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Salekešin M, Vorobjov S, Des Jarlais D, Uusküla A. Mortality among people who inject drugs - the interwoven roles of fentanyl and HIV: a community-based cohort study. Eur J Public Health 2024; 34:329-334. [PMID: 38041408 PMCID: PMC10990538 DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckad204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Excess all-cause mortality is a key indicator for assessing direct and indirect consequences of injection drug use and data are warranted to delineate sub-populations within people who inject drugs at higher risk of death. Our aim was to examine mortality and factors associated with mortality among people who inject drugs in Estonia. METHODS Retrospective cohort study using data from people who inject drugs recruited in the community with linkage to death records. Standardized mortality ratios were used to compare the cohort mortality to the general population and potential predictors of death were examined through survival analysis (Cox regression). The cohort include a total of 1399 people who inject drugs recruited for cross-sectional surveys using respondent driven sampling between 2013 and 2018 in Estonia. A cohort with follow-up through 2019 was formed with linkage to national causes of death registry. RESULTS Among 1399 participants with 4684 person-years of follow-up, 10% were deceased by 2019. The all-cause mortality rate in the cohort was 28.9 per 1000 person-years (95% confidence interval 25.3-35.3). Being HIV positive, injecting mainly opioids (fentanyl), living in the capital region and the main source of income other than work were associated with greater mortality risk. CONCLUSIONS While low-threshold services have been available for a long time for people who inject drugs, there is still a need to widen the availability and integration of services, particularly the integration of HIV and opioid treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maris Salekešin
- Department of Risk Behavior Studies, National Institute for Health Development, Tallinn, Estonia
- Institute of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Sigrid Vorobjov
- Department of Risk Behavior Studies, National Institute for Health Development, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Don Des Jarlais
- School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, USA
| | - Anneli Uusküla
- Institute of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
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Predicting Areas with High Concentration of the Long-Term Uninsured and Their Association with Emergency Department Usage by Uninsured Patients in South Carolina. Healthcare (Basel) 2022; 10:healthcare10050771. [PMID: 35627907 PMCID: PMC9142117 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10050771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: To predict areas with a high concentration of long-term uninsured (LTU) and Emergency Department (ED) usage by uninsured patients in South Carolina. Methods: American Community Survey data was used to predict the concentration of LTU at the ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) level. In a multivariate regression model, the LTU concentration was then modeled to predict ED visits by uninsured patients. ED data came from the restricted South Carolina Patient Encounter data with patients’ billing zip codes. A simulation was conducted to predict changes in the ED visit numbers and rates by uninsured patients if the LTU concentration was reduced to a lower level. Results: Overall, there was a positive relationship between ED visit rates by the uninsured patients and areas with higher concentrations of LTU. Our simulation model predicted that if the LTU concentration for each ZCTA was reduced to the lowest quintile, the ED visit rates by the uninsured would decrease significantly. The greatest reduction in the number of ED visits by the uninsured over a two-year period was for the following primary diagnoses: abdominal pain (15,751 visits), cellulitis and abscess (11,260 visits) and diseases for the teeth and supporting structures (10,525 visits). Conclusions: The provision of primary healthcare services to the LTU could help cut back inappropriate uses of ED resources and healthcare costs.
