Short-term binge drinking, marijuana, and recreational drug use trajectories in a prospective cohort of people living with HIV at the start of COVID-19 mitigation efforts in the United States.

BACKGROUND: At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, HIV experts suggested that an increase in mental health diagnoses and substance use among people living with HIV (PLHIV) may be an unintended consequence of COVID-19 mitigation efforts (e.g., limiting social contact). We evaluated short-term trajectories in binge drinking, marijuana, and recreational drug use in a prospective cohort of PLHIV. METHODS: Data (N = 2121 PLHIV) consist of survey responses on substance use behaviors from two pre-COVID-19 (October 2018-September 2019) and one COVID-19-era (April 2020-September 2020) timepoints within the MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study (MWCCS). We conducted group-based trajectory models, triangulated with generalized linear mixed models, to assess changes in binge drinking, daily marijuana use, and recreational drug use at the start of the pandemic. Controlling for age and race/ethnicity, we tested whether trajectories differed by sex and early-pandemic depressive symptoms, loneliness, and social support. RESULTS: Group-based trajectory models yielded two trajectory groups for binge drinking (none vs. any), marijuana (none/infrequent vs. daily), and recreational drug use (none vs. any). Binge drinking and recreational drug use decreased at the beginning of the pandemic. Generalized linear mixed model supported these trends. Consistent with prior research, male sex and having depressive symptoms early pandemic were positively associated with each substance use outcomes. Social support was inversely associated with recreational drug use. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to hypotheses, problematic substance use behaviors decreased from pre-pandemic to the post-pandemic follow-up in our sample of PLHIV. Ongoing surveillance is needed to assess whether this pattern persists as the pandemic continues.

Healthcare Empowerment and HIV Viral Control: Mediating Roles of Adherence and Retention in Care.

INTRODUCTION: This study assessed longitudinal relationships between patient healthcare empowerment, engagement in care, and viral control in the Women's Interagency HIV Study, a prospective cohort study of U.S. women living with HIV. METHODS: From April 2014 to March 2016, four consecutive 6-month visits were analyzed among 973 women to assess the impact of Time 1 healthcare empowerment variables (Tolerance for Uncertainty and the state of Informed Collaboration Committed Engagement) on Time 2 reports of ≥95% HIV medication adherence and not missing an HIV primary care appointment since last visit; and on HIV RNA viral control across Times 3 and 4, controlling for illicit drug use, heavy drinking, depression symptoms, age, and income. Data were analyzed in 2017. RESULTS: Adherence of ≥95% was reported by 83% of women, 90% reported not missing an appointment since the last study visit, and 80% were categorized as having viral control. Logistic regression analyses revealed a significant association between the Informed Collaboration Committed Engagement subscale and viral control, controlling for model covariates (AOR=1.08, p=0.04), but not for the Tolerance for Uncertainty subscale and viral control (AOR=0.99, p=0.68). In separate mediation analyses, the indirect effect of Informed Collaboration Committed Engagement on viral control through adherence (ß=0.04, SE=0.02, 95% CI=0.02, 0.08), and the indirect effect of Informed Collaboration Committed Engagement on viral control through retention (ß=0.01, SE=0.008, 95% CI=0.001, 0.030) were significant. Mediation analyses with Tolerance for Uncertainty as the predictor did not yield significant indirect effects. CONCLUSIONS: The Informed Collaboration Committed Engagement healthcare empowerment component is a promising pathway through which to promote engagement in care among women living with HIV.

Sexual minority women and depressive symptoms throughout adulthood.

OBJECTIVES: We examined the associations between depressive symptoms and sexual identity and behavior among women with or at risk for HIV. METHODS: We analyzed longitudinal data from 1811 participants in the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) from 1994 to 2013 in Brooklyn and the Bronx, New York; Chicago, Illinois; Washington, DC; and Los Angeles and San Francisco, California, by comparing depressive symptoms by baseline sexual identity and ongoing sexual behavior. We controlled for age, socioeconomic status, violence history, and substance use. RESULTS: In separate analyses, bisexual women and women who reported having sex with both men and women during follow-up had higher unadjusted odds of depressive symptoms compared with heterosexuals and women who reported only having male sexual partners (adjusted odd ratio [AOR] = 1.36; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.10, 1.69 and AOR = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.06, 1.37, respectively). Age was a significant effect modifier in multivariable analysis; sexual minority women had increased odds of depressive symptoms in early adulthood, but they did not have these odds at midlife. Odds of depressive symptoms were lower among some sexual minority women at older ages. CONCLUSIONS: Patterns of depressive symptoms over the life course of sexual minority women with or at risk for HIV might differ from heterosexual women and from patterns observed in the general aging population.

