexual intimacy".

Forms of IPV
Similarly to heterosexual relationships, IPV in same-sex relationships can take many forms including verbal abuse, forced or unwanted sexual intercourse, and physical violence. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)specifically identifies 4 main types of intimate partner violence: physical and sexual violence, threats of physical or sexual violence, and emotional/psychological violence. doi:10.1177/0886260505282104.

Physical Violence
The CDC defines physical violence as "the intentional use of physical force with the potential for causing death, disability, injury, or harm." Physical violence includes: scratching, pushing, punching/hitting/slapping, shoving, throwing, grabbing, biting, choking, shaking, slapping; burning, use of a weapon, and use of restraints or one's body/size/strength against another person.

Sexual Violence and HIV/AIDS
In their 2006 research, Heintz and Melendez identify of several specific methods of sexual violence amongst same-sex individuals. Respondents identified forced intercourse with a partner and partner forced intercourse with others as experiences of sexual violence. Heintz, Adam; Melendez, Rita (Feb. 2006). "Intimate Partner Violence and HIV/STD Risk Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Individuals". Journal of Interpersonal Violence (SAGE Publications) 21 (2): 193–208. Heintz and Melendez correlate these responses with occurrences of safe sex and safe sex negotiation. A majority of respondents who described forced sexual experiences also reported not using any form of safer sex protection. Additionally, many admitted to feeling unsafe in asking for safer sex measures and/or to having experienced some form of abuse as a result of requesting safer sex practices. Overall, individual who reported experiencing forced sexual intercourse with a partner were about 10 times more likely to report not using protection due to fear of the partner's response. These findings support previous studies of a greater risk of HIV/AIDS and STD transmission among LGBT victims of intimate partner violence. There appears to be a link between abusive relationships and HIV/AIDS and STD infection.