HIV and antiretroviral treatment knowledge gaps and psychosocial burden among persons living with HIV in Lima, Peru

Tuberculosis Knowledge among Persons Living with HIV Attending a Tertiary Hospital in Lima, Peru

Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death among people living with HIV (PLWH). Limited TB knowledge has been associated with delayed TB diagnosis and low adherence to TB treatment. A cross-sectional study was conducted among PLWH at the largest HIV-referral center in Lima, Peru, to describe TB knowledge among PLWH and potential associated sociodemographic factors. Participants answered a self-administered survey on TB knowledge, which consisted of five questions about TB cure, transmission, treatment, symptoms, and prevention. Of 179 PLWH enrolled, most participants did not know that isoniazid (85%) and antiretrovirals (78%) are preventive measures for TB, and 56 (31.3%) knew that TB can be asymptomatic in PLWH. We did not find statistical differences in TB knowledge based on gender, education, marital status, and time on HIV care. We identified important gaps in TB knowledge among PLWH. Addressing these gaps could empower PLWH to reduce their TB risk.

High Psychosocial Burden Relates to Poorer Antiretroviral Treatment Adherence Among Black/African American People with HIV

Black/African American communities continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV with Black people with HIV (PWH) exhibiting poorer outcomes along the HIV treatment cascade. Psychosocial burden may, in part, explain these health disparities among PWH. We implemented a culturally adapted intervention [individualized Texting for Adherence Building (iTAB)] to improve ART adherence among 89 Black PWH in San Diego, CA. We aimed to (1) characterize psychosocial risk factors (depression, negative life events, discrimination, medical mistrust) hypothesized to be barriers to HIV outcomes among Black PWH and (2) determine if these factors influence intervention engagement, HIV outcomes, and self-reported physical and mental health. We identified three levels of psychosocial burden (low, moderate, high) through hierarchical cluster analysis. Participants in the high burden cluster (n = 25) experienced the highest levels of depression, negative life events, and discrimination, in addition to the poorest intervention outcomes, HIV outcomes, and physical and mental health compared to low and moderate burden clusters. Participants in the low (n = 29) burden cluster had less medical mistrust than the moderate (n = 34) and high burden clusters, but low and moderate clusters did not differ on any outcomes. Overall, self-reported ART adherence was 83%, which is above estimates of ART adherence in the Western region of the United States. The iTAB intervention shows promise in improving HIV-related outcomes among Black PWH with low to moderate psychosocial burden; however, additional supports may need to be identified for those with high psychosocial burden.

HIV and Substance Use in Latin America: A Scoping Review

This scoping review aims to explore the interplay between substance use (SU) and HIV in Latin America (LA). Database searches yielded 3481 references; 196 were included. HIV prevalence among people who used substances (PWUS) ranged from 2.8–15.2%. SU definitions were variable throughout studies, and thus data were not easily comparable. In 2019, only 2% of new HIV infections were attributed to injection drug use (IDU) in LA. Factors associated with HIV among PWUS included being female, IDU and homelessness, and PWUS were likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors, start antiretroviral treatment late, have poor adherence, have treatment failure, be lost to follow-up, have comorbidities, and experience higher mortality rates and lower quality of life, as has been reported in PLWH with SU in other regions. Five intervention studies were identified, and only one was effective at reducing HIV incidence in PWUS. Interventions in other regions have varying success depending on context-specific characteristics, highlighting the need to conduct more research in the LA region. Though progress has been made in establishing SU as a major concern in people living with HIV (PLWH), much more is yet to be done to reduce the burden of HIV and SU in LA.