Background: Long-acting female-initiated methods such as the dapivirine ring may give women greater agency in HIV-1 prevention. However, social harms, defined as nonmedical adverse consequences of study participation or dapivirine ring use, may reduce product adherence and consequently HIV-1 protection.
Methods: We assessed whether experiencing social harms from male partners was associated with lower adherence to the dapivirine ring in the MTN-020/ASPIRE trial. Reports of social harms were solicited quarterly. Low adherence was defined by plasma dapivirine levels ≤95 pg/mL or residual dapivirine levels in returned rings >23.5 mg.
Results: Among 2629 women enrolled in ASPIRE, 85 (3.2%) reported 87 social harms during a median follow-up of 1.6 years. Women were significantly more likely to have low adherence, measured by plasma dapivirine levels, at visits with a social harm in the past month than at visits where no social harm was reported (adjusted risk ratio 2.53, 95% confidence interval: 1.37 to 4.66, P = 0.003). There was no association for social harms reported ≥1 month prior, suggesting an acute, short-term effect. Women were significantly more likely to not return a ring at visits with a social harm reported (adjusted risk ratio 24.70, 95% confidence interval: 18.57 to 32.85, P < 0.001). In rings that were returned, social harms were not associated with residual dapivirine levels.
Conclusions: Although social harms were uncommon (<5% of women with >1 year of use), participants reporting social harms by male partners had lower adherence to the dapivirine ring. Strategies to mitigate nonadherence to product use related to social harms should be evaluated in future studies of female-controlled HIV-1 prevention options.