HIV treatment as prevention among injection drug users:

Does travel time matter?: predictors of transportation vulnerability and access to HIV care among people living with HIV in South Carolina

BACKGROUND

People living with HIV (PLHIV) in the southern United States (US) are at high risk for poor outcomes across the HIV care continuum leading to low rates of viral suppression. Understanding structural barriers to care-including transportation vulnerability-is critical to improve HIV outcomes. This study investigated relationships between travel time to HIV care, transportation vulnerability, and HIV care disruptions to inform future transportation interventions for PLHIV residing in South Carolina and other southern US states.

METHODS

A total of 160 PLHIV (N = 160) were recruited from a large immunology center in South Carolina. Participants reported on transportation experiences, transportation vulnerabilities, and residence. Differences in sociodemographic characteristics, transportation vulnerabilities, and HIV care disruptions were compared across travel time groups (< 15, 15-30, and > 30 min from residential location to the HIV clinic) using Mantel-Haenszel Chi-Square tests. Multivariable logistic regression tested our a priori hypothesis that travel time would predict HIV care disruptions.

RESULTS

A majority of participants were aged 45-64 years old (54.4%), single (77.0%), male (63.8%), and Black (77.5%). Nearly 20% of participants lived < 15 min from their HIV clinic, 59.1% lived 15-30 min, and 21.4% lived > 30 min away. PLHIV who had to travel > 30 min to HIV care were more likely than those living < 15 min away to report transportation vulnerability (73.5% vs. 51.6%, p = 0.048), missed HIV care appointments (64.7% vs. 41.9%, p = 0.049), and transportation challenges that prevented them from seeing HIV care providers (67.7% vs. 39.4%; p = 0.014). Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) show that PLHIV who had to travel > 30 min were more likely to experience transportation-related disruptions to HIV care, including being late to appointments (AOR 5.25, 95% CI:1.06-25.92), missing appointments (AOR 3.85, 95% CI:1.04-15.89), and being unable to see HIV providers (AOR 7.06, 95% CI:0.59-14.89).

CONCLUSIONS

In South Carolina-a rural southern state with a disproportionate burden of HIV-long travel time (> 30 min) to HIV care is associated with care disruptions, including more missed visits. Transportation interventions, as well as other efforts to expand rural access to HIV care, are urgently needed to ensure that all PLHIV are able to engage in consistent HIV care in order to reach and maintain viral suppression.

Integrating long-acting injectable treatment to improve medication adherence among persons living with HIV and opioid use disorder: study protocol

BACKGROUND

Oral antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been effective at reducing mortality rates of people with HIV. However, despite its effectiveness, people who use drugs face barriers to maintaining ART adherence. Receipt of opioid agonist treatment, in the context of HIV care, is associated with medication adherence and decreased HIV viral loads. Recent pharmacological advancements have led to the development of novel long-acting, injectable, medications for both HIV (cabotegravir co-administered with rilpivirine) and OUD (extended-release buprenorphine). These therapies have the potential to dramatically improve adherence by eliminating the need for daily pill-taking. Despite the extensive evidence base supporting long-acting injectable medications for both HIV and OUD, and clinical guidelines supporting integrated care provision, currently little is known about how these medications may be optimally delivered to this population. This paper presents the study design for the development of a clinical protocol to guide the delivery of combined treatment for HIV and OUD using long-acting injectable medications.

METHODS

The study aims are to: (1) develop a clinical protocol to guide the delivery of combined LAI for HIV and OUD by conducting in-depth interviews with prospective patients, clinical content experts, and other key stakeholders; and (2) conduct This single group, open pilot trial protocol to assess feasibility, acceptability, and safety among patients diagnosed with HIV and OUD. Throughout all phases of the study, information on patient-, provider-, and organizational-level variables will be collected to inform future implementation.

DISCUSSION

Findings from this study will inform the development of a future study to conduct a fully-powered Hybrid Type 1 Effectiveness-Implementation design.

Perceptions of Long-Acting Injectable Antiretroviral Therapy Among People Living with HIV Who Use Drugs and Service Providers: a Qualitative Analysis in Rhode Island

Long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy (LAI-ART) is a novel method to deliver HIV treatment, and the first regimen was approved in the USA in 2021. LAI-ART may mitigate barriers to oral treatment adherence, but little is known about LAI-ART perceptions among people living with HIV (PLWH) who use drugs, despite these populations facing greater barriers to treatment retention and ART adherence. We assessed LAI-ART perceptions and implementation considerations among PLWH who use drugs and health and ancillary service providers in Rhode Island. Data was collected from November 2021 to September 2022, and include in-depth interviews with 15 PLWH who use drugs and two focus groups with HIV clinical providers (n = 8) and ancillary service providers (n = 5) working with PLWH who use drugs. Data were analyzed thematically, with attention paid to how levels of structural vulnerability and social-structural environments shaped participants' LAI-ART perceptions and the HIV care continuum. Willingness to consider LAI-ART was impacted by HIV outcomes (e.g., viral suppression) and previous experiences with oral regimens, with those on stable regimens reluctant to consider alternative therapies. However, LAI-ART was seen as potentially improving HIV outcomes for PLWH who use drugs and enhancing people's quality of life by reducing stress related to daily pill-taking. Recommendations for optimal implementation of LAI-ART varied across participants and included decentralized approaches to delivery. HIV care delivery must consider the needs of PLWH who use drugs. Developing patient-centered and community-based delivery approaches to LAI-ART may address adherence challenges specific to PLWH who use drugs.

Precarious Housing Associated with Unsuppressed Viral load, sub-optimal Access to HIV Treatment and Unmet Health care Needs, Among Women Living with HIV in Metro Vancouver, Canada

We investigated associations between (1) housing status (four categories measuring housing stability) and outcomes along the HIV care continuum (not currently on antiretroviral therapy [ART]; sub-optimal ART adherence [< 95% in the last 3-4 weeks]; unsuppressed viral load [> 200 copies/ml], median CD4 < 200 in the last six months), and (2) housing status and unmet primary, dental and mental health care needs in the last six months among WLWH. Housing status was defined according to the Canadian Definition of Homelessness and had four categories: unsheltered (i.e., living in ≥ 1 unsheltered location [e.g., street, abandoned buildings]), unstable (i.e., living in ≥ 1 unstable location [e.g., shelter, couch surfing]), supportive housing (i.e., only living in supportive housing), and stable housing (i.e., only living in one's own housing; reference). At baseline, in the last six months, 47.3% of participants reported unstable housing, followed by 24.4% unsheltered housing, 16.4% stable housing, and 11.9% supportive housing. Overall, 19.1% of the full sample (N = 336, 2010-2019) reported not currently on ART; among participants on ART, 28.0% reported sub-optimal ART adherence. Overall, 32.1% had recent unsuppressed viral load. Among a subsample (n = 318, 2014-2019), 15.7% reported unmet primary care needs, 26.1% unmet dental care needs, and 16.4% unmet mental health care needs. In adjusted models, being unsheltered (vs. stable housing) was associated with not currently on ART, unsuppressed viral load, and unmet primary and dental care needs. Housing and health services need to be developed with and for WLWH to address structural inequities and fulfill basic rights to housing and health.

HIV and Incarceration: Implications for HIV-Positive People Who Use Illicit Drugs During a Seek, Test, Treat, and Retain Initiative in Canada

People who use illicit drugs (PWUD) face increased exposure to the criminal justice system and disproportionate burdens of HIV infection. This article investigated the effects of incarceration on HIV cascade of care-related measures in a setting with a community-wide seek, test, treat, and retain (STTR) initiative. Using a multivariable logistic regression analysis of 935 HIV-positive PWUD between 2005 and 2017, this article showed a negative relationship between periods of incarceration and two measures of engagement in clinical care for HIV among PWUD: recent dispensation of antiretroviral therapy and suppression of HIV viral load. These findings suggest the benefits of STTR-based efforts are limited by exposure to the criminal justice system and highlight the need for additional supports for PWUD with HIV exposed to the criminal justice system.

Durable Viral Suppression Among People with HIV and Problem Substance Use in the Era of Universal Antiretroviral Treatment

This study explored factors associated with durable viral suppression (DVS) among two groups of people living with HIV (PLWH) and problem substance use in the context of universal antiretroviral treatment initiation. Participants (N = 99) were recruited between 2014-2017 from public sexual health clinics [SHC] and a hospital detoxification unit [detox]). DVS (NYC HIV surveillance registry) was defined as two consecutive viral load tests ≤ 200 copies/mL, ≤ 90 days apart, with all other viral loads suppressed over 12 or 18 months. Detox participants were significantly older, with more unstable housing/employment, substance use severity, and longer-term HIV vs. SHC participants. Older age, opioid and stimulant use disorder were significantly associated with lower odds of DVS, while fulltime employment and stable housing were significantly associated with higher odds of DVS at 12-month follow-up. Patterns held at 18-month follow-up. Co-located substance use and HIV services, funding for supportive housing, and collaborative patient-provider relationships could improve DVS among populations with the syndemic of problem substance use, poverty, and long-term HIV.

