Abstract
Antiretroviral (ARV) drug use was analyzed in HIV-uninfected women in an observational cohort study conducted in 10 urban and periurban communities in the United States with high rates of poverty and HIV infection. Plasma samples collected in 2009–2010 were tested for the presence of 16 ARV drugs. ARV drugs were detected in samples from 39 (2%) of 1,806 participants: 27/181 (15%) in Baltimore, MD and 12/179 (7%) in Bronx, NY. The ARV drugs detected included different combinations of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and protease inhibitors (1–4 drugs/sample). These data were analyzed in the context of self-reported data on ARV drug use. None of the 39 women who had ARV drugs detected reported ARV drug use at any study visit. Further research is needed to evaluate ARV drug use by HIV-uninfected individuals.
Highlights
The prevalence of antiretroviral (ARV) drug use among HIV-uninfected individuals is unclear
We found regionally-distinct patterns of ARV drug use among HIV-uninfected women in this observational cohort
39 (2%) of the women had ARV drugs detected; all 39 women were from Baltimore or Bronx
Summary
The prevalence of antiretroviral (ARV) drug use among HIV-uninfected individuals is unclear. In the United States (US), ARV drugs are used by HIV-uninfected individuals for pre- and postexposure prophylaxis (PrEP and PEP) [1,2,3]. ARV drugs, such as nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), are used to treat chronic hepatitis B virus infection [4]. Several reports indicate that some ARV drugs are used for recreational purposes [5,6]. ARV drug resistance can emerge if individuals become HIV infected while using ARV drugs.
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