Understanding the Correlates of Attrition Associated with Antiretroviral Use and Viral Suppression Among Women Living with HIV in Canada

Attrition along the cascade of HIV care compromises attainment of the UNAIDS 90-90-90 goals and achievement of desirable treatment outcomes for people living with HIV. Given known gender disparities in HIV care and outcomes, understanding the correlates of attrition at stages of the care cascade for women living with HIV (WLWH) is essential. Among the 1425 WLWH enrolled in the Canadian HIV Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health Cohort Study (CHIWOS), we measured the proportion who reported not being currently on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) and the proportion who reported a detectable viral load (VL; ≥40 copies/mL) despite cART use. Correlates of these cascade indicators were examined using univariate and multivariable logistic regression. Overall, 14.8% of women were not currently on cART. Of women who were on cART, 9.0% were not virally suppressed. In multivariable analyses, age between 26 and 34, unstable housing, food insecurity, current injection drug use, higher HIV-related stigma, and racial discrimination were associated with increased odds of not being on cART. Factors associated with increased odds of reporting a detectable VL among women on cART included age ≤34 years, less than a secondary education, unstable housing, and incarceration in the previous year. Programmatic efforts to support cART use and viral suppression for WLWH in Canada should focus on social determinants of health, including housing and food insecurity, social exclusion, and education.