Economic evaluation of HIV testing options for low-prevalence high-income countries: a systematic review

INTRODUCTION

This study reviewed the economic evidence of rapid HIV testing versus conventional HIV testing in low-prevalence high-income countries; evaluated the methodological quality of existing economic evaluations of HIV testing studies; and made recommendations on future economic evaluation directions of HIV testing approaches.

METHODS

A systematic search of selected databases for relevant English language studies published between Jan 1, 2001, and Jan 30, 2019, was conducted. The methodological design quality was assessed using the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) and the Drummond tool. We reported the systematic review according to the PRISMA guidelines.

RESULTS

Five economic evaluations met the eligibility criteria but varied in comparators, evaluation type, perspective, and design. The methodologic quality of the included studies ranged from medium to high. We found evidence to support the cost-effectiveness of rapid HIV testing approaches in low-prevalence high-income countries. Rapid HIV testing was associated with cost per adjusted life year (QALY), ranging from $42,768 to $90,498. Additionally, regardless of HIV prevalence, rapid HIV testing approaches were the most cost-effective option.

CONCLUSIONS

There is evidence for the cost-effectiveness of rapid HIV testing, including the use of saliva-based testing compared to usual care or hospital-based serum testing. Further studies are needed to draw evidence on the relative cost-effectiveness of the distinct options and contexts of rapid HIV testing.

Undetectable viral load and HIV transmission dynamics on an individual and population level: where next in the global HIV response?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To examine recent literature on the efficacy and effectiveness of HIV treatment in preventing HIV transmission through sexual exposure, at both an individual and at a population level.

RECENT FINDINGS

Two recent studies on the individual-level efficacy of treatment as prevention (TasP) have added to the now conclusive evidence that HIV cannot be transmitted sexually when the virus is suppressed. However, four large cluster-randomized population-level trials on universal HIV testing and treatment in Africa have not delivered the expected impact in reducing HIV incidence at a population level. Two of these trials showed no differences in HIV incidence between the intervention and control arms, one demonstrated a nonsignificant lower incidence in the intervention arm, and the fourth trial found a reduction between the communities receiving a combination prevention package and the control arm, but no difference between the immediate treatment plus the prevention package and the control arm. Factors contributing to the disconnect between individual high-level efficacy and population-level effectiveness of TasP include undiagnosed infection, delays in linkage to care, challenges in retention and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), time between ART initiation and viral suppression, and stigma and discrimination.

SUMMARY

Suppressive ART renders people living with HIV sexually noninfectious. However, epidemic control is unlikely to be achieved by TasP alone.

Ending an HIV epidemic among persons who inject drugs in a middle-income country: extremely low HIV incidence among persons who inject drugs in Hai Phong, Viet Nam

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether it is possible to 'end an HIV epidemic' among persons who inject drugs (PWID) in a low/middle income country.

DESIGN

Serial cross-sectional surveys with a cohort of HIV seronegative participants with 6-month follow-up visits recruited from surveys.

METHODS

Surveys of PWID using respondent driven and snowball sampling were conducted in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 (N = 1383, 1451, 1444, and 1268). HIV recency testing was used to identify possible seroconversions in the window period prior to study entry. Structured interviews covering drug use histories, current drug use, and use of HIV-related services were administered by trained interviewers. Urinalysis was used to confirm current drug use. HIV and hepatitis C virus testing were conducted. Electronic fingerprint readers were used to avoid multiple participation in each survey and to link participants across surveys. A cohort of HIV seronegative participants with 6-month follow-up visits was recruited from the surveys, 480 from 2016, 233 from 2017, and 213 from 2018.

RESULTS

Participants were predominantly male (95%), mean age approximately 40, all reported injecting heroin, HIV prevalence ranged between 26 and 30%. We had three seroconversions in 1483 person-years at risk (PYAR) in the cohort study, and 0 in 696 PYAR among repeat survey participants, and 0 seroconversions in 1344 PYAR in recency testing. Overall HIV incidence was 0.085/100 PYAR, 95% confidence interval 0.02-0.25/100 PYAR.

CONCLUSION

The data from Hai Phong clearly demonstrate that it is possible to achieve very low HIV incidence - 'end an HIV epidemic' - among PWID in a middle-income country.

HIV Treatment Knowledge in the Context of "Treatment as Prevention" (TasP)

According to 2012 universal ART guidelines, as part of "treatment as prevention" (TasP), all people living with HIV (PLWH) should immediately initiate antiretroviral therapy post-diagnosis to facilitate viral suppression. PLWH who are virally suppressed have no risk of sexually transmitting HIV. This study used descriptive analysis of quantitative data (N = 99) and thematic analysis of qualitative interviews (n = 36) to compare participants recruited from a hospital-based detoxification (detox) unit, largely diagnosed with HIV pre-2012 (n = 63) vs. those recruited from public, urban sexual health clinics (SHCs), mainly diagnosed in 2012 or later (n = 36). Detox participants were significantly more knowledgeable than SHC participants about HIV treatment, except regarding TasP. SHC participants' desire for rapid linkage to care and ART initiation was in line with 2012 universal ART guidelines and TasP messaging regarding viral suppression. More targeted messaging to PLWH pre-2012 could ensure that all PLWH benefit from scientific advances in HIV treatment.

Variation in estimated viral suppression associated with the definition of viral suppression used

OBJECTIVE

The proportion of people living with HIV with suppressed viral load is a key indicator of the HIV care continuum. We explored how this proportion varied depending on how it was calculated.

DESIGN

Observational cohort study.

METHODS

We calculated the proportion of the Johns Hopkins HIV Clinical Cohort who were virally suppressed each year, 2010-2018, based on different denominators; thresholds for suppression (≤20, ≤50, ≤200, or ≤400 copies/ml); and strategies for summarizing multiple viral load measurements (we classified persons as suppressed if they had any lab, ≥50% of labs, last lab, or all labs below the threshold). We also calculated 5-year risk of all-cause mortality associated with each classification of viral suppression.

RESULTS

Three thousand eleven persons contributed 60 858 viral load values to this analysis. Proportion classified as virally suppressed ranged from 51.8 to 92.5%, depending on the definition used and persons included in the calculation. Requiring more labs below the threshold; using a lower threshold; and assuming persons lost to follow-up were not suppressed (stricter definitions) resulted in a lower proportion estimated to be suppressed. Suppression by stricter definitions were associated with better 5-year survival.

DISCUSSION

The proportion suppressed varied greatly as a function of the subset of persons in whom it was calculated, the threshold used for suppression, and the way multiple viral loads per person per year were summarized. Measures of durable viral suppression, and low-level viremia (20-400 copies/ml), should be considered in describing the health of people with HIV, in addition to the standard estimates of suppression.

Longitudinal Factors Associated with Used Syringe Lending Among HIV-Positive Antiretroviral Therapy-Naïve People Who Inject Drugs in a Canadian Setting

Sharing used syringes is an important route of HIV transmission, however, factors shaping used syringe-lending among antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naïve HIV-positive people who inject drugs (PWID) are not well-characterized. Multivariable logistic regression analyses using generalized estimating equations (GEE) were employed to investigate correlates of used syringe lending among ART-naïve PWID. Data was drawn from ACCESS, a prospective community-recruited cohort of HIV-positive illicit drug users in Vancouver, Canada, from 1996 to 2015. The analysis included 482 ART-naïve PWID, of which 116 (24.1%) reported ≥ 1 periods of used syringe lending. In longitudinal analyses, incarceration (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 2.18, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.48-3.20), daily cocaine injection (AOR= 1.97, 95% CI 1.33-2.90), and sex work (AOR = 1.61, 95% CI 1.02-2.55) during the 180-day observation period were positively associated with used syringe lending, while having a high school diploma (AOR = 0.63, 95% CI 0.43-0.93) and holding formal employment (AOR = 0.20, 95% CI 0.05-0.82) were negatively associated. We found a high prevalence of used syringe lending among ART-naïve HIV-positive PWID, particularly among those recently incarcerated, involved in sex work or who injected cocaine frequently. Conversely, markers of higher socio-economic status were negatively associated with used syringe lending. These findings highlight the critical need for policies and interventions to decrease socio-economic marginalization and criminalization among PWID living with HIV alongside the scale up of access to harm reduction services.

Reliability and Validity of the LifeWindows Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence Questionnaire Among HIV+ Patients in Shanghai

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this article was to examine the validity and reliability of the LifeWindows Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Adherence Questionnaire (LW-IMB-AAQ) among HIV+ patients in Shanghai.

