Addressing the intersections of violence and HIV/AIDS: a qualitative study of service providers

This article examines what measures health care and social service providers take to address intersections between various forms of violence and HIV/AIDS in the delivery of services to their clients/patients. We operated within an organizationallinteractional uncertainty theoretical framework and analyzed qualitative interview data from 30 providers offering services related to violence or HIV/AIDS in the San Francisco Bay Area. We found that providers used several strategies to mitigate crossover risk, but they enacted these measures on a case-by-case basis and tended not to follow a dedicated and complete protocol with every client/patient. We also identify nine factors that affected providers' capacity to discern and effectively address violence-HIV/AIDS intersections, present providers' descriptions of their needs in terms of addressing crossover risk, and discuss implications for interventions.