Comparing neighborhood and state contexts for women living with and without HIV: Understanding the southern HIV epidemic

In the South, people living with HIV experience worse health outcomes than in other geographic regions, likely due to regional political, structural, and socioeconomic factors. We describe the neighborhoods of women (n = 1,800) living with and without HIV in the Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS), a cohort with Southern sites in Chapel Hill, NC; Atlanta, GA; Birmingham, AL; Jackson, MS; and Miami, FL; and non-Southern sites in Brooklyn, NY; Bronx, NY; Washington, DC; San Francisco, CA; and Chicago, IL. In 2014, participants’ addresses were geocoded and matched to several administrative data sources. There were a number of differences between the neighborhood contexts of Southern and non-Southern WIHS participants. Southern states had the lowest income eligibility thresholds for family Medicaid, and consequently higher proportions of uninsured individuals. Modeled proportions of income devoted to transportation were much higher in Southern neighborhoods (Location Affordability Index of 28–39% compared to 16–23% in non-Southern sites), and fewer participants lived in counties where hospitals reported providing HIV care (55% of GA, 63% of NC, and 76% of AL participants lived in a county with a hospital that provided HIV care, compared to >90% at all other sites). Finally, the states with the highest adult incarceration rates were all in the South (per 100,000 residents: AL 820, MS 788, GA 686, FL 644). Many Southern states opted not to expand Medicaid, invest little in transportation infrastructure, and have staggering rates of incarceration. Resolution of racial and geographic disparities in HIV health outcomes will require addressing these structural barriers

Multisite Study of Women Living With HIV's Perceived Barriers to, and Interest in, Long-Acting Injectable Antiretroviral Therapy

BACKGROUND: Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is imperative for viral suppression and reducing HIV transmission, but many people living with HIV report difficultly sustaining long-term adherence. Long-acting injectable (LAI) ART has the potential to transform HIV treatment and prevention. However, little LAI ART-related behavioral research has occurred among women, particularly outside of clinical trials. SETTING: Six Women's Interagency HIV Study sites: New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Atlanta, Chapel Hill, and San Francisco. METHODS: We conducted 59 in-depth interviews with women living with HIV across 6 Women's Interagency HIV Study sites (10 per site; 9 at Washington DC). We interviewed women who were not included in LAI ART clinical trials but who receive care at university settings that will administer LAI ART once it is approved. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic content analysis. RESULTS: Most women enthusiastically endorsed monthly LAI ART and would prefer it over pills. The following 3 reasons emerged for this preference: (1) convenience and confidentiality, (2) avoiding daily reminders about living with HIV, and (3) believing that shots are more effective than pills. Challenges remain, however, specifically around (1) medical mistrust, (2) concerns about safety and effectiveness, (3) pill burden for HIV and other conditions, and (4) barriers to additional medical visits. CONCLUSIONS: Most women preferred LAI ART over daily pills given its benefits, including convenience, privacy, and perceived effectiveness. Future research should incorporate more women into LAI ART trials to better understand and align development with user concerns and preferences to enhance uptake

Poverty, Deprivation, and Mortality Risk among Women with HIV in the United States

Background: Prior studies suggest neighborhood poverty and deprivation are associated with adverse health outcomes including death, but evidence is limited among persons with HIV, particularly women. We estimated changes in mortality risk from improvement in three measures of area-level socioeconomic context among participants of the Women's Interagency HIV Study. Methods: Starting in October 2013, we linked geocoded residential census block groups to the 2015 Area Deprivation Index (ADI) and two 2012-2016 American Community Survey poverty variables, categorized into national tertiles. We used parametric g-computation to estimate, through March 2018, impacts on mortality of improving each income or poverty measure by one and two tertiles maximum versus no improvement. Results: Of 1596 women with HIV (median age 49), 91 (5.7%) were lost to follow-up and 83 (5.2%) died. Most women (62%) lived in a block group in the tertile with the highest proportions of individuals with income:poverty <1; 13% lived in areas in the tertile with the lowest proportions. Mortality risk differences comparing a one-tertile improvement (for those in the two highest poverty tertiles) in income:poverty <1 versus no improvement increased over time; the risk difference was -2.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] = -3.7, -0.64) at 4 years. Estimates from family income below poverty level (-1.0%; 95% CI = -2.7, 0.62) and ADI (-1.5%; 95% CI = -2.8, -0.21) exposures were similar. Conclusions: Consistent results from three distinct measures of area-level socioeconomic environment support the hypothesis that interventions to ameliorate neighborhood poverty or deprivation reduce mortality risk for US women with HIV. See video abstract at, http://links.lww.com/EDE/B863