METHODS

We surveyed 426 HIV+ patients in Shanghai's Putuo District to examine the validity and reliability of the questionnaire. The questionnaire includes self-reported demographic characteristics, the modified version of the Community Programs for Clinical Research on AIDS Antiretroviral Medication Self-Report (CPCRA) and LW-IMB-AAQ. CPCRA was used to calculate ART adherence. LW-IMB-AAQ, including the information section, the motivation section and the behavioral skills section, was used to analyze patients' ART adherence. We analyzed data by means, standard deviation, critical ratio, and item-total correlation. Reliability was assessed by internal consistency, split-half reliability, and test-retest reliability. Validity was assessed by exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), convergent validity and discriminant validity.

RESULTS

Item analysis showed that except for motivation item 1, all items were acceptable. For reliability, Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the three sections and the total scale were all higher than 0.7, with interclass correlation coefficients (ICC) all higher than 0.6 (p<0.001). The Spearman-Brown coefficient for the total scale was 0.825. For validity, results showed that the information section could be divided into two subscales, motivation section and behavioral skills section could be divided into three and two subscales, respectively. The final model demonstrated good validity (p=0.471, χ ²/df=0.960, CFI=1.000, GFI=0.994 and RMSEA<0.001) without motivation item 4.

CONCLUSION

Excluding motivation items 1 and 4, the LifeWindows Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills ART Adherence Questionnaire (LW-IMB-AAQ) demonstrated good validity and reliability among HIV+ patients in Shanghai.

Stimulant Use and Viral Suppression in the Era of Universal Antiretroviral Therapy

BACKGROUND

HIV-positive persons who use stimulants such as methamphetamine experience difficulties navigating the HIV care continuum that undermine the benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, few studies have examined the association of stimulant use with viral suppression in the era of universal ART.

SETTING

Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.

METHODS

HIV-positive persons participating in a clinical cohort study and taking ART completed assessments every 4-6 months. The exposure was the cumulative, time-varying proportion of assessments with any self-reported stimulant use. The time-varying outcome, HIV viral suppression (ie, <200 copies/mL), was measured at assessments or extracted from the clinical record.

RESULTS

In total, 1635 HIV-positive participants on ART contributed 17,610 person-visits over a median of 2.3 [interquartile range (IQR) = 1.0-5.3] years of follow-up. Participants were middle-aged (median = 45.0; IQR = 38.0-52.0), predominantly white (57%), sexual minority men (78%), with a median CD4 T-cell count of 409 (IQR = 225-640) cells/mm at enrollment. Significant increases in odds of viral suppression over time were less pronounced among stimulant users compared with nonusers, particularly before the advent of universal ART. Increasing odds of viral suppression were paralleled by declining stimulant use over time. In the universal ART era, increasing odds of viral suppression were observed at lower levels of stimulant use, but not when participants reported using stimulants at every visit.

CONCLUSIONS

Although ART benefits are still not achieved as rapidly in stimulant users, this disparity is not as large in the era of universal ART.

Identifying, linking, and treating people who inject drugs and were recently infected with HIV in the context of a network-based intervention

Identifying and linking people to care soon after HIV infection could limit viral transmission and protect their health. This work aims at describing the continuum of care among recently HIV-infected people who inject drugs (PWID) and participated in an intervention in the context of an HIV outbreak in Athens, Greece. The Transmission Reduction Intervention Project (TRIP) conducted risk network-based contact tracing and screened people for recent HIV infection. A comprehensive approach with a case management component that aimed to remove barriers to accessing care was adopted. Follow-up data on antiretroviral treatment (ART) and HIV-RNA levels were obtained from HIV clinics. TRIP enrolled 45 recently HIV-infected PWID (80% male) with a median viral load at recruitment of 5.43 log₁₀ copies/mL. Of the recently infected persons in TRIP, 87% were linked to care; of these, 77% started ART; and of those on ART, 89% achieved viral load <200 copies/mL. TRIP and its public health allies managed to get most of the recently HIV-infected PWID who were identified by the program into care and many of them onto ART. This resulted in very low HIV-RNA levels. Treatment as prevention can work if individuals are aided in overcoming difficulties in entry to, or attrition from care.

Viral suppression among HIV-infected methadone-maintained patients: The role of ongoing injection drug use and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART)

INTRODUCTION

Methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) is associated with improved virologic outcomes, yet no studies have explored factors associated with viral suppression in HIV-infected patients on MMT. Given the critical role of sustained viral suppression in maximizing benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART), we sought to assess factors associated with viral suppression in patients stabilized on MMT.

METHODS

A sample of 133 HIV-infected, methadone-maintained patients who reported HIV-risk behaviors were assessed using an audio-computer assisted self-interview (ACASI). Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify significant correlates of viral suppression.

RESULTS

Among all participants, self-reported HIV risk behaviors were highly prevalent and over 80% had achieved viral suppression. Independent correlates of viral suppression were: having optimal adherence to ART (aOR = 4.883, p = .009), high CD4 count (aOR = 2.483, p = .045), and ongoing injection drug use (aOR = 0.081, p = .036). Furthermore, results revealed a significant interaction effect that involved optimal ART adherence and injection of drug use on viral suppression (aOR = 2.953, p = .029).

CONCLUSION

Overall, our findings highlight unaddressed HIV-related treatment challenges faced by certain group of methadone-maintained patients. These findings have significant implications for the HIV treatment as prevention efforts and, thus, indicate the need for comprehensive efforts to promote viral suppression in this risk population.

Clinical and Economic Effects of a Pharmacist-Administered Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence Clinic for Patients Living with HIV

BACKGROUND

Pharmacists have demonstrated the ability to improve patient adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART).

OBJECTIVE

To determine the clinical and economic effects of a pharmacist-administered ART adherence clinic for patients living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

METHODS

This pilot study with a pretest-posttest design examined the effect of a pharmacy adherence clinic on patient HIV viral load and CD4 count over a 6-month period. Patients with documented adherence problems were referred to the clinic. The pharmacist counseled patients at baseline and met with patients 1-2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after starting ART. A societal perspective net cost analysis of the pharmacy adherence clinic was conducted to assess the economic efficiency of the intervention.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight patients were enrolled in the study, and 16 patients reached completion. Median HIV RNA significantly decreased from 48,000 copies/mL (interquartile range [IQR] = 16,750-139,000) to undetectable (< 20 copies/mL) at 6 months for all study participants who completed the full intervention (P = 0.001). In the 3 months following the intervention, we estimated that it prevented approximately 0.13 secondary HIV infections among the sexual partners of the 16 participants who completed the intervention. The total cost of the intervention was $16,811 ($1,051 per patient), which was less than the future savings in averted HIV-related medical care expenditures ($49,702).

CONCLUSIONS

A pharmacy adherence clinic that focused on early and sustained ART adherence interventions helped patients with documented medication adherence problems achieve an undetectable HIV RNA. The intervention was highly cost saving, with a return of nearly $3 in future medical care savings per dollar spent on the intervention.

DISCLOSURES

This work was supported in part by a research grant to Dilworth, Mercier, and Borrego from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Foundation. Klein and Pinkerton were supported in part by grants T32-MH19985 and P30-MH52776, respectively, from the National Institute of Mental Health. No funding bodies had any role in the study design, data collection, analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Health Resources and Services Administration. The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. Study concept and design were contributed primarily by Dilworth, Mercier, and Borrego, along with the other authors. Dilworth took the lead in data collection, along with Pinkerton, Klein, Mercier, and Jakeman. Data interpretation was performed by Dilworth and Pinkerton, along with the other authors. The manuscript was written by Dilworth, Klein, and Jakeman, with assistance from the other authors, and revised by Dilworth, Jakeman, and Klein, with assistance from the other authors. The results from this study were presented in part at the 2015 United States Conference on AIDS in Washington, DC, on September 10-13, 2015.

High HIV seroconversion rate in hepatitis C virus-infected drug users followed in a harm reduction unit: a lost opportunity for preexposure prophylaxis

OBJECTIVES

Current harm reduction strategies will probably remain insufficient to eliminate HIV transmission among drug users. We aimed to estimate the HIV seroconversion rate among drug users followed at a harm reduction unit (HRU) to evaluate the potential use of preexposure prophylaxis as a prevention tool.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A cohort of drug users has been followed at an HRU in Madrid between 2013 and 2016. Individuals who were HIV negative at baseline and who had at least one retest for HIV infection were eligible. Kaplan-Meier methods were employed to estimate the incidence density.

