Interest of Youth Living With HIV in Long-Acting Antiretrovirals. (1st February 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Weld, Ethel D.; Rana, Md Sohel; Dallas, Ronald H.; Camacho-Gonzalez, Andres F.; Ryscavage, Patrick; Gaur, Aditya H.; Chakraborty, Rana; Swindells, Susan; Flexner, Charles; Agwu, Allison L.
• Is Part Of: Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes. Volume 80:Number 2(2019)
• Publication Date: 2019-02-01
• Subjects: adolescent -- HIV -- treatment -- long-acting antiretroviral agents -- patient acceptance of health care -- HIV care continuum; AIDS (Disease) -- Periodicals; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome -- Periodicals; AIDS (Disease); Periodicals; 616.9792005
• DOI: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000001896
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1525-4135

Abstract

Abstract : Objectives: This study's primary objective was to characterize attitudes to long-acting antiretrovirals (LAARV), among youth aged 13–24 years living with perinatally acquired HIV and nonperinatally acquired HIV. Secondary objectives included: assessing whether those with detectable HIV RNA PCR viral load had higher enthusiasm for LAARV compared to those with suppressed viral load, and examining characteristics associated with LAARV enthusiasm. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 303 youth living with HIV (YHIV) followed at 4 pediatric/adolescent HIV clinics in the United States was performed to determine interest in LAARV, using a modified survey instrument previously used in adults. Interest in LAARV across groups was compared. Poisson regression with robust variance was used to determine the impact of various characteristics on interest in LAARV. Findings: Overall, 88% of YHIV reported probable or definite willingness to use LAARV. The enthusiasm level was similar between youth with perinatally acquired HIV and nonperinatally acquired HIV ( P = 0.93). Youth with HIV viral load >1000 copies per milliliter had significantly higher interest than youth with suppressed viral load [prevalence ratio 1.12 (95% confidence interval: 1.03 to 1.20); P = 0.005]. Female youth participants who had had past experience with implantable contraceptive methods had a significantly higher interest in LAARV (100% vs. 85.5%; P = 0.002). Proportion of respondents endorsing definite willingness to use was significantly higher with decreased injection frequency compared with increased injection frequency. Interpretation: YHIV at 4 urban US pediatric/adolescent HIV clinics had high levels of enthusiasm for LAARV. LAARV should be given high priority as a potentially viable treatment option to improve clinical outcomes in YHIV. Abstract : Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text.