Self-medication of pain and discomfort with alcohol and other substances by people with HIV infection and substance use disorder: preliminary findings from a secondary analysis.
AIDS Care
; 36(3): 414-424, 2024 Mar.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37909062
ABSTRACT
There is a limited literature regarding factors associated with self-medication of pain and discomfort using alcohol, non-prescription substances or overuse of prescription medications among people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). This cross-sectional analysis used data from the Boston ARCH Cohort among participants with HIV infection and a history of alcohol or other substance use. Among 248 participants, 37% were female, 50% Black, 25% Latinx; 36% reported fair to poor health and 89% had CD4 cell counts >200/mm3. Half reported self-medication and of those, 8.8% reported doing so only with alcohol, 48.8% only with other substances and 42.4% with both alcohol and other substances. Those reporting self-medication were significantly (p < .05) younger (mean 47 vs 50 years), less employed (11% vs 21%), and less likely to have HIV viral suppression (60% vs. 80%). Depression, anxiety, and HIV symptoms were associated with significantly greater odds of self-medicating, as were substance dependence, recent injection substance use, heavy alcohol use, cocaine use, opioid use, sedative use, and cannabis use. Self-medication, highly prevalent and associated with worse mental health symptoms, greater substance use, and lesser HIV disease control, should be explored by HIV clinicians caring for people who use substances.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
HIV Infections
/
Substance-Related Disorders
/
Opioid-Related Disorders
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
En
Journal:
AIDS Care
Journal subject:
SINDROME DA IMUNODEFICIENCIA ADQUIRIDA (AIDS)
Year:
2024
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United States