This study was designed to investigate the pathways that lead to HIV
exposure, based on Malawi Demographic Health Survey data (2010). It examines
the factors that correlate to gender violence in Malawi, including cultural attitudes
towards violence, spousal violence factors, and HIV risk factors. Structural equation
modeling (SEM) identifies associations among these constructs. A perfect model fit
was achieved to build a simultaneous model that includes attitudes towards violence,
violence factors, and HIV risk (GFI = .998). Education attainment (.039) and
number of partners (.120) had a weaker association with HIV risk than condom use
(.418) and HIV testing (.412). We hypothesized that gender attitudes and incidents
of violence would be related to greater risks for HIV infection among women. SEM
affirmed a robust association between attitudes towards violence and how women in
Malawi perceive gender violence. We conclude that policy and practice design
should acknowledge the impact of cultural, educational, and familial characteristics
on the populations in order to achieve robust change to reduce HIV transmissions
especially among women in Malawi.