Abstract
Aim: Pain is a major challenge in the management of HIV/AIDS. This research analyzed the prevalence of substance use and opioid misuse among people with HIV (PWH) and those without (PWoH) in the USA. Methods: Using data from the 2015–2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the study assessed misuse of pain relievers and opioids in 279,025 individuals. Results: PWH were about 1.88-times more likely to misuse pain relievers and 1.85-times to misuse opioids than PWoH, with a notable rise in hydrocodone and tramadol misuse. Conclusion: The data highlights an imperative for interventions targeting substance misuse among PWH, addressing the complex nexus of HIV, chronic pain and opioid use.
Supplementary data
To view the supplementary data that accompany this paper please visit the journal website at: www.futuremedicine.com/doi/suppl/10.2217/pmt-2023-0079
Financial disclosure
The authors have no financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.
Competing interests disclosure
The authors have no competing interests or relevant affiliations with any organization or entity with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, stock ownership or options and expert testimony.
Writing disclosure
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.
Ethical conduct of research
The survey was conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the data collection was approved by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget and RTI International's Institutional Review Board. The datasets from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health are deidentified and publicly available, which cannot be individually identifiable and therefore not involve human subjects.