Impact of HAART-related side effects on unsafe sexual behaviours in HIV-infected injecting drug users: 7-year follow up.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the impact of non-lipodystrophy HAART-related side effects on unprotected sexual behaviours among HIV-infected drug users. DESIGNAND PARTICIPANTS: HAART-treated patients who reported having occasional partners during the follow-up period after HAART initiation were selected among patients of the MANIF 2000 cohort of HIV-infected drug users.


METHODS
Visits where patients reported unsafe sexual behaviours with occasional partners were compared to visits where they reported safe sexual behaviours using a logistic model based on Generalized Estimating Equations.


RESULTS
One-hundred and ninety-two HAART-treated patients reported occasional sexual partners at least once during follow-up, accounting for a total of 464 visits. Among these 192 patients, 134 (70%) declared at least once unsafe sexual behaviours with occasional partners. During follow-up, three or more HAART-related side effects were reported in 273 of the 464 visits. When comparing visits where patients reported unsafe sexual behaviours with occasional partners (n = 249) with those where they reported safe sexual behaviours (n = 215), experiencing three or more HAART-related side effects was significantly associated with unsafe sex after adjustment for cofactors such as injecting drug status, reporting more than two sexual partners and having sex more than once a week.


CONCLUSIONS
Perceived side effects play a role in determining unsafe sexual behaviours. HIV prevention interventions must consider the negative impact of HAART-related side effects on sexual risk-taking behaviours. Drug maintenance programs contribute to sexual risk reduction among drug injecting patients.
Vincent
Emmanuelle
E
INSERM U379/ORS PACA, Marseilles, France.
Bouhnik
Anne-Déborah
AD
Carrieri
Maria Patrizia
MP
Rey
Dominique
D
Dujardin
Pierre
P
Granier
Françoise
F
Fuzibet
Jean Gabriel
JG
Obadia
Yolande
Y
Moatti
Jean-Paul
JP
Spire
Bruno
B
D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D012309:Risk-Taking; D021841:Safe Sex; D012747:Sexual Partners; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents