Two or More Significant Life-Events in 6-Months are Associated with Lower Rates of HIV Treatment and Virologic Suppression among Youth with HIV in Uganda and Kenya

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Date
2022
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AIDS care
Abstract
Youth living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa have poor HIV care outcomes. We determined the association of recent significant life-events with HIV antiretroviral treatment (ART) initiation and HIV viral suppression in youth aged 15–24 years living with HIV in rural Kenya and Uganda. This was a cross-sectional analysis of 995 youth enrolled in the SEARCH Youth study. At baseline, providers assessed recent (within 6 months) life-events, defined as changes in schooling/employment, residence, partnerships, sickness, incarceration status, family strife or death, and birth/pregnancy, self-reported alcohol use, being a parent, and HIV-status disclosure. We examined the frequencies of events and their association with ART status and HIV viral suppression (<400 copies/ul). Recent significant life-events were prevalent (57.7%). Having >2 significant life-events (aOR = 0.61, 95% CI:0.45-0.85) and consuming alcohol (aOR = 0.61, 95% CI:0.43-0.87) were associated with a lower odds of HIV viral suppression, while disclosure of HIV-status to partner (aOR = 2.39, 95% CI:1.6-3.5) or to family (aOR = 1.86, 95% CI:1.3-2.7), being a parent (aOR = 1.8, 95% CI:1.2-2.5), and being single (aOR = 1.6, 95% CI:1.3-2.1) had a higher odds. This suggest that two or more recent life-events and alcohol use are key barriers to ART initiation and achievement of viral suppression among youth living with HIV in rural East Africa.
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Youth; HIV; treatment; Africa
Citation
Mwangwa, F., Charlebois, E. D., Ayieko, J., Olio, W., Black, D., Peng, J., ... & Ruel, T. D. (2022). Two or more significant life-events in 6-months are associated with lower rates of HIV treatment and virologic suppression among youth with HIV in Uganda and Kenya. AIDS care, 1-11.https://doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2022.2052260
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https://nru.uncst.go.ug/handle/123456789/4400
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Medical and Health Sciences