Associations of Intimate Partner Violence and Drug Use on Viral Suppression Among Women Living With HIV in South Florida: A Secondary Analysis

Caroline Deaterly; Veronica Richards; Michael Weaver; Karina Villalba; Deepthi Varma; Isaac Payton; Robert Cook

doi:10.1097/JNC.0000000000000439

Associations of Intimate Partner Violence and Drug Use on Viral Suppression Among Women Living With HIV in South Florida: A Secondary Analysis

J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care. 2024 Feb 28. doi: 10.1097/JNC.0000000000000439. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Caroline Deaterly¹, Veronica Richards, Michael Weaver, Karina Villalba, Deepthi Varma, Isaac Payton, Robert Cook

Affiliation

¹ Caroline Deaterly, PhD, BSN, RN, is a Postdoctoral Student, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Veronica Richards, PhD, MPH, is a Postdoctoral Fellow, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA. Michael Weaver, PhD, RN, FAAN, is a Professor, University of Florida College of Nursing, Gainesville, Florida, USA. Karina Villalba, PhD, MPH, is an Assistant Professor, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, Florida, USA. Deepthi Varma, PhD, MSW, MPhil, is an Assistant Professor, University of Florida Department of Epidemiology, Gainesville, Florida, USA. Isaac Payton, MSN, MBA, APRN, PMHNP-BC, is a PhD Student at the University of Florida College of Nursing, and is a Pre-doctoral Student, Southern HIV and Alcohol Research Consortium, Gainesville, Florida, USA. Robert Cook, MD, MPH, is a Professor, University of Florida Department of Epidemiology, Gainesville, Florida, USA.

PMID: 38417080
DOI: 10.1097/JNC.0000000000000439

Abstract

Suboptimal viral suppression is associated with worse outcomes and increased HIV transmission among women with HIV (WWH). Based on syndemic theory, we hypothesized that women exposed to recent intimate partner violence (IPV) and current drug use would be most likely to have suboptimal HIV viral suppression. We analyzed baseline data from a longitudinal clinical trial (WHAT-IF? Will Having Alcohol Treatment Improve My Functioning?) that enrolled WWH from Miami, FL, who reported heavy drinking. Bivariate logistic regression was done, mean age was 48 years ( n = 194; SD : 8.7), 40% had current drug use (other than alcohol), and 14% reported recent IPV. WWH who reported both IPV and drug use had the highest rate of suboptimal viral suppression (45%), but these differences were not statistically significant. The high rates of suboptimal viral suppression, drug use, and IPV suggest a need to include screening for IPV in clinical guidelines related to HIV care in women.

Abstract

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