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Edmonds A, Breskin A, Cole SR, Westreich D, Ramirez C, Cocohoba J, Wingood G, Cohen MH, Golub ET, Kassaye SG, Metsch LR, Sharma A, Konkle-Parker D, Wilson TE, Adimora AA. Poverty, Deprivation, and Mortality Risk Among Women With HIV in the United States. Epidemiology 2021; 32:877-885. [PMID: 34347686 PMCID: PMC8478815 DOI: 10.1097/ede.0000000000001409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Edmonds
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Alexander Breskin
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
- NoviSci Inc., Durham, NC
| | - Stephen R. Cole
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Daniel Westreich
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Catalina Ramirez
- Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Jennifer Cocohoba
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Gina Wingood
- Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Mardge H. Cohen
- Department of Medicine, Stroger Hospital, Cook County Bureau of Health Services, Chicago, IL
| | - Elizabeth T. Golub
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Seble G. Kassaye
- Department of Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC
| | - Lisa R. Metsch
- Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Anjali Sharma
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
| | | | - Tracey E. Wilson
- Department of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY
| | - Adaora A. Adimora
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
- Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
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Sherbuk JE, Petros de Guex K, Anazco Villarreal D, Knight S, McManus KA, Flickinger T, Dillingham R. Beyond Interpretation: The Unmet Need for Linguistically and Culturally Competent Care for Latinx People Living with HIV in a Southern Region with a Low Density of Spanish Speakers. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 2020; 36:933-941. [PMID: 32772713 DOI: 10.1089/aid.2020.0088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Latinx people living with HIV (PLWH) experience disparities in health outcomes and face unique barriers to care related to language, intersectional stigma, and immigration status. We aimed to explore the lived experience of Spanish-speaking Latinx PLWH in the nonurban South to better understand how to improve care for this minority language population. We conducted semistructured interviews with 22 participants (10 men, 10 women, 2 transgender women) who were recruited from a Ryan White HIV/AIDS program (RWHAP) and a community-based organization. Almost all participants were foreign born. Emerging themes included language barriers, cultural differences, inadequate interpreter services, HIV-related and intersectional stigma, isolation, and relationships as a source of support. These barriers may contribute to disparities in outcomes for Latinx PLWH. New interventions are needed to overcome barriers, foster community, and ensure culturally tailored models of care. Potential clinic-level interventions include the development of specialized training for RWHAP interpreters and inclusion of interpreters in care teams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline E. Sherbuk
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Kristen Petros de Guex
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Diego Anazco Villarreal
- Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Sarah Knight
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Kathleen A. McManus
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Tabor Flickinger
- Division of General, Geriatric, Palliative, and Hospital Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Rebecca Dillingham
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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West BS, Abramovitz DA, Gonzalez-Zuniga P, Rangel G, Werb D, Cepeda J, Beletsky L, Strathdee SA. Drugs, discipline and death: Causes and predictors of mortality among people who inject drugs in Tijuana, 2011-2018. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2020; 75:102601. [PMID: 31775080 PMCID: PMC6957706 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND People who inject drugs (PWID) experience multiple risk factors for mortality; yet, we know little about causes of death among PWID in Tijuana, Mexico, an area with high levels of injecting and changes in policy/law enforcement responses to substance use. This study examines rates, causes, and predictors of mortality among Tijuana PWID. METHODS Data come from a community-based cohort of PWID aged ≥18 who injected drugs in the past month. Mortality was confirmed by death certificate over 78 months during 2011-2018. Predictors of mortality were identified using time-updated Cox regression, controlling for age. RESULTS Among 734 participants, there were 130 deaths (54 confirmed, 76 unconfirmed), with an incidence rate of 17.74 deaths per 1000 person-years for confirmed deaths (95% Confidence Interval (CI)=13.01, 22.48) and 39.52 for unconfirmed deaths (CI=32.72, 46.31). Confirmed deaths resulted from homicide/trauma (26%), overdose (26%), septic shock (18%) and HIV-related causes (9%). In multivariable analysis of confirmed deaths, baseline HIV seropositivity (adjusted Hazard Ratio [aHR]=6.77, CI=1.98, 23.17), incident HIV infection (aHR=3.19, CI=1.02, 9.96), and number of times being beaten by police in the past 6 months at baseline (aHR=1.08 per time, CI=1.04, 1.12) were predictive of death; whereas, injection cessation for 6+ months during time at risk (aHR=0.25, CI=0.33, 0.79) was protective. CONCLUSION In addition to overdose and HIV prevention efforts, attention to structural conditions that potentiate mortality is needed, including improved access to medication-assisted treatment to support injection cessation and a shift from police as a source of harm to harm reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke S West
- School of Social Work, Columbia University, 1255 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, United States; Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health in the Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States.
