The Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance Assessment of Coalition Capacity to Advance Primary Prevention - Sexual violence (SV) is a significant public health problem that impacts people of all ages, races, genders, and sexual orientations. While SV impacts people of all identities, some groups are disproportionately affected, including women; racial and ethnic minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people; and people with disabilities. The social determinants of health—the environments in which we are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age—also have a role in preventing or facilitating violence. Poverty and lack of employment opportunities are known risk factors for SV perpetration. In Virginia, racial disparities in health outcomes exist; life expectancy among the White, non-Hispanic population in Virginia was 78.7 years, compared to the Black, non-Hispanic population life expectancy of 73.9 years. Furthermore, geographic disparities in health outcomes exist in the Commonwealth. Counties in the Central and Southwest Health Planning regions have poorer health factor ratings, including factors such as access to health care, education, employment, family support, and community safety. Of significant concern is an increased apparent risk for intimate partner homicide, also on the basis of race and place. Between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2017, there were 131 homicides in Virginia that involved current or former intimate partners. Risk for intimate partner homicide was highest in the Central and Southwest Health Planning Regions, where a total of 65 fatalities occurred during the reported period. Across the Commonwealth, Black women died at three times the rate of their white female counterparts. Maternal mortality, which is often considered a general indicator of the overall health of a population and the status of women in society, more than doubled between 2018 and 2020 in Virginia. Among Black women in particular, pregnancy associated death (deaths occurring during pregnancy or within one year of pregnancy) is a significant health concern. In the ten-year period between 2004 and 2013, Black women died from pregnancy associated deaths at 2.3 times the rate of white women in Virginia. Given the observed differences in health status and violence on the basis of race and place, it is vital that SV prevention strategies implemented in the Commonwealth are data-driven, health equity-focused, and take care to center marginalized communities. The Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance (“Action Alliance”) seeks to assess and enhance Coalition capacity to plan and implement equity-focused SV primary prevention strategies. During the period of performance, Coalition staff will conduct a primary prevention capacity assessment of the Coalition’s readiness to plan and implement equity-focused strategies (“capacity assessment”), with a particular focus on disparities in reproductive health. Information gleaned from the capacity assessment will be used to develop a series of recommendations and action steps in collaboration with key partners, including State Health Department staff, to advance SV primary prevention activities that also address health inequities in Virginia. By the end of the period of performance, the Action Alliance expects to have an increased understanding of staff expertise and available resources to implement equity-focused SV prevention strategies; an increased understanding of available data sources used to identify population(s) and communities of focus; an increased understanding of current partnerships, and how these partnerships are/are not meeting the current and future primary prevention and health equity work needs; and an increased understanding of current technical assistance provision and how well it incorporates health equity. This increased capacity will contribute to planning and implementing equity-focused prevention strategies, which will ultimately improve health outcomes for Virginians experiencing disparities and inequities related to SV.
