Faculty Collaboration Database

Partnership status and time to viral suppression and sustained viral suppression among newly diagnosed heterosexual people with HIV. Int J STD AIDS 2022 Mar;33(4):347-354

Date

01/28/2022

Pubmed ID

35085052

Pubmed Central ID

PMC9364114

DOI

10.1177/09564624211065227

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85124105567 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   1 Citation

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Previous studies examining the role of partnership on HIV care outcomes have primarily focused on the men who have sex with men population in the United States, leaving a gap in the literature on this phenomenon among the heterosexual persons with HIV (PWH). This study examined association between partnership around diagnosis (married, unmarried-partnered, and un-partnered) with time to viral suppression (TVS) and sustained viral suppression (SVS) in newly diagnosed heterosexual PWH from a HIV clinic in Birmingham, Alabama.

METHODS: TVS [time to first viral load (VL) <200 copies/ml] was measured using VLs from 12 months following diagnosis using Kaplan-Meier and proportional hazard model for interval censoring (n=153) to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). SVS was measured using VLs for 12 months after first VS using logistic regression model (n=137) to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs. Models were adjusted for confounding demographics and clinical characteristics.

RESULTS: The study population comprised of 77% Black, 57% male, and 46% aged 31-49 years; 24% were married, 35% unmarried-partnered, and 41% un-partnered. The median TVS (days) was 57 for married, 73 for unmarried-partnered, and 75 for un-partnered. Compared to un-partnered individuals, unmarried-partnered had similar, whereas married had 69% higher [HR (95% CI): 1.69 (1.02, 2.78)] hazard of TVS. Compared to un-partnered, unmarried-partnered and married individuals had similar odds of achieving SVS.

CONCLUSION: Married, newly diagnosed, heterosexual PWH had faster TVS than un-partnered individuals suggesting that intimate partners may help achieve HIV care goals.

Author List

Sohail M, Long DM, Batey DS, Mugavero MJ, Ojesina AI, Levitan EB

Author

Akinyemi Ojesina MD, PhD Assistant Professor in the Obstetrics and Gynecology department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Female
HIV Infections
Heterosexuality
Homosexuality, Male
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Sexual and Gender Minorities
Sustained Virologic Response
United States
Viral Load