Bamford, Laura

Background: HIV outcomes in people with HIV (PWH) are suboptimal and inequitably distributed in the United States. Long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy (LAI-ART) has potential to make important contributions to improving HIV outcomes and quality of life for PWH. Methods: The SELIGO Study used a 1-time, 20-minute survey of 801 PWH from the Center for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems cohort in 3 US cities (Boston, MA; Chapel Hill, NC; San Diego, CA) that included 54 items. Using multinomial and binary logistic regression, we assessed factors associated with LAI-ART versus daily oral ART preferences. Results: Most participants were cisgender men (82.3%); 57.0% identified as racial and/or ethnic minorities; mean years of age, 52.2; mean years living with HIV, 18.1; 2.8% were using LAI-ART. Compared with daily oral ART, 56.9% preferred LAI-ART administered monthly, and 68.0% preferred LAI-ART administered every 2 months. Factors associated with greater odds of LAI-ART preference included medication/contraception injection experience, pill burden, no medication other than ART, 4 or more clinic visits per year, detectable viral load, reporting a higher number of HIV treatment considerations, and identifying as Black. Factors associated with decreased odds of LAI-ART preference included older age, identifying as neither gay nor straight, living > 1 hour from the clinic, and considerable/extreme needle fear. Conclusions: Findings demonstrate that although there is considerable interest in LAI-ART, HIV treatment modality preferences are multifaceted. Shared decision making can ensure that conversations about ART options consistently address specific factors across diverse groups to facilitate equitable LAI-ART uptake.

Background: Housing instability and HIV are both associated with early onset of aging-related health conditions, including frailty. However, little is known about the relationship between housing and frailty among people with HIV. Methods: We analyzed data on adults in HIV care collected during routine clinical visits at 6 sites within the US Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems (CNICS) between 2019 and 2024. We measured frailty using a previously validated approach, defined as having at least three of four components (fatigue, weight loss, immobility, inactivity) vs. less than three components. Housing status was based on self-perceived living situation in the past month (“Stable,” “Unstable,” “Homeless,” or “Don’t know”). We estimated the association between most recent housing status and frailty with prevalence ratios from relative risk regression adjusted for sociobehavioral and clinical characteristics. Results: Among 6961 people with HIV (84% men, 16% women) with a median age of 52 years (IQR: 40–60), 11% ( n = 760) were frail and 9% ( n = 625) were unstably housed (5% unstable, 3% homeless, 1% do not know). Compared to individuals with stable housing, the prevalence of frailty more than doubled among those experiencing unstable housing [prevalence ratio = 2.41, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.95–2.97] or homelessness (prevalence ratio = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.56–2.69). Stratified analyses indicated stronger associations among younger vs. older individuals and among those virally suppressed vs. unsuppressed. Conclusion: Housing instability and frailty were both prevalent and strongly associated among adults in HIV care, including within younger and virally suppressed subgroups. These findings highlight the importance of social determinants of health for clinical outcomes among all people with HIV.