RESULTS

A total of 954 drug users had at least an HIV test. At baseline, 260 were HIV negative and had at least one follow-up HIV test. After 330.89 person-years of risk for HIV infection, 10 (3.8%) seroconverted. Overall incidence density of HIV seroconversion was 3.02 [95% confidence interval (CI); 1.4-5.5] per 100 person-years, with differences according to hepatitis C virus (HCV) serostatus: 1.17 (95% CI; 0.1-4.2) per 100 person-years in negative HCV individuals and 4.98 (95% CI; 2.1-9.8) per 100 person-years in positive HCV individuals. In the multivariable analysis, infection with HCV remained independently associated with time to HIV seroconversion (adjusted hazard ratio = 6.43; 95% CI; 1.1-36.5, P = 0.035).

CONCLUSION

Despite efforts in HIV prevention in a HRU, a high incidence of HIV was found among active drug users. Positive HCV status is a strong predictor of HIV seroconversion. In this context, preexposure prophylaxis implementation should be considered as an additional tool for HIV prevention in this population.

"It's Never Just About the HIV:" HIV Primary Care Providers' Perception of Substance Use in the Era of "Universal" Antiretroviral Medication Treatment

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is recommended for all people living with HIV (PLWH), regardless of disease status. Substance use disorders (SUD) are common barriers to successful HIV treatment; however, few studies have comprehensively explored how HIV primary care providers take SUDs into account in the context of universal ART implementation. This study uses thematic analysis of qualitative interviews to explore providers' (N = 25) substance use assessment and factors associated with ART initiation. 64% of providers had 15 or more years of HIV treatment experience. Almost all providers agreed with the guidelines for universal ART initiation despite the presence of SUD. Still, identification and management of SUD is challenged by inconsistent assessment, providers' misperceptions about SUD and patients' willingness to discuss it, and lack of accessible treatment resources when SUD is identified. Greater guidance in systematic SUD assessment and management, combined with integrated addiction services, could enhance universal ART implementation among PLWH/SUD.

A Cohort Approach to Real-Time Detection of Acute HIV Infections Among People Who Inject Drugs in St. Petersburg, Russia

To detect acute HIV infections (AHIs) in real time among people who inject drugs (PWID) in St. Petersburg, Russia and to test the feasibility of this approach. Prospective cohort study. One hundred seronegative or acutely HIV-infected at screening PWID were enrolled and followed until the end of the 12-month pilot period. Each participant was evaluated, tested, and counseled for HIV monthly. Two HIV tests were used: HIV antibody and HIV RNA PCR. If diagnosed with AHI, participants were followed weekly for a month; then, monthly for 3 months; and then, quarterly for the duration of the follow-up period. HIV risk behavior was assessed at each study visit. Most enrolled PWID were 30-39 years old, male, completed high school or more, not employed full-time, heroin users, and frequently shared injection paraphernalia. AHI prevalence at screening was 1.8% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.4, 5.5]. Three participants with AHI at enrollment represented 3% (95% CI: 0.6, 8.5) of the 100 participants who consented to enroll. Among the HIV-uninfected participants (n = 97), the AHI incidence over time was 9.3 per 100 person-years. Persons with AHI were more likely to report alcohol intoxication within the prior 30 days. This was the first study to detect AHI using a cohort approach. The approach proved to be feasible: recruitment, retention, AHI detection, and virological endpoints were successfully reached. A cost analysis in a real-world setting would be required to determine if this strategy could be brought to scale. The study revealed continued high HIV incidence rate among PWID in St. Petersburg, Russia and the importance of prevention and treatment programs for this group.

Association between public injecting and drug-related harm among HIV-positive people who use injection drugs in a Canadian setting: A longitudinal analysis

BACKGROUND

and Aims Injecting illicit drugs in public settings has been linked to a higher risk of a range of drug-related harms, including overdose and HIV infection. However, the factors associated with public injecting among HIV-positive individuals have not been previously explored. We investigated the links between public drug injecting, drug-related harm, and HIV treatment measures among a cohort of HIV-positive persons who inject drugs (PWID) in a Canadian setting.

METHODS

We used data from a prospective cohort of HIV-positive PWID recruited from community settings in Vancouver, Canada, linked to comprehensive clinical monitoring data in the context of an ongoing Treatment-as-Prevention (TasP) initiative to examine harms associated with public injecting. We used generalized linear mixed-effects analyses to identify longitudinal factors associated with self-reported public drug injection.

RESULTS

Between 2005 and 2014, 626 HIV-seropositive PWID were recruited, of whom 213 (34%) reported public injection in the preceding 180days. In a longitudinal multivariable model, public injection was positively associated with daily heroin injection (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR]=2.63), incarceration (AOR=1.78), and detectable plasma HIV-1 RNA viral load (VL, AOR=1.42).

CONCLUSIONS

Public injecting was linked to numerous drug-related harms among HIV-seropositive PWID in this setting. Given its link with detectable VL, an important marker of poor HIV treatment outcomes, our findings support prioritizing individuals engaged in public injecting with harm reduction strategies as well as clinical and social supports as a part of TasP-based efforts to prevent HIV-related morbidity and mortality, and HIV transmission.

Monitoring quality and coverage of harm reduction services for people who use drugs: a consensus study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Despite advances in our knowledge of effective services for people who use drugs over the last decades globally, coverage remains poor in most countries, while quality is often unknown. This paper aims to discuss the historical development of successful epidemiological indicators and to present a framework for extending them with additional indicators of coverage and quality of harm reduction services, for monitoring and evaluation at international, national or subnational levels. The ultimate aim is to improve these services in order to reduce health and social problems among people who use drugs, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, crime and legal problems, overdose (death) and other morbidity and mortality.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The framework was developed collaboratively using consensus methods involving nominal group meetings, review of existing quality standards, repeated email commenting rounds and qualitative analysis of opinions/experiences from a broad range of professionals/experts, including members of civil society and organisations representing people who use drugs. Twelve priority candidate indicators are proposed for opioid agonist therapy (OAT), needle and syringe programmes (NSP) and generic cross-cutting aspects of harm reduction (and potentially other drug) services. Under the specific OAT indicators, priority indicators included 'coverage', 'waiting list time', 'dosage' and 'availability in prisons'. For the specific NSP indicators, the priority indicators included 'coverage', 'number of needles/syringes distributed/collected', 'provision of other drug use paraphernalia' and 'availability in prisons'. Among the generic or cross-cutting indicators the priority indicators were 'infectious diseases counselling and care', 'take away naloxone', 'information on safe use/sex' and 'condoms'. We discuss conditions for the successful development of the suggested indicators and constraints (e.g. funding, ideology). We propose conducting a pilot study to test the feasibility and applicability of the proposed indicators before their scaling up and routine implementation, to evaluate their effectiveness in comparing service coverage and quality across countries.

CONCLUSIONS

The establishment of an improved set of validated and internationally agreed upon best practice indicators for monitoring harm reduction service will provide a structural basis for public health and epidemiological studies and support evidence and human rights-based health policies, services and interventions.

Antiretroviral Therapy Interruption Among HIV Postive People Who Use Drugs in a Setting with a Community-Wide HIV Treatment-as-Prevention Initiative

HIV Treatment as Prevention (TasP) initiatives promote antiretroviral therapy (ART) access and optimal adherence (≥95 %) to produce viral suppression among people living with HIV (PLHIV) and prevent the onward transmission of HIV. ART treatment interruptions are common among PLHIV who use drugs and undermine the effectiveness of TasP. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 39 PLHIV who use drugs who had experienced treatment ART interruptions in a setting with a community-wide TasP initiative (Vancouver, Canada) to examine influences on these outcomes. While study participants attributed ART interruptions to "treatment fatigue," our analysis revealed individual, social, and structural influences on these events, including: (1) prior adverse ART-related experiences among those with long-term treatment histories; (2) experiences of social isolation; and, (3) breakdowns in the continuity of HIV care following disruptive events (e.g., eviction, incarceration). Findings reconceptualise 'treatment fatigue' by focusing attention on its underlying mechanisms, while demonstrating the need for comprehensive structural reforms and targeted interventions to optimize TasP among drug-using PLHIV.

A network intervention that locates and intervenes with recently HIV-infected persons: The Transmission Reduction Intervention Project (TRIP)

Early treatment, soon after infection, reduces HIV transmissions and benefits patients. The Transmission Reduction Intervention Project (TRIP) evaluated a network intervention to detect individuals recently infected (in the past 6 months). TRIP was conducted in Greece (2013-2015) and focused on drug injector networks. Based on HIV status, testing history, and the results of an assay to detect recent infections, TRIP classified drug injector "Seeds" into groups: Recent Seeds (RS), and Control Seeds with Long-term HIV infection (LCS). The network members of RS and LCS were traced for two steps. The analysis included 23 RS, 171 network members of the RS, 19 LCS, and 65 network members of the LCS. The per-seed number of recents detected in the network of RS was 5 times the number in the network of LCS (Ratio RS vs. LCS: 5.23; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.54-27.61). The proportion of recents among HIV positives in the network of RS (27%) was approximately 3 times (Ratio RS vs. LCS: 3.30; 95% CI: 1.04-10.43) that in the network of LCS (8%). Strategic network tracing that starts with recently infected persons could support public health efforts to find and treat people early in their HIV infection.