| | - Daniela A Abramovitz
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health in the Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Patricia Gonzalez-Zuniga
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health in the Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | | | - Dan Werb
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health in the Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Javier Cepeda
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health in the Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Leo Beletsky
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health in the Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States; Northeastern University School of Law and Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Steffanie A Strathdee
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health in the Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
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Chen YN, Coker D, Kramer MR, Johnson BA, Wall KM, Ordóñez CE, McDaniel D, Edwards A, Hare AQ, Sunpath H, Marconi VC. The Impacts of Residential Location on the Risk of HIV Virologic Failure Among ART Users in Durban, South Africa. AIDS Behav 2019; 23:2558-2575. [PMID: 31049812 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-019-02523-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Using a case-control study of patients receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART) in 2010-2012 at McCord Hospital in Durban, South Africa, we sought to understand how residential locations impact patients' risk of virologic failure (VF). Using generalized estimating equations to fit logistic regression models, we estimated the associations of VF with socioeconomic status (SES) and geographic access to care. We then determined whether neighborhood-level poverty modifies the association between individual-level SES and VF. Automobile ownership for men and having non-spouse family members pay medical care for women remained independently associated with increased odds of VF for patients dwelling in moderately and severely poor neighborhoods. Closer geographic proximity to medical care was positively associated with VF among men, while higher neighborhood-level poverty was positively associated with VF among women. The programmatic implications of our findings include developing ART adherence interventions that address the role of gender in both the socioeconomic and geographical contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-No Chen
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Daniella Coker
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Michael R Kramer
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Brent A Johnson
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Kristin M Wall
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Claudia E Ordóñez
- Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Darius McDaniel
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Alex Edwards
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Anna Q Hare
- Department of Dermatology, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Henry Sunpath
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Nelson Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Vincent C Marconi
- Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Watson L, Gant Z, Hu X, Johnson AS. Exploring Social Determinants of Health as Predictors of Mortality During 2012-2016, Among Black Women with Diagnosed HIV Infection Attributed to Heterosexual Contact, United States. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2019; 6:892-899. [PMID: 30980295 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-019-00589-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Revised: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 2016, black women with HIV infection attributed to heterosexual contact accounted for 47% of all women living with diagnosed HIV, and 41% of deaths that occurred among women with diagnosed HIV in the USA that year. Social determinants of health have been found to be associated with mortality risk among people with HIV. We analyzed the role social determinants of health may have on risk of mortality among black women with HIV attributed to heterosexual contact. METHODS Data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's National HIV Surveillance System were merged at the county level with three social determinants of health (SDH) variables from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey for black women aged ≥ 18 years with HIV infection attributed to heterosexual contact that had been diagnosed by 2011. SDH variables were categorized into four empirically derived quartiles, with the highest quartile in each category serving as the reference variable. For black women whose deaths occurred during 2012-2016, mortality rate ratios (MRR) were calculated using age-stratified multivariate logistic regressions to evaluate associations between SDH variables and all-cause mortality risk. RESULTS Risk of mortality was lower for black women aged 18-34 years and 35-54 years who lived in counties with the lowest quartile of poverty (adjusted mortality rate ratio aMRR = 0.56, 95% confidence interval CI [0.39-0.83], and aMRR = 0.67, 95% CI [0.58-0.78], respectively) compared to those who lived in counties with the highest quartile of poverty (reference group). Compared to black women who lived in counties with the highest quartile of health insurance coverage (reference group), the mortality risk was lower for black women aged 18-34 years and black women aged 35-54 who lived in counties with the lowest 2 quartiles of health insurance coverage. Unemployment status was not associated with mortality risk. CONCLUSIONS This ecological analysis found poverty and lack of health insurance to be predictors of mortality, suggesting a need for increased prevention, care, and policy efforts targeting black women with HIV who live in environments characterized by increased poverty and lack of health insurance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lakeshia Watson
- University of Maryland College Park, School of Public Health, 4200 Valley Drive, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
| | - Zanetta Gant
- Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd., Mailstop E-47, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Xiaohong Hu
- Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd., Mailstop E-47, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Anna Satcher Johnson
- Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd., Mailstop E-47, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
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Paquette CE, Pollini RA. Injection drug use, HIV/HCV, and related services in nonurban areas of the United States: A systematic review. Drug Alcohol Depend 2018; 188:239-250. [PMID: 29787966 PMCID: PMC5999584 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.03.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Revised: 03/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Injection drug use (IDU) in nonurban areas of the United States is a growing public health concern, but there has been no comprehensive assessment of existing research on injection-related HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) in nonurban communities. We conducted a systematic review to assess the current literature and identify knowledge gaps. METHODS We systematically searched six databases for relevant articles published between January 1990 and June 2016 and screened, extracted, and analyzed the resulting data. Studies were included if they reported original findings from the nonurban U.S. related to 1) IDU and its role in HIV/HCV transmission, and/or 2) HIV/HCV services for people who inject drugs (PWID). RESULTS Of 2330 studies, 34 from 24 unique research projects in 17 states met inclusion criteria. Despite increasing HCV and high vulnerability to injection-related HIV outbreaks in nonurban areas, only three studies since 2010 recruited and tested PWID for HIV/HCV. Twelve reported on sharing injection equipment but used varying definitions of sharing, and only eight examined correlates of injection risk. Nine studies on syringe access suggest limited access through syringe exchange programs and pharmacies. Only two studies addressed HCV testing, none addressed HIV testing, and three examined behavioral or other interventions. CONCLUSIONS Despite growing concern regarding nonurban IDU there are few studies of HIV/HCV and related services for PWID, and the existing literature covers a very limited geographical area. Current research provides minimal insights into any unique factors that influence injection risk and HIV/HCV service provision and utilization among nonurban PWID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine E Paquette
- Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 11720 Beltsville Drive, Beltsville, MD, 20705, United States; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 235 E. Cameron Avenue, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, United States
| | - Robin A Pollini
- Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 11720 Beltsville Drive, Beltsville, MD, 20705, United States; Injury Control Research Center and Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, West Virginia University, 3606 Collins Ferry Road, Suite 201, Morgantown, WV, 26505, United States.
