Self-Reported Cannabis Use and HIV Viral Control among Patients with HIV Engaged in Care: Results from a National Cohort Study

Anees Bahji, Yu Li, Rachel Vickers-Smith, Stephen Crystal, Robert D. Kerns, Kirsha S. Gordon, Alexandria Macmadu, Melissa Skanderson, Kaku So-Armah, Minhee L. Sung, Fiona Bhondoekhan, Brandon D. L. Marshall and E. Jennifer Edelman
Additional contact information
Anees Bahji: Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
Yu Li: Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI 02912, USA
Rachel Vickers-Smith: Department of Epidemiology, University of Kentucky College of Public Health, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
Stephen Crystal: Center for Health Services Research, Institute for Health, Rutgers University, Rutgers, NJ 08901, USA
Robert D. Kerns: Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
Kirsha S. Gordon: VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
Alexandria Macmadu: Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI 02912, USA
Melissa Skanderson: VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
Kaku So-Armah: Clinical Addiction Research & Education (CARE) Unit, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
Minhee L. Sung: VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
Fiona Bhondoekhan: Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI 02912, USA
Brandon D. L. Marshall: Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI 02912, USA
E. Jennifer Edelman: Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 9, 1-15

Abstract: Background: The association between cannabis use and HIV-1 RNA (viral load) among people with HIV (PWH) engaged in care is unclear. Methods: We used data collected from 2002 to 2018 on PWH receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) enrolled in the Veterans Aging Cohort Study. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate associations between self-reported past-year cannabis use and detectable viral load (≥500 copies/mL), with and without adjustment for demographics, other substance use, and adherence. Results: Among 2515 participants, 97% were male, 66% were Black, the mean age was 50 years, and 33% had detectable HIV viral load at the first study visit. In unadjusted analyses, PWH with any past-year cannabis use had 21% higher odds of a detectable viral load than those with no past-year use (OR = 1.21; 95% CI, 1.07–1.37). However, there was no significant association between cannabis use and viral load after adjustment. Conclusions: Among PWH engaged in care and receiving ART, cannabis use is associated with decreased adherence in unadjusted analyses but does not appear to directly impact viral control. Future studies are needed to understand other potential risks and benefits of cannabis use among PWH.

Keywords: cannabis; HIV; viral load; adherence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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