Cigarette Smoking and Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Adherence in a Sample of Heavy Drinking HIV-Infected Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM)

Cigarette smoking and heavy alcohol use is prevalent among HIV-infected men who sex with men (MSM) and have been linked to imperfect antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. Our study examined the correlates of smoking and whether smoking was independently associated with imperfect adherence in heavy-drinking HIV-infected MSM. Of the 185 participants, approximately half (n = 91, 49.2 %) reported having smoked cigarettes in the past 30 days. Current smokers were more likely to have reported imperfect adherence compared to non-smokers (37.4.2 vs. 22.3 %, p < 0.05). In multivariable regression analyses, only lower education was significantly associated with imperfect adherence. This study demonstrated that the greatest risk factor for smoking and imperfect ART adherence was low socioeconomic status, in which MSM of color were over-represented. As the first study to examine smoking and ART adherence in this population, our study has the potential to inform the clinical care provided to heavy-drinking MSM.