Acute HIV infection transmission among people who inject drugs in a mature epidemic setting

OBJECTIVE

Estimates for the contribution of transmission arising from acute HIV infections (AHIs) to overall HIV incidence vary significantly. Furthermore, little is known about AHI-attributable transmission among people who inject drugs (PWID), including the extent to which interventions targeting chronic infections (e.g. HAART as prevention) are limited by AHI transmission. Thus, we estimated the proportion of transmission events attributable to AHI within the mature HIV epidemic among PWID in New York City (NYC).

DESIGN

Modeling study.

METHODS

We constructed an interactive sexual and injecting transmission network using an agent-based model simulating the HIV epidemic in NYC between 1996 and 2012. Using stochastic microsimulations, we cataloged transmission from PWID based on the disease stage of index agents to determine the proportion of infections transmitted during AHI (in primary analyses, assumed to last 3 months).

RESULTS

Our calibrated model approximated the epidemiological features of the mature HIV epidemic in NYC between 1996 and 2012. Annual HIV incidence among PWID dropped from approximately 1.8% in 1996 to 0.7% in 2012. Over the 16-year period, AHI accounted for 4.9% (10th/90th percentile: 0.1-12.3%) of incident HIV cases among PWID. The annualized contribution of AHI increased over this period from 3.6% in 1996 to 5.9% in 2012.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that, in mature epidemics such as NYC, between 3% and 6% of transmission events are attributable to AHI among PWID. Current HIV treatment as prevention strategies are unlikely to be substantially affected by AHI-attributable transmission among PWID populations in mature epidemic settings.

Concordance between self-reported and measured HIV and hepatitis C virus infection status among people who inject drugs in Germany

Background

People who inject drugs (PWID) are disproportionately affected by both HIV and hepatitis C infection (HCV). Awareness of infection status is essential to ensure linkage to appropriate healthcare for those infected, who need treatment and regular follow-up, as well as for uninfected individuals, who need access to targeted testing and counselling services. In this paper we compare self-reported HIV and HCV status with serological markers of infection among PWID recruited through respondent driven sampling.

Methods

From 2011 through 2014, biological and behavioural data was collected from 2,077 PWID in Germany. Dried blood spots from capillary blood samples were collected and screened for HCV antibodies, HCV RNA and HIV-1/-2 antibodies. HIV reactive samples were confirmed by Western blot.

Results

Laboratory testing revealed that 5 % were infected with HIV and 81 % were aware of being infected. Chronic HCV infection was detected in 41 % of the participants, 2 % had an acute HCV infection, 22 % had a cleared infection, and 34 % were unexposed to HCV. The concordance between self-reported and measured HCV status was lower than for HIV, with 73 % of those with chronic HCV infection being aware of their infection.

Conclusions

We found a relatively high awareness of HIV and HCV infection status among PWID. Nevertheless, access to appropriate testing, counselling and care services targeted to the needs of PWID should be further improved, particularly concerning HCV.

Trial registration

Ethical approval was received from the ethics committee at the medical university of Charité, Berlin, Germany in May 2011 and with an amendment approved retrospectively on 19/11/2012 (No EA4/036/11). The German Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information approved the study protocol retrospectively on 29/11/2012 (III-401/008#0035).

Antiretroviral medication treatment for all HIV-infected individuals: a protocol using innovative multilevel methodologies to evaluate New York City's universal ART policy among problem substance users

BACKGROUND

The intersection of HIV-related health outcomes and problem substance use has been well documented. New York City continues to be a focal point of the U.S. HIV epidemic. In 2011, the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH) issued a recommendation that all HIV infected individuals should be offered antiretroviral therapy (ART) regardless of CD4 cell count or other indicators of disease progression. This policy is based in the concept of "treatment as prevention," in which providing ART to people living with HIV (PLWH) greatly reduces the likelihood of HIV transmission, while also improving individual health. The "ART for ALL" (AFA) study was designed to inform modifications to and identify gaps in the implementation of universal ART, and specifically to help guide allocation of resources to obtain local policy goals for increasing viral suppression among PLWH who have problem substance use.

METHODS/DESIGN

The AFA Study is informed by two complementary frameworks: Glasgow and colleagues' RE-AIM model, a multi-level framework developed to guide the evaluation of implementation of new policies, and Bronfrenbrenner's ecological systems model, which conceptualizes the bi-directional interplay between people and their environment. Using multi-level data and mixed methods, the primary aims of the AFA Study are to assess rates of viral load suppression, using the NYC HIV Surveillance Registry, within 12 months of HIV diagnosis with (a) yearly cohorts of high-risk-to-transmit, difficult-to-treat, substance using patients recruited from NYC Sexually Transmitted Disease clinics and a large detoxification unit and (b) yearly cohorts of all newly HIV diagnosed people in NYC. Further goals include (c) recruiting cross-sectional samples of HIV/AIDS service providers to assess ART initiation with problem substance users and d) examining geographic factors that influence rates of viral load suppression. An Implementation Collaborative Board meets regularly to guide study procedures and interpret results.

DISCUSSION

The AFA Study has the unique strength of accessing and analyzing data at multiple levels using mixed methodology, taking advantage of NYC DOHMH biomedical surveillance data. If successful, others may benefit from lessons learned to inform local and state policies to improve the health of PLWH and further reduce HIV transmission.

Plasma HIV-1 RNA viral load rebound among people who inject drugs receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in a Canadian setting: an ethno-epidemiological study

Background

People who inject drugs (PWID) living with HIV often experience sub-optimal antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment outcomes, including HIV plasma viral load (PVL) rebound. While previous studies have identified risk factors for PVL rebound among PWID, no study has examined the perspectives of PWID who have experienced PVL rebound episodes. We conducted an ethno-epidemiological study to investigate the circumstances surrounding the emergence of rebound episodes among PWID in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Methods

Comprehensive clinical records linked to a community-based prospective observational cohort of HIV-positive drug users were used to identify PWID who had recently experienced viral rebound. In-depth qualitative interviews with 16 male and 11 female participants explored participant perspectives regarding the emergence of viral rebound. A timeline depicting each participant’s HIV viral load and adherence to ART was used to elicit discussion of circumstances surrounding viral rebound.

Findings

Viral rebound episodes were shaped by interplay between various individual, social, and environmental factors that disrupted routines facilitating adherence. Structural-environmental influences resulting in non-adherence included housing transitions, changes in drug use patterns and intense drug scene involvement, and inadequate care for co-morbid health conditions. Social-environmental influences on ART adherence included poor interactions between care providers and patients producing non-adherence, and understandings of HIV treatment that fostered intentional treatment discontinuation.

Conclusions

This study describes key pathways which led to rebound episodes among PWID receiving ART and illustrates how environmental forces may increase vulnerability for non-adherence leading to treatment failure. Our findings have potential to help inform interventions and supports that address social-structural forces that foster non-adherence among PWID.

Navigating identity, territorial stigma, and HIV care services in Vancouver, Canada: A qualitative study

This study examines the influence of territorial stigma on access to HIV care and other support services. Qualitative interviews were conducted with thirty people living with HIV (PLHIV) who use drugs recruited from the Dr. Peter Centre (DPC), an HIV care facility located in Vancouver, Canada's West End neighbourhood that operates under a harm reduction approach. Findings demonstrated that territorial stigma can undermine access to critical support services and resources in spatially stigmatized neighbourhoods among PLHIV who use drugs who have relocated elsewhere. Furthermore, PLHIV moving from spatially stigmatized neighbourhoods - in this case, Vancouver's Downtown Eastside - to access HIV care services experienced tension with different groups at the DPC (e.g., men who have sex with me, people who use drugs), as these groups sought to define who constituted a'normative' client. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the urgent need to consider the siting of HIV care services as the epidemic evolves.

Survey finds that many prisons and jails have room to improve HIV testing and coordination of postrelease treatment

Early diagnosis of HIV and effective antiretroviral treatment are key elements in efforts to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with HIV. Incarcerated populations are disproportionately affected by HIV, with the disease's prevalence among inmates estimated to be three to five times higher than among the general population. Correctional institutions offer important opportunities to test for HIV and link infected people to postrelease treatment services. To examine HIV testing and policies that help HIV-positive people obtain treatment in the community after release, we administered a survey to the medical directors of the fifty state prison systems and of forty of the largest jails in the United States. We found that 19 percent of prison systems and 35 percent of jails provide opt-out HIV testing, which is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Additionally, fewer than 20 percent of prisons and jails conform to the CDC's recommendations regarding discharge planning services for inmates transitioning to the community: making an appointment with a community health care provider, assisting with enrollment in an entitlement program, and providing a copy of the medical record and a supply of HIV medications. These findings suggest that opportunities for HIV diagnosis and linking HIV-positive inmates to community care after release are being missed in the majority of prison systems and jails.

