Living and working with HIV in France in 2003: results from the ANRS-EN12-VESPA Study.
OBJECTIVE
The employment rate of people living with HIV in France remains lower than in the general population despite HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy) availability, translating into a high disease-related socioeconomic burden. Our objective was to investigate the relationships between HIV disease and employment status.


METHODS
We used data from the ANRS-EN12-VESPA Study.


METHODS
Analyses were restricted to the 2750 working-aged (<60 years) participants. Individuals' health characteristics were compared according to employment status and plans of access/return to work, using logistic regression models to account for sociodemographic/occupational and health characteristics.


RESULTS
The employment rate was 56.5%; 44.9% of participants had remained employed since diagnosis and 11.6% had accessed employment after diagnosis. Compared with unemployed participants, those who had maintained employment were less likely to be of fair/poor health and have a history of AIDS and hepatitis C virus co-infection, were more likely to have been diagnosed with HIV after 1996, have a history of HIV-related hospitalization and a CD4 cell count of 200 cells/microl or less. Among employed participants, 70.1% had not disclosed their HIV status at the workplace and 8.5% reported HIV-related adjustments in their working conditions. Among the unemployed, 64.5% reported plans of access/return to work and 58.2% of those had attempted to do so. Motivations for access/return to work were mainly of a social, psychological and financial nature.


CONCLUSIONS
The employment status of people living with HIV/AIDS is associated with sociodemographic/occupational factors in addition to health characteristics. Management of HIV infection at work remains a challenge in the HAART era.
Dray-Spira
Rosemary
R
INSERM U687-IFR 69, Saint-Maurice, France. rosemary.dray-spira@st-maurice.inserm.fr
Lert
France
F
D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016272:Occupational Health; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014342:Truth Disclosure; D014478:Unemployment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents