Durable viral suppression among persons with HIV in the deep south: an observational study

ABSTRACT

This study assessed predictors of stable HIV viral suppression in a racially diverse sample of persons living with HIV (PWH) in the southern US. A total of 700 PWH were recruited from one of four HIV clinics in Metro Atlanta, GA. Data were collected from September 2012 to July 2017, and HIV viral loads were retrieved from EMR for 18 months. The baseline visits and EMR data were used for current analyses. Durable viral suppression was categorized as 1. Remain suppressed, 2. Remain unsuppressed, and 3. Unstable suppression. The number of antiretroviral medications and age were significantly associated with durable viral suppression. Older age, fewer ART medications and availability of social support were positively associated with durable viral suppression over the 18-month observation period. Findings suggest that regimen complexity is potentially a better predictor of viral suppression than self-reported medication adherence. The need for consensus on the definition of durable viral suppression is also urged.

KEYWORDS:

• Observational study
• southern United States
• viral suppression

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by funding from the National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH092284, PI: Waldrop-Valverde) and the National Institute of Nursing Research (T32 NR012715, PIs: Dunbar & Song).