Insufficient vaccine coverage and vaccine hesitancy in people living with HIV: A prospective study in outpatient clinics in the Paris region.

Vaccine prevention strategies play a crucial role in the management of people living with HIV (PLWH). The aim of this study was to assess vaccination coverage and identify barriers to vaccine uptake in PLWH in the Paris region. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in PLWH in 16 hospitals in the Paris region. The vaccination status, characteristics, opinions, and behaviors of participants were collected using a face-to-face questionnaire and from medical records. A total of 338 PLWH were included (response rate 99.7 %). The median age of participants was 51 years (IQR: 41-58). Vaccination coverage was 77.3 % for hepatitis B (95 % CI: 72.3-81.8 %), 62.7 % for hepatitis A (57.3-67.9 %), 61.2 % for pneumococcal vaccines (55.8-66.5 %), 56.5 % for diphtheria/tetanus/poliomyelitis (DTP) (51.0-61.9 %), 44.7 % for seasonal influenza (39.3-50.1 %), 31.4 % for measles/mumps/rubella (26.4-36.6 %) and 38.5 % for meningococcal vaccine (13.9-68.4 %). The main reason for vaccine reluctance was related to the lack of vaccination proposals/reminders. The overall willingness to get vaccinated was 71.0 % (65.9-75.8 %). In the multivariable analysis, several factors were associated with a higher vaccine uptake; for DTP vaccine: higher education level, having vaccination records, being registered with a general practitioner; for seasonal influenza vaccine: age > 60 years, higher education level, being employed. The overall vaccination coverage was suboptimal. Development of strategies reducing missed opportunity to offer vaccines is needed.

Injectable long acting antiretroviral for HIV treatment and prevention: perspectives of potential users.

BACKGROUND: The use of long acting injectable (LAA) antiretroviral drugs may be an alternative option for HIV treatment and prevention. Our study focused on patient perspectives to understand which individuals, among people with HIV (PWH) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) users, would constitute the preferential target for such treatments in terms of expectations, tolerability, adherence and quality of life. METHODS: The study consisted in one self-administrated questionnaire. Data collected included lifestyle issues, medical history, perceived benefits and inconveniences of LAA. Groups were compared using Wilcoxon rank tests or Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: In 2018, 100 PWH and 100 PrEP users were enrolled. Overall, 74% of PWH and 89% of PrEP users expressed interest for LAA with a significantly higher rate for PrEP users (p = 0.001). No characteristics were associated with acceptance of LAA in both groups in term of demographics, lifestyle or comorbidities. CONCLUSION: PWH and PrEP users expressed a high level of interest in LAA, since a large majority seems to be in favor of this new approach. Further studies should be conducted to better characterize targeted individuals.

Diagnosis, risk factors and management of diabetes mellitus in HIV-infected persons in France: A real-life setting study.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major and increasing public health problem that may be underdiagnosed and undertreated among persons living with HIV (PLWH). OBJECTIVE: To describe the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of DM among PLWH. METHODS: This study was performed inside a monocentric cohort of 1494 PLWH. DM was defined as having a FG ≥126 mg/dL twice or a HbA1c ≥6.5%, or a history of diabetes, or receiving antidiabetic treatment. The first visit mentioning a diagnosis of DM was considered as the baseline visit. Chi-Square or Fisher exact test were used to examine the association between categorical variables and DM, Wilcoxon or Student t-test were used for continuous variables. RESULTS: 156 PLWH with DM were included. Compared to non-diabetic participants, they were more likely to be native of Sub Saharan Africa (31.6% vs. 22.4%, p = 0.027) and older (54.6 vs. 49.9 years, p<0.001), to have a higher BMI (> 25 for 46.1% vs. 35.3%, p = 0.020) and a poorer control of HIV (HIV RNA<50 copies/mL: 80.1% vs. 89.5%, p<0.001). The diagnosis of DM was missed in 37.8% of PLWH, and 47.2% of PLWH treated for DM did not reach a HbA1c<7%. PLWH with DM were more frequently on antihypertensive and/or lipid-lowering medications: 94.2% had a LDL-cholesterol <70 mg/dL and 60.9% had a blood pressure <140/90 mmHg. CONCLUSION: In a setting of HIV-control, HIV care providers should focus on metabolic issues. The management of DM and associated risk factors is mandatory to prevent cardiovascular disease in PLWH.

Perspectives of injectable long acting antiretroviral therapies for HIV treatment or prevention: understanding potential users' ambivalences.

Recent clinical trial data showed that injectable long-acting antiretroviral treatment (LA-ART) every four or eight weeks could become an alternative option for HIV treatment or prevention. The purpose of our study was to explore perceptions and potential users' points of views of this new mode of administration through individuals' therapeutic itinerary and their singular history with ART. Between 2018 and 2019, a qualitative study was conducted in two University Hospitals in Paris, France. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 virologically controlled People Living with HIV (PLWH) and 13 men on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for at least six months. Interviews, focused on the daily experience with ART, were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic content analysis. Collected discourses were organized around three emergent concerns: social, material and experimental. Each of these concerns was perceived as ambivalent, balanced by skepticism and hope. It revealed the complexity of each individual's relationship to their HIV treatment or PrEP, leading to balance the injectable LA-ART popularity reported within clinical trials. This new mode of administration may be a suitable alternative for some PLWH and PrEP users, a "simplification" compared to the oral route. It opens a window for "customizable" ART-treatment according to individuals' lives.