Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of ART-exposed DU in Vancouver, Canada, stratified by pVL suppression in the last 6 months (n=587)
| Viral load suppression |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristic | Total (%) (n=587) | Yes (%) (n=275) | No (%) (n=312) | p Value |
| Sex work* | 91 (15.5) | 30 (10.9) | 61 (19.6) | 0.004 |
| ≥43 years old | 268 (45.7) | 170 (61.8) | 98 (31.4) | <0.001 |
| Female gender | 186 (31.7) | 65 (23.6) | 121 (38.8) | <0.001 |
| Aboriginal ancestry | 214 (36.5) | 90 (32.7) | 124 (39.7) | 0.078 |
| Homelessness* | 143 (24.4) | 53 (19.3) | 90 (28.9) | 0.007 |
| Illicit drug use* | ||||
| Any injection drug use | 443 (75.5) | 184 (66.9) | 259 (83.0) | <0.001 |
| Any illicit drug use | 109 (18.6) | 79 (28.7) | 30 (9.6) | <0.001 |
| Binge drug use* | 320 (54.5) | 141 (51.3) | 179 (57.4) | 0.139 |
| Current enrolment in MMT | 211 (36.0) | 106 (38.6) | 105 (33.7) | 0.218 |
| Incarceration* | 76 (13.0) | 26 (9.5) | 50 (16.0) | 0.018 |
| Year of ART initiation (per year) (med, IQR) | 2000 (1997–2006) | 2002 (1997–2007) | 1998 (1996-2006) | <0.001 |
| ≥95% ART adherence | 325 (55.4) | 207 (75.3) | 118 (37.8) | <0.001 |
| PI in first regimen | 240 (40.9) | 112 (40.7) | 128 (41.0) | 0.942 |
| pVL at ART initiation (per loglO) (med, IQR) | 2.56 (1.65–4.30) | 1.65 (1.54–1.69) | 4.11 (2.98–4.87) | <0.001 |
| CD4 cell count (per 100 cells)* (med, IQR) | 3.20 (1.93–4.50) | 3.77 (2.53–4.90) | 2.64 (1.47–4.00) | <0.001 |
| HIV physician experience (per 100 patients) (med, IQR) | 0.44 (0.11–1.26) | 0.58 (0.17–1.53) | 0.30 (0.09–0.94) | <0.001 |
*
Refers to the 6-month period prior to the interview.
ART, antiretroviral therapy; DU, people who use illicit drugs; MMT, methadone maintenance therapy; PI, protease inhibitor; pVL, plasma viral load.