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Parashar S, Collins AB, Montaner JSG, Hogg RS, Milloy MJ. Reducing rates of preventable HIV/AIDS-associated mortality among people living with HIV who inject drugs. Curr Opin HIV AIDS 2016; 11:507-513. [PMID: 27254749 PMCID: PMC5055433 DOI: 10.1097/coh.0000000000000297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The modern antiretroviral therapy (ART) era has seen substantial reductions in mortality among people living with HIV. However, HIV-positive people who inject drugs (PWIDs) continue to experience high rates of suboptimal HIV-related outcomes. We review recent findings regarding factors contributing to premature and preventable mortality among HIV-positive PWID, and describe the promise of interventions to improve survival in this group. RECENT FINDINGS The current leading causes of death among HIV-positive PWID are HIV/AIDS-related causes, overdose, and liver-related causes, including infection with hepatitis C virus. Elevated mortality levels in this population are driven by social-structural barriers to ART access and adherence, particularly criminalization and stigmatization of drug use. In contexts where opioid substitution therapy and ART adherence support programs are widely accessible, evidence highlights comparable levels of survival among HIV-positive PWID and people living with HIV who do not inject drugs. SUMMARY The life-saving benefits of ART can be realized among HIV-positive PWID when it is paired with strategies that address barriers to evidence-based medical care. Joint administration of ART and opioid substitution therapy, as well as repeal of punitive laws that criminalize drug users, are urgently needed to reduce HIV and injection-related mortality among PWID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surita Parashar
- aBritish Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, VancouverbFaculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, BurnabycDepartment of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Black-White Latino Racial Disparities in HIV Survival, Florida, 2000-2011. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2015; 13:ijerph13010009. [PMID: 26703656 PMCID: PMC4730400 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph13010009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2015] [Revised: 09/20/2015] [Accepted: 09/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
This research aimed to estimate Black/White racial disparities in all-cause mortality risk among HIV-positive Latinos. Florida surveillance data for Latinos diagnosed with HIV (2000–2008) were merged with 2007–2011 American Community Survey data. Crude and adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) were calculated using multi-level Cox regression. Of 10,903 HIV-positive Latinos, 8.2% were Black and 91.9% White. Black Latinos were at increased mortality risk compared with White Latinos after controlling for individual and neighborhood factors (aHR 1.40, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.21–1.62). In stratified analyses, risk factors for Black Latinos included: age ≥60 years compared with ages 13–19 (aHR 4.63, 95% CI 1.32–16.13); US birth compared with foreign birth (aHR 1.56, 95% CI 1.16–2.11); diagnosis of AIDS within three months of HIV diagnosis (aHR 3.53, 95% CI 2.64–4.74); residence in the 3rd (aHR 1.82, 95% CI 1.13–2.94) and 4th highest quartiles (aHR 1.79, 95% CI 1.12–2.86) of neighborhood poverty compared with the lowest quartile; and residence in neighborhood with 25%–49% (aHR 1.59, 95% CI 1.07–2.42) and ≥50% Latinos compared with <25% Latinos (aHR 1.58, 95% CI 1.03–2.42). Significant racial disparities in HIV survival exist among Latinos. Differential access to—and quality of—care and perceived/experienced racial discrimination may be possible explanations.
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