Longer duration of homelessness is associated with a lower likelihood of non-detectable plasma HIV-1 RNA viral load among people who use illicit drugs in a Canadian setting

Homelessness is common among people who use drugs (PWUD) and, for those living with HIV/AIDS, an important contributor to sub-optimal HIV treatment outcomes. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the duration of homelessness and the likelihood of plasma HIV-1 RNA viral load (VL) non-detectability among a cohort of HIV-positive PWUD. We used data from the ACCESS study, a long-running prospective cohort study of HIV-positive PWUD linked to comprehensive HIV clinical records including systematic plasma HIV-1 RNA VL monitoring. We estimated the longitudinal relationship between the duration of homelessness and the likelihood of exhibiting a non-detectable VL (i.e., <500 copies/mL plasma) using generalized linear mixed-effects modelling. Between May 1996 and June 2014, 922 highly active antiretroviral therapy-exposed participants were recruited and contributed 8188 observations. Of these, 4800 (59%) were characterized by non-detectable VL. Participants reported they were homeless in 910 (11%) interviews (median: six months, interquartile range: 6-12 months). A longer duration of homelessness was associated with lower odds of VL non-detectability (adjusted odds ratio = 0.71 per six-month period of homelessness, 95% confidence interval: 0.60-0.83) after adjustment for age, ancestry, drug use patterns, engagement in addiction treatment, and other potential confounders. Longer durations of episodes of homelessness in this cohort of HIV-positive illicit drug users were associated with a lower likelihood of plasma VL non-detectability. Our findings suggest that interventions that seek to promptly house homeless individuals, such as Housing First approaches, might assist in maximizing the clinical and public health benefits of antiretroviral therapy among people living with HIV/AIDS.

Structural Barriers to Antiretroviral Therapy Among Sex Workers Living with HIV: Findings of a Longitudinal Study in Vancouver, Canada

In light of limited data on structural determinants of access and retention in antiretroviral therapy (ART) among sex workers, we examined structural correlates of ART use among sex workers living with HIV over time. Longitudinal data were drawn from a cohort of 646 female sex workers in Vancouver, Canada (2010-2012) and linked pharmacy records on ART dispensation. We used logistic regression with generalized estimating equations (GEE) to examine correlates of gaps in ART use (i.e., treatment interruptions or delayed ART initiation), among HIV seropositive participants (n = 74). Over a 2.5-year period, 37.8 % of participants experienced gaps in ART use (i.e., no ART dispensed in a 6-month period). In a multivariable GEE model, younger age, migration/mobility, incarceration, and non-injection drug use independently correlated with gaps in ART use. In spite of successes scaling-up ART in British Columbia, younger, mobile, or incarcerated sex workers face persistent gaps in access and retention irrespective of drug use. Community-based, tailored interventions to scale-up entry and retention in ART for sex workers should be further explored in this setting.

HIV infection among persons who inject drugs: ending old epidemics and addressing new outbreaks

AIDS among persons who inject drugs, first identified in December 1981, has become a global epidemic. Injecting drug use has been reported in 148 countries and HIV infection has been seen among persons who inject drugs in 61 countries. Many locations have experienced outbreaks of HIV infection among persons who inject drugs, under specific conditions that promote very rapid spread of the virus. In response to these HIV outbreaks, specific interventions for persons who inject drugs include needle/syringe exchange programs, medicated-assisted treatment (with methadone or buprenorphine) and antiretroviral therapy. Through a 'combined prevention' approach, these interventions significantly reduced new HIV infections among persons who inject drugs in several locations including New York City, Vancouver and France. The efforts effectively ended the HIV epidemic among persons who inject drugs in those locations. This review examines possible processes through which combined prevention programs may lead to ending HIV epidemics. However, notable outbreaks of HIV among persons who inject drugs have recently occurred in several countries, including in Athens, Greece; Tel-Aviv, Israel; Dublin, Ireland; as well as in Scott County, Indiana, USA. This review also considers different factors that may have led to these outbreaks. We conclude with addressing the remaining challenges for reducing HIV infection among persons who inject drugs.

In Their Own Voices: Breaking the Vicious Cycle of Addiction, Treatment and Criminal Justice Among People who Inject Drugs in Ukraine

AIMS

To understand how perceived law enforcement policies and practices contribute to the low rates of utilization of opioid agonist therapies (OAT) among people who inject drugs (PWIDs) in Ukraine.

METHODS

Qualitative data from 25 focus groups (FGs) with 199 opioid-dependent PWIDs in Ukraine examined domains related to lived or learned experiences with OAT, police, arrest, incarceration, and criminal activity were analyzed using grounded theory principles.

FINDINGS

Most participants were male (66%), in their late 30s, and previously incarcerated (85%) mainly for drug-related activities. When imprisoned, PWIDs perceived themselves as being "addiction-free". After prison-release, the confluence of police surveillance, societal stress contributed to participants' drug use relapse, perpetuating a cycle of searching for money and drugs, followed by re-arrest and re-incarceration. Fear of police and arrest both facilitated OAT entry and simultaneously contributed to avoiding OAT since system-level requirements identified OAT clients as targets for police harassment. OAT represents an evidence-based option to 'break the cycle', however, law enforcement practices still thwart OAT capacity to improve individual and public health.

CONCLUSION

In the absence of structural changes in law enforcement policies and practices in Ukraine, PWIDs will continue to avoid OAT and perpetuate the addiction cycle with high imprisonment rates.

HIV Treatment for Alcohol and Non-Injection Drug Users in El Salvador

Since the mid-1990 s, many developing countries have introduced and expanded the availability of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) to persons living with HIV (PLH). However, AIDS-related mortality continues to be high particularly among drug users. In this article, we present results from in-depth interviews with 13 HIV medical providers and 29 crack cocaine and alcohol using PLH in El Salvador. Providers endorsed negative attitudes toward substance using PLH and warned PLH that combining cART with drugs and alcohol would damage their livers and kidneys resulting in death. Upon diagnosis, PLH received little information about HIV treatment and many suffered depression and escalated their drug use. PLH reported suspending cART when they drank or used drugs because of providers' warnings. Substance using PLH were given few strategies and resources to quit using drugs. Messages from medical providers discourage drug users from initiating or adhering to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and may contribute to treatment abandonment.

Point-of-care testing for HIV in an Irish prison setting: results from three major Irish prisons

HIV is more prevalent in the prison population compared to the general population. Prison inmates are at an increased risk of blood-borne infections. Considerable stigma has been documented amongst inmates with HIV infection. In collaboration with the schools, healthcare facilities, prison authorities and inmate Irish Red Cross groups in Wheatfield, Cloverhill and Mountjoy prisons in Dublin, Ireland, the Department of Genito Urinary Medicine and Infectious Diseases at St James' Hospital in Dublin developed a campaign for raising awareness of HIV, educating inmates about HIV and tackling HIV stigma. Following this campaign, large-scale point-of-care testing for HIV was offered over a short period. In total, 741 inmates were screened for HIV. One inmate tested positive for HIV. We experienced a large number of invalid test results, requiring formal laboratory serum testing, and a small number of false positive results. Large-scale point-of-care testing in the Irish prison setting is acceptable and achievable.

A non-inferiority trial of an evidence-based secondary HIV prevention behavioral intervention compared to an adapted, abbreviated version: Rationale and intervention description

BACKGROUND

Real-world clinical settings like addiction treatment programs are ill-equipped to deploy and sustain the existing resource-demanding evidence-based interventions (EBIs) that target HIV-infected people who use drugs (PWUDs), and this has left a critical void in current HIV prevention efforts. In response to this unmet need, we have conducted formative research in addiction treatment settings that has resulted in Holistic Health for HIV (3H+) - an empirically adapted, substantially abbreviated version of Holistic Health Recovery Program (HHRP+), a CDC-recommended EBI targeting HIV-infected PWUDs.

METHODS

Using a non-inferiority randomized controlled trial design, we will determine whether the abbreviated 3H+ intervention is comparable (i.e., within a 10% margin) and cost-effective relative to the original HHRP+ intervention in terms of reducing HIV risk behaviors and improving antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence among HIV-infected PWUDs in addiction treatment who report drug- or sex-related HIV risk behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS

This article provides a description of the development and adaptation of the 3H+ intervention, the innovative non-inferiority comparative experimental design for testing the 3H+ to the HHRP+. Furthermore, it provides empirical evidence from a formal cost-effectiveness analysis justifying the cost-effectiveness of the 3H+ intervention when compared to the HHRP+ intervention. If confirmed to be comparable and more cost-effective, as hypothesized, the 3H+ intervention has the potential to be readily and immediately integrated within common clinical settings where large numbers of HIV-infected PWUDs receive clinical services.