The Relationship Between Discrimination and Missed HIV Care Appointments Among Women Living with HIV

Receiving regular HIV care is crucial for maintaining good health among persons with HIV. However, racial and gender disparities in HIV care receipt exist. Discrimination and its impact may vary by race/ethnicity and gender, contributing to disparities. Data from 1578 women in the Women’s Interagency HIV Study ascertained from 10/1/2012 to 9/30/2016 were used to: (1) estimate the relationship between discrimination and missing any scheduled HIV care appointments and (2) assess whether this relationship is effect measure modified by race/ethnicity. Self-reported measures captured discrimination and the primary outcome of missing any HIV care appointments in the last 6 months. Log-binomial models accounting for measured sources of confounding and selection bias were fit. For the primary outcome analyses, women experiencing discrimination typically had a higher prevalence of missing an HIV care appointment. Moreover, there was no statistically significant evidence for effect measure modification by race/ethnicity. Interventions to minimize discrimination or its impact may improve HIV care engagement among women

Neighborhood Poverty and Control of HIV, Hypertension, and Diabetes in the Women’s Interagency HIV Study

Neighborhoods with high poverty rates have limited resources to support residents’ health. Using census data, we calculated the proportion of each Women’s Interagency HIV Study participant’s census tract (neighborhood) living below the poverty line. We assessed associations between neighborhood poverty and (1) unsuppressed viral load [VL] in HIV-seropositive women, (2) uncontrolled blood pressure among HIV-seropositive and HIV-seronegative hypertensive women, and (3) uncontrolled diabetes among HIV-seropositive and HIV-seronegative diabetic women using modified Poisson regression models. Neighborhood poverty was associated with unsuppressed VL in HIV-seropositive women (> 40% versus ≤ 20% poverty adjusted prevalence ratio (PR), 1.42; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04–1.92). In HIV-seronegative diabetic women, moderate neighborhood poverty was associated with uncontrolled diabetes (20–40% versus ≤ 20% poverty adjusted PR, 1.75; 95% CI 1.02–2.98). Neighborhood poverty was associated with neither uncontrolled diabetes among HIV-seropositive diabetic women, nor uncontrolled hypertension in hypertensive women, regardless of HIV status. Women living in areas with concentrated poverty may need additional resources to control health conditions effectively

Food insecurity is associated with lower levels of antiretroviral drug concentrations in hair among a cohort of women living with human immunodeficiency virus in the United States

Background. Food insecurity is a well-established determinant of suboptimal, self-reported antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence, but few studies have investigated this association using objective adherence measures. We examined the association of food insecurity with levels of ART concentrations in hair among women living with human immunodeficiency virus (WLHIV) in the United States. Methods. We analyzed longitudinal data collected semiannually from 2013 through 2015 from the Women's Interagency HIV Study, a multisite, prospective, cohort study of WLHIV and controls not living with HIV. Our sample comprised 1944 person-visits from 677 WLHIV. Food insecurity was measured using the US Household Food Security Survey Module. ART concentrations in hair, an objective and validated measure of drug adherence and exposure, were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry detection for regimens that included darunavir, atazanavir, raltegravir, or dolutegravir. We conducted multiple 3-level linear regressions that accounted for repeated measures and the ART medication(s) taken at each visit, adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Results. At baseline, 67% of participants were virally suppressed and 35% reported food insecurity. In the base multivariable model, each 3-point increase in food insecurity was associated with 0.94-fold lower ART concentration in hair (95% confidence interval, 0.89 to 0.99). This effect remained unchanged after adjusting for self-reported adherence. Conclusions. Food insecurity was associated with lower ART concentrations in hair, suggesting that food insecurity may be associated with suboptimal ART adherence and/or drug absorption. Interventions seeking to improve ART adherence among WLHIV should consider and address the role of food insecurity

Long-Acting Injectable ART and PrEP Among Women in Six Cities Across the United States: A Qualitative Analysis of Who Would Benefit the Most

Long-acting injectable (LAI) modalities have been developed for ART and PrEP. Women face unique barriers to LAI use yet little research has examined women’s perceptions of potential LAI HIV therapy candidates. We conducted 89 in-depth interviews at six Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) sites with women living with HIV (n = 59) and HIV-negative women (n = 30) from 2017 to 2018. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic content analysis. Participants identified specific sub-populations who could most benefit from LAI over daily pills: (1) young people; (2) women with childcare responsibilities; (3) people with adherence-related psychological distress; (4) individuals with multiple sex partners; and (5) people facing structural insecurities such as homelessness. Women are underserved by current HIV care options and their perspectives are imperative to ensure a successful scale-up of LAI PrEP and LAI ART that prioritizes equitable access and benefit for all individuals