Feasibility of Implementing a Low-Barrier Long-Acting Injectable Antiretroviral Program for HIV Treatment and Prevention for People Experiencing Homelessness.
Nicky J Mehtani, Alix Strough, Sarah Strieff, Barry Zevin, Joanna Eveland, Elise D Riley, Monica Gandhi
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Long-acting (LA) antiretrovirals may provide meaningful benefit to people who use drugs and people experiencing homelessness (PEH) who face disproportionate structural and psychosocial barriers in adhering to daily oral HIV antiretroviral therapy or pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), but their use in these populations has not been studied.
Setting: The Maria X. Martinez Health Resource Center is a low-barrier (eg, no appointment) community-based clinic serving San Francisco PEH.
Methods: A multidisciplinary care model with robust monitoring and outreach support was developed to provide LA antiretroviral therapy (ART) and LA-PrEP to eligible patients experiencing difficulties adhering to oral antiretrovirals. Feasibility was assessed by evaluating the rates of HIV viremia and on-time injections among patients receiving LA antiretrovirals over the first 24 months of program implementation.
Results: Between November 2021 and November 2023, 33 patients initiated LA-ART or LA-PrEP (median age, 37 years; 27% transgender/nonbinary; 73% non-White; 27% street homeless; 52% sheltered homeless; 30% with opioid use disorder; 82% with methamphetamine use disorder). Among 18 patients with HIV, 14 initiated LA-ART injections with detectable viremia (median CD4 count, 340 cells/mm 3 ; mean log 10 viral load, 3.53; SD, 1.62), 8 had never previously been virally suppressed, and all but 1 achieved or maintained virologic suppression (mean, 9.67 months; SD, 8.30). Among 15 LA-PrEP patients, all remained HIV negative (mean, 4.73 months; SD, 2.89). Of 224 total injections administered, 8% were delayed >7 days.
Discussion: The implementation of LA antiretrovirals is feasible in low-barrier, highly supportive clinical settings serving vulnerable PEH. Expansion of such programs will be critical in ending the HIV epidemic.
期刊介绍:
JAIDS: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes seeks to end the HIV epidemic by presenting important new science across all disciplines that advance our understanding of the biology, treatment and prevention of HIV infection worldwide.
JAIDS: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes is the trusted, interdisciplinary resource for HIV- and AIDS-related information with a strong focus on basic and translational science, clinical science, and epidemiology and prevention. Co-edited by the foremost leaders in clinical virology, molecular biology, and epidemiology, JAIDS publishes vital information on the advances in diagnosis and treatment of HIV infections, as well as the latest research in the development of therapeutics and vaccine approaches. This ground-breaking journal brings together rigorously peer-reviewed articles, reviews of current research, results of clinical trials, and epidemiologic reports from around the world.