Advances in HIV prevention for serodiscordant couples

Serodiscordant couples play an important role in maintaining the global HIV epidemic. This review summarizes biobehavioral and biomedical HIV prevention options for serodiscordant couples focusing on advances in 2013 and 2014, including World Health Organization guidelines and best evidence for couples counseling, couple-based interventions, and the use of antiviral agents for prevention. In the past few years, marked advances have been made in HIV prevention for serodiscordant couples and numerous ongoing studies are continuously expanding HIV prevention tools, especially in the area of pre-exposure prophylaxis. Uptake and adherence to antiviral therapy remains a key challenge. Additional research is needed to develop evidence-based interventions for couples, and especially for male-male couples. Randomized trials have demonstrated the prevention benefits of antiretroviral-based approaches among serodiscordant couples; however, residual transmission observed in recognized serodiscordant couples represents an important and resolvable challenge in HIV prevention.

Expanding substance use treatment options for HIV prevention with buprenorphine-naloxone: HIV Prevention Trials Network 058

BACKGROUND

Injection opioid use plays a significant role in the transmission of HIV infection in many communities and several regions of the world. Access to evidence-based treatments for opioid use disorders is extremely limited.

METHODS

HIV Prevention Trials Network 058 (HPTN 058) was a randomized controlled trial designed to compare the impact of 2 medication-assisted treatment (MAT) strategies on HIV incidence or death among opioid-dependent people who inject drugs (PWID). HIV-negative opioid-dependent PWID were recruited from 4 communities in Thailand and China with historically high prevalence of HIV among PWID. A total of 1251 participants were randomly assigned to either (1) a 1-year intervention consisting of 2 opportunities for a 15-day detoxification with buprenorphine/naloxone (BUP/NX) combined with up to 21 sessions of behavioral drug and risk counseling [short-term medication-assisted treatment (ST-MAT)] or (2) thrice-weekly dosing for 48 weeks with BUP/NX and up to 21 counseling sessions [long-term medication-assisted treatment (LT-MAT)] followed by dose tapering. All participants were followed for 52 weeks after treatment completion to assess durability of impact.

RESULTS

Although the study was stopped early due to lower than expected occurrence of the primary end points, sufficient data were available to assess the impact of the interventions on drug use and injection-related risk behavior. At week 26, 22% of ST-MAT participants had negative urinalyses for opioids compared with 57% in the LT-MAT (P < 0.001). Differences disappeared in the year after treatment: at week 78, 35% in ST-MAT and 32% in the LT-MAT had negative urinalyses. Injection-related risk behaviors were significantly reduced in both groups after randomization.

CONCLUSIONS

Participants receiving BUP/NX 3 times weekly were more likely to reduce opioid injection while on active treatment. Both treatment strategies were considered safe and associated with reductions in injection-related risk behavior. These data support the use of thrice-weekly BUP/NX as a way to reduce exposure to HIV risk. Continued access to BUP/NX may be required to sustain reductions in opioid use.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of brief and expanded evidence-based risk reduction interventions for HIV-infected people who inject drugs in the United States

AIMS

Two behavioral HIV prevention interventions for people who inject drugs (PWID) infected with HIV include the Holistic Health Recovery Program for HIV+ (HHRP+), a comprehensive evidence-based CDC-supported program, and an abbreviated Holistic Health for HIV (3H+) Program, an adapted HHRP+ version in treatment settings. We compared the projected health benefits and cost-effectiveness of both programs, in addition to opioid substitution therapy (OST), to the status quo in the U.S.

METHODS

A dynamic HIV transmission model calibrated to epidemic data of current US populations was created. Projected outcomes include future HIV incidence, HIV prevalence, and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained under alternative strategies. Total medical costs were estimated to compare the cost-effectiveness of each strategy.

RESULTS

Over 10 years, expanding HHRP+ access to 80% of PWID could avert up to 29,000 HIV infections, or 6% of the projected total, at a cost of $7,777/QALY gained. Alternatively, 3H+ could avert 19,000 infections, but is slightly more cost-effective ($7,707/QALY), and remains so under widely varying effectiveness and cost assumptions. Nearly two-thirds of infections averted with either program are among non-PWIDs, due to reduced sexual transmission from PWID to their partners. Expanding these programs with broader OST coverage could avert up to 74,000 HIV infections over 10 years and reduce HIV prevalence from 16.5% to 14.1%, but is substantially more expensive than HHRP+ or 3H+ alone.

CONCLUSIONS

Both behavioral interventions were effective and cost-effective at reducing HIV incidence among both PWID and the general adult population; however, 3H+, the economical HHRP+ version, was slightly more cost-effective than HHRP+.

Tenofovir alafenamide vs. tenofovir disoproxil fumarate in single tablet regimens for initial HIV-1 therapy: a randomized phase 2 study

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the novel tenofovir prodrug, tenofovir alafenamide (TAF), as part of a single-tablet regimen (STR) for the initial treatment of HIV-1 infection.

DESIGN

Phase 2, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, multicenter, active-controlled study.

METHODS

Antiretroviral naive adults with HIV-1 RNA ≥5000 copies per milliliter and a CD4 count ≥50 cells per microliter were randomized 2:1 to receive an STR of elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (E/C/F/TAF) or elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (E/C/F/TDF), plus placebo for 48 weeks.

RESULTS

Patients on both E/C/F/TAF (n = 112) and E/C/F/TDF (n = 58) had high rates of virologic suppression (<50 HIV copies per milliliter) at week 24 (86.6%; 89.7%) and at week 48 (88.4%; 87.9%), and had similar improvements in CD4 at week 48 (177; 204), respectively. Both treatments were well tolerated, and most adverse events were self-limiting and of mild to moderate severity. Compared with patients on E/C/F/TDF, patients on E/C/F/TAF had smaller reductions in estimated creatinine clearance (-5.5 vs. -10.1 mL/min, P = 0.041), significantly less renal tubular proteinuria, and smaller changes in bone mineral density for hip (-0.62% vs. -2.39%, P < 0.001) and spine (-1.00% vs. -3.37%, P < 0.001). Patients on E/C/F/TAF had higher increases in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein, but the total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein ratio was unchanged for both.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment-naive patients given the STR that contained either TAF or TDF achieved a high rate of virologic success. Compared with those receiving TDF, patients on E/C/F/TAF experienced significantly smaller changes in estimated creatinine clearance, renal tubular proteinuria, and bone mineral density.

Can HIV and Hepatitis C Virus Infection be Eliminated Among Persons Who Inject Drugs?

HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are readily transmitted among persons who inject drugs. The HIV and HCV epidemics have expanded rapidly, becoming global health issues. Combined prevention has been implemented to reduce injection and sexual transmission of HIV and HCV among persons who inject drugs. Reductions in risky injection and sexual behavior have led to dramatic reductions in HIV in many countries. Whether comparable reductions in HCV transmission can be achieved has yet to be determined. Eliminating HIV and HCV among persons who inject drugs will require considerable resources and commitment, particularly in low and middle income countries.

Risk factors for delayed entrance into care after diagnosis among patients with late-stage HIV disease in southern Vietnam

BACKGROUND

We surveyed HIV patients with late-stage disease in southern Vietnam to determine if barriers to access and service quality resulted in late HIV testing and delays from initial diagnosis to entry into HIV care.

METHODOLOGY

196 adult patients at public HIV clinics with CD4 counts less than 250 cells/mm3 completed a standardized questionnaire. We used multivariate analysis to determine risk factors for delayed entry into care, defined as >3 months time from diagnosis to registration.

RESULTS

Common reasons for delayed testing were feeling healthy (71%), fear of stigma and discrimination in the community (43%), time conflicts with work or school (31%), did not want to know if infected (30%), and fear of lack of confidentiality (27%). Forty-five percent of participants delayed entry into care with a median CD4 count of 65 cells/mm3. The most common reasons for delayed entry were feeling healthy (51%), fear of stigma and discrimination in the community (41%), time conflicts with work or school (33%), and fear of lack of confidentiality (26%). Independent predictors for delayed entry were feeling healthy (aOR 3.7, 95% CI 1.5-9.1), first positive HIV test at other site (aOR 2.9, CI 1.2-7.1), history of injection drug use (IDU) (aOR 2.9, 95% CI 1.1-7.9), work/school conflicts (aOR 4.3, 95% CI 1.7-10.8), prior registration at another clinic (aOR 77.4, 95% CI 8.6-697), detention or imprisonment (aOR 10.3, 95% CI 1.8-58.2), and perceived distance to clinic (aOR 3.7, 95% CI 1.0-13.7).