Sexual minority status and violence among HIV infected and at-risk women.

IMPORTANCE: Sexual minority women with and at-risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may face increased risks of violence. OBJECTIVE: To understand the relationship between sexual minority status and violence; and how high-risk sex and substance use mediate that relationship among women with and at-risk for HIV. DESIGN & PARTICIPANTS: Longitudinal study of 1,235 HIV infected and 508 uninfected women of the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) cohort, from New York City, NY, Chicago, IL, Washington D.C., and San Francisco, CA, 1994-2012. MAIN MEASURES: Primary exposures are sexual identity (heterosexual, bisexual, lesbian/gay) and sexual behavior (male, female, or male & female partners). Primary outcomes are sexual abuse, intimate partner violence (IPV) and physical violence; high-risk sex and substance use were examined as mediators. KEY RESULTS: Bisexual women were at increased odds for sexual abuse [aOR 1.56 (1.00, 2.44)], IPV [aOR 1.50 (1.08, 2.09)], and physical violence [aOR 1.77 (1.33, 2.37)] compared to heterosexual women. In a separate analysis, women who reported sex with men and women (WSMW) had increased odds for sexual abuse [aOR 1.65 (0.99, 2.77], IPV [aOR 1.50 (1.09, 2.06)] and physical violence [aOR 2.24 (1.69, 2.98)] compared to women having sex only with men (WSM). Using indirect effects, multiple sex partners, cocaine and marijuana were significant mediators for most forms of abuse. Transactional sex was only a mediator for bisexual women. Women who reported sex only with women (WSW) had lower odds of sexual abuse [aOR 0.23 (0.06, 0.89)] and physical violence [aOR 0.42 (0.21, 0.85)] compared to WSM. CONCLUSIONS: Women who identify as bisexual or report both male and female sex partners are most vulnerable to violence; multiple recent sex partners, transactional sex and some types of substance use mediate this relationship. Acknowledging sexual identity and behavior, while addressing substance use and high-risk sex in clinical and psychosocial settings, may help reduce violence exposure among women with and at-risk for HIV.

Smoking cessation and recidivism in the Women's Interagency Human Immunodeficiency Virus Study.

BACKGROUND: Smoking increases the risk of morbidity and mortality and is particularly harmful to HIV-infected people. PURPOSE: To explore smoking trends and longitudinal factors associated with smoking cessation and recidivism among participants in the Women's Interagency HIV Study. METHODS: From 1994 through 2011, a total of 2,961 HIV-infected and 981 HIV-uninfected women were enrolled and underwent semi-annual interviews and specimen collection. Smoking prevalence was evaluated annually and risk factors associated with time to smoking cessation and recidivism were analyzed in 2013 using survival models. RESULTS: The annual cigarette smoking prevalence declined from 57% in 1995 to 39% in 2011 (p-trend<0.0001). Among smokers, factors significantly associated with a longer time to smoking cessation included less education, alcohol use, having health insurance, >10-year smoking duration, self-reported poor health rating, and having hypertension. Pregnancy in the past 6 months was associated with a shorter time to cessation. Among HIV-infected women, additional risk factors for longer time to cessation included lower household income, use of crack/cocaine/heroin, CD4 cell count ≤200, and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) use. Predictors of smoking recidivism included marijuana use, enrollment in 1994-1996, and not living in one's own place. Among HIV-infected women, enrollment in 2001-2002 and crack/cocaine/heroin use were associated with a shorter time to recidivism, whereas older age and HAART use were associated with a longer time to recidivism. CONCLUSIONS: Despite declining rates of cigarette smoking, integrated interventions are needed to help women with and at risk for HIV infection to quit smoking and sustain cessation.