Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation Is Not Associated With Risky Sexual Behavior Among Heterosexual Human Immunodeficiency Virus–Infected Persons in Serodiscordant Partnerships. Issue 1 (January 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mujugira, Andrew; Celum, Connie; Ngure, Kenneth; Thomas, Katherine K.; Katabira, Elly; Baeten, Jared M.
• Is Part Of: Sexually transmitted diseases. Volume 44:Issue 1(2017)
• Publication Date: 2017-01
• Subjects: Sexually transmitted diseases -- Periodicals; Sexual health -- Periodicals; 616.951005
• DOI: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000000534
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0148-5717

Abstract

Abstract : Background: Few prospective studies have assessed whether antiretroviral therapy (ART) use is associated with changes in sexual risk behavior of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–infected persons in known HIV-serodiscordant partnerships. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal analysis of HIV-infected persons with known uninfected partners enrolled in the Partners Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Study in Kenya and Uganda. Antiretroviral therapy use and self-reported sexual behavior were ascertained every 3 months. We assessed the effect of ART on sexual risk behaviors using zero-inflated negative binomial regression. Primary outcomes were condomless vaginal sex acts, pregnancy incidence and new sexually transmitted infection diagnoses. Results: We followed 1817 HIV-infected persons (58% women) for 864 person-years before ART initiation and 771 person-years after ART. Median CD4 and plasma viral load at ART initiation were 277 cells/μL and 4.18 log10 copies/mL. Antiretroviral therapy use was associated with a significant decrease in condomless vaginal sex acts with HIV-uninfected partners (0.65 vs 0.39 per month; rate ratio, 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.55–0.75; P < 0.001), but not condomless vaginal sex acts with nonprimary partners (1.30 vs 1.04 per month; rate ratio, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.94–1.20; P = 0.62). Pregnancy incidence was lower after ART (13.2 vs 8.4 per 100 person-years; HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.60–0.84; P < 0.001). Incident sexually transmitted infection diagnoses were similar (odds ratio, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.86–1.29; P = 0.63). Conclusions: Substantial risk compensation did not occur after ART initiation among East African HIV-infected persons with known HIV-uninfected partners. These data inform modelling studies of ART for HIV prevention by suggesting that risky sexual behavior did not appear to offset decreased HIV infectiousness in this key population. Abstract : A large prospective study of East African heterosexual human immunodeficiency virus–infected persons with known uninfected partners found that substantial risk compensation did not occur after antiretroviral therapy initiation.