CONCLUSION

Delayed entry into HIV care in Vietnam is common and poses a significant challenge to preventing AIDS and opportunistic infections, decreasing mortality, and reducing HIV transmission. Improved linkages between testing and care are needed, particularly for patients who feel healthy, as well as incarcerated and drug-using populations who may face structural and social barriers to accessing care.

Establishing a community-based participatory research partnership among people who use drugs in Ottawa: the PROUD cohort study

Background

Grounded in a community-based participatory research (CBPR) framework, the PROUD (Participatory Research in Ottawa: Understanding Drugs) Study aims to better understand HIV risk and prevalence among people who use drugs in Ottawa, Ontario. The purpose of this paper is to describe the establishment of the PROUD research partnership.

Methods

PROUD relies on peers’ expertise stemming from their lived experience with drug use to guide all aspects of this CBPR project. A Community Advisory Committee (CAC), comprised of eight people with lived experience, three allies and three ex-officio members, has been meeting since May 2012 to oversee all aspects of the project. Eleven medical students from the University of Ottawa were recruited to work alongside the committee. Training was provided on CBPR; HIV and harm reduction; and administering HIV point-of-care (POC) tests so that the CAC can play a key role in research design, data collection, analysis, and knowledge translation activities.

Results

From March-December 2013, the study enrolled 858 participants who use drugs (defined as anyone who has injected or smoked drugs other than marijuana in the last 12 months) into a prospective cohort study. Participants completed a one-time questionnaire administered by a trained peer or medical student, who then administered an HIV POC test. Recruitment, interviews and testing occurred in both the fixed research site and various community settings across Ottawa. With consent, prospective follow-up will occur through linkages to health care records available through the Institute for Clinical and Evaluation Sciences.

Conclusion

The PROUD Study meaningfully engaged the communities of people who use drugs in Ottawa through the formation of the CAC, the training of peers as community-based researchers, and integrated KTE throughout the research project. This project successfully supported skill development across the team and empowered people with drug use experience to take on leadership roles, ensuring that this research process will promote change at the local level. The CBPR methods developed in this study provide important insights for future research projects with people who use drugs in other settings.

Alcohol use disorders negatively influence antiretroviral medication adherence among men who have sex with men in Peru

As international guidelines increase access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) globally, ART adherence becomes increasingly important to achieve HIV treatment as prevention (TasP) goals. In the concentrated HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgendered women (TGW) in Lima, Peru, the independent correlates of ART nonadherence were examined to inform treatment intervention priorities. Cross sectional survey of HIV-infected MSM and TGW who are engaged in clinical care in Lima, Peru. From June to August 2012, 302 HIV-infected Peruvian MSM/TGW from three clinical care sites were recruited using convenience sampling to participate in a cross-sectional computer-assisted adherence survey. Several standardized screening measures associated with ART nonadherence were examined in order to determine the independent correlates of optimal (≥90%) and perfect (100%) adherence, which were assessed using logistic regression. Of the 302 participants recruited, 263 (87.1%) were prescribed ART. Among those prescribed ART, 229 (87.1%) reported optimal and 146 (55.5%) reported perfect adherence. The prevalence of alcohol use disorders (AUD; 43.2%), alcohol dependence (5.3%), recent drug use (6.0%), and depression (44.5%) was high, and most participants had some evidence of neurocognitive impairment. Meeting criteria for having an AUD and depression were collinear (p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, having an AUD was inversely related and the only independent correlate of optimal (AOR = 0.427; 95% CI = 0.187-0.976) and perfect (AOR = 0.552; 95% CI = 0.327-0.930) ART adherence. AUDs are highly prevalent among Peruvian HIV-infected MSM and contribute significantly to ART nonadherence. These findings support the need for screening and treating underlying AUDs. In order to meet HIV TasP goals, evidence-based strategies targeting AUDs are likely to directly improve ART adherence and indirectly improve overall individual health, HIV treatment engagement, and reduce transmission to sexual partners among this vulnerable and disproportionally affected population.

Risk of HIV transmission from patients on antiretroviral therapy: a position statement from the Public Health Agency of Sweden and the Swedish Reference Group for Antiviral Therapy

The modern medical treatment of HIV with antiretroviral therapy (ART) has drastically reduced the morbidity and mortality in patients infected with this virus. ART has also been shown to reduce the transmission risk from individual patients as well as the spread of the infection at the population level. This position statement from the Public Health Agency of Sweden and the Swedish Reference Group for Antiviral Therapy is based on a workshop organized in the fall of 2012. It summarizes the latest research and knowledge on the risk of HIV transmission from patients on ART, with a focus on the risk of sexual transmission. The risk of transmission via shared injection equipment among intravenous drug users is also examined, as is the risk of mother-to-child transmission. Based on current knowledge, the risk of transmission through vaginal or anal intercourse involving the use of a condom has been judged to be minimal, provided that the person infected with HIV fulfils the criteria for effective ART. This probably also applies to unprotected intercourse, provided that no other sexually transmitted infections are present, although it is not currently possible to fully support this conclusion with direct scientific evidence. ART is judged to markedly reduce the risk of blood-borne transmission between people who share injection equipment. Finally, the risk of transmission from mother to child is very low, provided that ART is started well in advance of delivery.

Evaluation of multiple measures of antiretroviral adherence in the Eastern European country of Georgia

Introduction

There is little information on adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the Eastern European region. This prospective study evaluated multiple measures of adherence and their association with viral suppression among HIV patients in Georgia.

Methods

A prospective cohort study enrolled 100 consecutive antiretroviral-naïve adult (age ≥18 years) patients, who were followed for three months. Adherence was assessed by medication refill and three self-report measures (an AIDS Clinical Trial Group [ACTG] tool for four-day adherence, a visual analogue scale [VAS] and a rating task for 30-day adherence). The VAS represented a line anchored by 0 and 100% corresponding to the percentage of prescribed doses taken. The rating task asked patients to rate their ability to take all medications as prescribed, with responses categorized into six levels of adherence: very poor (0%), poor (20%), fair (40%), good (60%), very good (80%) and excellent (100%). Patients with adherence of ≥95% by medication refill, ACTG and VAS, and ≥80% by rating task, were defined as adherent.

Results

Of 100 patients enrolled, eight had missing data and were excluded from analysis. Among the remaining 92 patients, the median age was 39 years, and 70% were men. Major modes of HIV acquisition were injection drug use (IDU; 47.3%) and heterosexual contact (44.1%). The proportions of adherent patients were as follows: 68% by medication refill, 90% by ACTG questionnaire, 38% by VAS and 42% by rating task. On average, four months after commencing ART, 52 (56.5%) patients had a viral load <400 copies/ml and 26 (28.3%) patients had a viral load <50 copies/ml. Of 43 persons with a history of IDU, 22 (51.2%) reached a viral load of <400 copies/ml. In multivariate analysis, only refill adherence was a statistically significant predictor of viral suppression of <400 copies/ml: the risk ratio was 1.7 (95% CI: 1.1–2.8). Refill adherence, VAS and rating task were associated with viral suppression of <50 copies/ml. Non-IDUs were twice as likely to achieve viral load <50 copies/ml compared to IDUs. Refill adherence had the largest area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve for predicting viral suppression.

Conclusions

Medication refill adherence was the strongest predictor of viral suppression. IDUs can achieve optimal virologic outcomes, but may require additional adherence support.

Antiretrovirals for HIV prevention: when should they be recommended?

Since the introduction of the first antiretroviral agent for HIV treatment, information on antiretroviral therapy (ART) effectiveness has grown continuously. In recent years, there has also been a growth of interest in use of ART for the prevention of HIV transmission, either by reducing the infectivity of the infected person or by protecting the uninfected individuals from HIV acquisition. The purpose of this review is to summarize the body of evidence available for treatment as prevention and pre-exposure prophylaxis and their effectiveness in prevention of infection. In addition, our aim is to discuss the operational aspects of both prevention strategies and to provide commentary for future HIV prevention programs.

Antiretroviral therapy for prevention of HIV transmission: potential role for people who inject drugs in Central Asia

Interest in the use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for prevention stems from mounting evidence from research studies demonstrating that ART is associated with a decrease in sexual HIV transmission among serodiscordant couples and, perhaps, in other populations at risk. There is paucity of data on the efficacy of ART for prevention in key populations, including persons who inject drugs (PWID). In this paper, we examine the current status of HIV services for PWID in Central Asia, the use of ART by this population and explore ART for prevention for PWID in this context. We also discuss research and implementation questions with relevance to such a strategy in the region.