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01-01-2015 | Original Paper

High-Intensity Cannabis Use and Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy Among People Who Use Illicit Drugs in a Canadian Setting

Authors: Gregory Slawson, M-J Milloy, Lynda Balneaves, Annick Simo, Silvia Guillemi, Robert Hogg, Julio Montaner, Evan Wood, Thomas Kerr

Published in: AIDS and Behavior | Issue 1/2015

Abstract

Cannabis is increasingly prescribed clinically and utilized by people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) to address symptoms of HIV disease and to manage side effects of antiretroviral therapy (ART). In light of concerns about the possibly deleterious effect of psychoactive drug use on adherence to ART, we sought to determine the relationship between high-intensity cannabis use and adherence to ART among a community-recruited cohort of HIV-positive illicit drug users. We used data from the ACCESS study, an ongoing prospective cohort study of HIV-seropositive illicit drug users linked to comprehensive ART dispensation records in a setting of universal no-cost HIV care. We estimated the relationship between at least daily cannabis use in the last 6 months, measured longitudinally, and the likelihood of optimal adherence to ART during the same period, using a multivariate linear mixed-effects model accounting for relevant socio-demographic, behavioral, clinical and structural factors. From May 2005 to May 2012, 523 HIV-positive illicit drug users were recruited and contributed 2,430 interviews. At baseline, 121 (23.1 %) participants reported at least daily cannabis use. In bivariate and multivariate analyses we did not observe an association between using cannabis at least daily and optimal adherence to prescribed HAART (Adjusted Odds Ratio = 1.12, 95 % Confidence Interval [95 % CI]: 0.76–1.64, p value = 0.555.) High-intensity cannabis use was not associated with adherence to ART. These findings suggest cannabis may be utilized by PLWHA for medicinal and recreational purposes without compromising effective adherence to ART.

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Title: High-Intensity Cannabis Use and Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy Among People Who Use Illicit Drugs in a Canadian Setting
Authors: Gregory Slawson
M-J Milloy
Lynda Balneaves
Annick Simo
Silvia Guillemi
Robert Hogg
Julio Montaner
Evan Wood
Thomas Kerr
Publication date: 01-01-2015
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: AIDS and Behavior / Issue 1/2015
Print ISSN: 1090-7165
Electronic ISSN: 1573-3254
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-014-0847-3

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