Introduction
Economic interventions including cash transfers have been used to address poor engagement and retention in HIV care and support the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets [Cash transfers are commonly used as a strategy to combat IPV, hypothesized to reduce poverty-related household stress and improve women’s bargaining power in relationships [In addition to the heterogeneity in the existing literature, there is a paucity of evidence examining how cash transfers affect IPV among women living with HIV. IPV is pervasive among women living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa [Given the mixed findings on cash transfers and IPV in the general population and the scale and scope of interventions under consideration to improve HIV outcomes, it is critical to determine whether this approach is safe and beneficial for women living with HIV, who comprise a large population. Most prior studies have investigated cash transfer safety using quantitative approaches and there is limited understanding of how women perceive their risk of IPV to be influenced when receiving financial incentives. To address this gap, we conducted a qualitative study with women living with HIV who participated in a cash transfer trial in Shinyanga Region, Tanzania to explore beneficiary perspectives on cash transfers. The main objective of our study was to understand how cash transfers affect relationship safety and IPV. We also aimed to understand the extent to which women experience their partners interfering with their access and ability to remain in HIV care.