Title: Experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) among females with same-sex partners in
South Africa: what is the role of age-disparity?
Version: 0 Date: 02 Nov 2023
Reviewer's report:
Overall: Thank you for the opportunity to review this manuscript. The population of interest
and topic are timely and understudied, especially in a South African context, and the analyses
are robust, leading to some results that warrant publication and are of value to the literature.
However, methodological limitations on the recall period for IPV, matching IPV exposure to the
age-disparate partner of interest, and the calculation of the age disparity variable make the key
covariate and overall framing of the paper less helpful. If these limitations cannot be overcome,
I suggest a reorganization of this paper to focus not on age disparity (given the limitations of the
dataset) but on IPV on female same-sex partnerships in general. A more descriptive paper will
add measurably to the literature while avoiding some of the pitfalls of the current analysis.
Abstract:
- Use of the word “heteronormative” may be out of context in the abstract. Heteronormative
refers to a system of beliefs that a person of any sexual orientation can have. Suggest changing
to “heterosexual” or “those in opposite-sex partnerships”
- Justification for age-disparity as a key covariate would be helpful
- Suggest changing “likelihood” of violence to “greater odds of” to remain consistent with the
methodology used
Background:
- The first paragraph weaves between heterosexual, female same-sex, and male same-sex
partnerships. Suggest narrowing focus to remain on female same-sex partnerships, perhaps in
comparison to heterosexual dyads
- Several other studies regarding IPV and HIV risk among same-sex male couples exist- if the
authors choose to continue including evidence of male and female same-sex couples, suggest
incorporating the work of Metheny et al
o Metheny, N., Stephenson, R., Darbes, L. A., Chavanduka, T. M., Essack, Z., & van Rooyen,
H. (2022). Correlates of substance misuse, transactional sex, and depressive symptomatology
among partnered gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in South Africa and
Namibia. AIDS and Behavior, 1-12.
As well as
Stephenson, R., Darbes, L. A., Chavanduka, T., Essack, Z., & van Rooyen, H. (2022). Intimate
partner violence among male couples in South Africa and Namibia. Journal of family violence,
1-11.
- More nuance around the continuum of age disparity and its negative implications is warranted.
A partnership with a 2 year age disparity is much different than one with 20 years’ disparity.
Providing context to what the authors mean by age-disparity should begin in the Background
- Authors switch from IPV to “GBV” more broadly in the final paragraph without spelling out
or introducing this concept
Data and Methods
- More explanation on the weighting of the sample is needed. As written, it is confusing to see
a total dataset containing 39,000 individuals and a sample size of 63,567 women.
- Examples of questions or the citation of a validated scale to measure IPV is needed
- What is the recall period for the violence in question? This is unclear
- Authors used “most recent sexual partner” as the basis for the creation of the key covariate,
but there is no indication of whether the violence experienced by the index participant was
perpetrated by the partner with whom age-disparity is calculated. This seems like a major
limitation for this analysis and should be further explored and explained
- Another major limitation here seems to be the bluntness with which the age disparity variable
was created. Someone with a partner one year older or younger is counted the same as someone
with a partner 10 or 20 years older or younger. The justification of unequal distribution is not
enough to warrant this choice
Results
- Including sample sizes alongside percentages is key (e.g., 19.75%, n=XXX)
- The paragraph beginning “Table 2” uses percentages for age and marital status, but mixed
percentage (white) with sample size (coloured). Both are needed for all statistics
- I worry that the finding of age disparity and violence is spurious given the high prevalence
of violence among the small number of women reporting having a younger partner. This could
result in a Type 1 error
Discussion:
- It is difficult to argue that generational differences are to blame when there is no indication of
how different in ages the participants are
- The discussion of the typologies and forms of violence is excellent. I rather think this would
be a stronger paper if a more descriptive approach was taken to understanding these types of
dynamics in female same-sex dyads and the idea of age-disparity removed from prominence.
- Another limitation of measurement not discussed here is the fact that forms of violence
are completely missing (e.g. psychological) and these can be population-specific to same-sex
couples (e.g. threatening to “out” a partner)
- The discussion is broadly based on IPV in “same-sex couples” broadly, yet the dynamics of
violence in female and male same-sex couples can vary widely. I suggest focusing the discussion
more on the specific population of interest, especially given the fairly long history of literature
on this topic in the US and other high-income countries.
Minor:
- Mechanical and syntax errors (commas incorrectly placed, etc.) should be checked before
resubmission