Cisgender and transgender women living with HIV are disproportionately vulnerable to intimate partner violence (IPV) even in the best of times–55% report having experienced IPV in their lives, twice the rate of women more generally. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting stay-at-home orders, the danger is exacerbated by financial distress, the inability to get out of harm’s way by leaving the house, and a shortage of many of the mechanisms people escaping IPV typically turn to, such as domestic violence shelters.

While there are no easy answers, PWN, with the support of our partners at National Network to End Domestic Violence, has produced and curated some resources for women living with HIV experiencing IPV (or coping with the trauma of past IPV) and for HIV and IPV service providers that we hope will be helpful during this extraordinarily difficult time.

An open letter to all women living with HIV who are experiencing violence in their relationships/homes

WE SEE YOU. WE HEAR YOU. WE ARE WITH YOU.

We know you are out there, in every state, city, county and neighborhood. This ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic is creating a dangerous situation for many–but of course, you already know that.

For many of us, a shelter-in-place/stay-at-home order due to the COVID-19 pandemic creates unexpected challenges and anxieties about health, money, our loved ones’ safety, and numerous other concerns. For others, it comes with additional danger and vulnerability to abuse women experience in their homes. For those already subjected to structural and institutional violence (racism; transphobia; employment discrimination; agencies that do not meet our needs; surveillance and criminalization by law enforcement; inadequate access to health care; economic policies that leave us out; communities that shun us), the opportunities for violence in the home is increased with a stay-at-home order.

Many women are working in this stressful environment, which can also cause added tension in homes and can increase risk for violence. People who experience domestic or sexual violence; LGBQ, trans, and non-binary folks; immigrants; undocumented folks; and women of color have historically learned to distrust institutions (police, agencies, etc.) to help when help is needed most. Living with HIV adds another layer to relationships, where we choose to live, work and play. And is certainly a factor for many women in relationships that involve violence.

We want you to know, we are here for you.

We have collected and co-created some resources for people currently experiencing IPV, as well as for HIV and IPV service providers, which you will find on this page. If you have resources you would like to contribute, including blogs about your personal experience with IPV, please contact communications(at)pwn-usa.org.

We don’t have all the answers, this pandemic is uncharted territory. But PWN is here to be with you in finding some possible resources, tactics, solutions, and to JUST BE HERE. We are here to help explore what safety might look like in this uncertain time. We know that as women living with HIV, we are stronger together, and this is not the first virus we have come together over!

Know that we are with you, we love you, and together, #WeGotThis!

Resources for women living with HIV experiencing IPV (and their friends and family who want to help them)

  • Reducing or eliminating access to support networks otherwise available
  • Reducing or eliminating access to sanitizer, soap, or other self-care necessities
  • Forcing socialization with unsafe people in close quarters
  • Restricting access to accurate medical information, medical/insurance cards, medical care
  • Use scare tactics to isolate, including withholding information about COVID-19 and ways to stay safe
  • Looking for more opportunities for exerting control specific to COVID-19

  • Tell the people close to you ways they can support you in this difficult time
    • This can range from checking in with you in whatever way works for you and your situation, providing you with sanitizing products/food/paper products/ a phone card, etc.,.
    • Help you create or amend an existing safety plan (if you have never created a safety plan, here is a great place to start)
    • Make sure that your safety plan includes a safe place for you and your children if you have them, to go, potentially with an area of the house that you can isolate yourself or be a minimum of six feet from others (a basement, a separate room or section of a house or apartment for example).
  • Identify safe spaces to leave supplies or messages for you –share this information with people who support you
  • If possible, get a supply of medications set aside (also part of a safety plan but specific to HIV medications and other essential medical supplies)
  • Identify those willing to provide food and/or a place to rest away from home while maintaining social distancing.
  • Have essential phone numbers available-while many shelters are not open, they ARE still working and helping women in need
  • Practice self-care whenever/however you can. You ARE worth the effort!

  • This resource sheet from Futures Without Violence has a wealth of resources and tools for survivors from different communities to seek safety, stay safe, or care for others. It has links to almost EVERYTHING that could help for many different folks of different races, gender identities, immigration statuses, or who are experiencing homelessness. 
  • National Network to End Domestic Violence has compiled a great many resources for survivors and their families during the pandemic–you can find that here.
  • The Strong Heart Native Helpline 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483) is a safe domestic violence and dating violence helpline for American Indians and Alaska Natives, offering culturally-appropriate support and advocacy daily from 7am to 10 pm CT.
  • The Trans Lifeline has a 24/7 hotline for trans folks needing support and resources: call 877-565-8860. Operators are guaranteed to be available to take calls between 10am and 4pm ET but are often online at other hours as well.
  • U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 and TTY 1-800-787-3224. A live chat is available at thehotline.org as well if calling is not an option or is less safe.
  • PWN recently launched the #PWNCares Sister Circle Virtual Support Group, which meets online every other Thursday at 8pm ET/7pm CT/6pm MT/5pm PT. You can register for it here.
  • You’re not alone! Connect with other women living with HIV who understand what you’re going through in our secret Facebook group, #PWNCares Sister Circle. Request to join here.
  • This zine for survivors of IPV, sexual assault, and other forms of trauma by the University of Nevada Women’s Center has great info and tips for healing from trauma.

Even though it may feel like it sometimes, you are not alone. Here are some blogs written by PWN members who have experienced–and survived–intimate partner violence. You may find some of their stories inspiring or concretely helpful.





You will also find many blogs by survivors of intimate partner violence on The Well Project’s A Girl Like Me blog, including:



#PWNCares is a multimedia series created by and for cis and trans women living with HIV. Among a number of important topics covered in the series of interviews with women living with HIV is intimate partner violence.

Watch #PWNCares: Living and Loving Well with HIV below:

And visit this page for more resources related to this episode.

This video from Greater Than AIDS has great interviews with five dynamic women living with HIV who are all survivors of IPV. Check it out!

Resources for care and service providers

  • National Network to End Domestic Violence has compiled a great many resources for service providers seeking to help people experiencing IPV during the pandemic–you can find that here.
  • National Network to End Domestic Violence’s Positively Safe Toolkit is full of tools and information to address frequently asked questions, common challenges, and best practices, as well as providing templates for adaptation and resources for additional information and assistance. Several resources support building collaborative partnerships and cross training efforts between the domestic violence and HIV/AIDS fields.
  • This resource sheet from Futures Without Violence has a wealth of resources and tools not just for survivors, but also for providers. It has links to almost EVERYTHING that could help for many different folks of different races, gender identities, immigration statuses, or who are experiencing homelessness. 

National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) and Positive Women’s Network – USA presented this webinar on March 31, 2020, about building partnerships between HIV and DV organizations. It is full of useful information on why and how you can partner to make sure that IPV survivors living with HIV are supported to stay safe and healthy.


You will find more tools, resources, and information for both HIV and DV providers in NNEDV’s Positively Safe Toolkit here.

And here is some guidance for domestic violence programs responding to COVID-19 from the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence.

Hearing directly from survivors of intimate partner violence living with HIV can be very instructive in practices and tactics that may be instructive for providers. Here are some blogs written by PWN members who have experienced–and survived–intimate partner violence, most of which offer insights on things they found helpful or opportunities to intervene that providers missed or mishandled.
You will also find many blogs by survivors of intimate partner violence on The Well Project’s A Girl Like Me blog, including:





#PWNCares is a multimedia series created by and for cis and trans women living with HIV. Among a number of important topics covered in the series of interviews with women living with HIV is intimate partner violence. Hear from three survivors living with HIV in their own words:

This video from Greater Than AIDS has great interviews with five dynamic women living with HIV who are all survivors of IPV:


The video below can be a useful tool in starting a conversation with a patient or client who may be experiencing or at risk of IPV. Visit this page for more resources related to this episode, including a discussion guide for use in group therapy, support groups, or individual counseling, and a recorded virtual coffee table chat with the women interviewed in the video.


Resources for advocates

Ending violence against women and people of trans experience living with HIV is one of PWN’s policy priorities. Intimate partner violence is unfortunately just one of many forms of violence far too frequently perpetrated against women and trans folks living with HIV. Other forms of structural violence, including criminalization, racism, transphobia, sexism, stigma, unjust economic policies, and severe inequities in health care access, make it harder for women and trans folks living with HIV to leave violent or abusive relationships. That’s why PWN believes that individual interventions, while undeniably very helpful and even life-saving for the individuals involved, will not affect the vulnerability of women and trans folks living with HIV to interpersonal violence. To do that, we must change the systems at the root causes of that disproportionate vulnerability.

Click here to learn more about our policy recommendations for ending violence against women living with HIV.

Watch our webinar below from May 2019 which explores how institutional racism and structural inequity create heightened vulnerability to violence, both from other people and from the state, for women and people of trans experience living with HIV. We discuss steps that you can take to push for restorative justice over punitive practices and healing over trauma.



PWN established October 23 as a Day of Action to End Violence Against Women Living with HIV in 2014 in the wake of two brutal murders of women following disclosure of their HIV status. Over the past five years, we have used the Day of Action to raise awareness to the many different forms of violence faced by women and people of trans experience, from intimate partner violence to structural violence such as attacks on our economic security and reproductive freedom.

October 23, 2021, will be the eighth annual Day of Action to End Violence Against Women Living with HIV. As we get closer to that date, we will ask members and allies to observe the day through online and in-person events (if possible at that time), social media, submitting and sharing blogs, legislative advocacy, and other calls to action. Stay tuned! Make sure you are on PWN’s mailing list so that you can stay up-to-date on activities and calls to action. You can sign up here.

Click here to learn more about the Day of Action.