141st APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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278744
Retention in care among young black and Latino men who have sex with men in the district of Columbia, 2005-2009


Tuesday, November 5, 2013 : 12:30 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.

Mercedes Morales-Aleman, Ph.D., Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Jenevieve Opoku, MPH, Washington DC Department of Health, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STDs, and TB Administration, Washington DC
Yzette Lanier, PhD, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Tiffany West, MPH, MSPH, District of Columbia Department of Health, HIV/AIDS Administration, Washington, DC
Gregory Pappas, MD PhD, DC Dept of Health, Washington, DC
Madeline Sutton, MD, MPH, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
     
Background: From 2005-2009, 80.9% of young (13-29 years) men who have sex with men (YMSM) living with HIV infection in the District of Columbia (DC) were Black or Latino. Retention in care improves health outcomes, but has not been well described for YMSM in DC; we characterized correlates of retention in care (2 visits within 12 months of diagnosis) to strengthen local HIV care efforts and reduce HIV-related disparities.

Methods: Data were analyzed from DC's HIV surveillance system for HIV-infected YMSM ages 13-29. We combined demographic and clinical variables with social data from the U.S. American Community Survey by census tracts. Frequencies and prevalence ratios were calculated (PR, 95% CI).

Results: From 2005-2009, 575 YMSM were living with HIV infection in DC. Among 465 YMSM of color with HIV infection, 412 (89%) were Black and 53 (11%) were Latino; 406 (87%) had census tract data available and were included in analyses. Of the 367 YMSM linked to care, 220 (59.9%) were retained. Compared with those not retained, retained YMSM of color were more likely to have been diagnosed between ages 13-18 years (1.61, 1.10-2.35) and to have achieved viral suppression (1.57, 1.04-2.37), and less likely to have progressed to AIDS (0.75, 0.36-0.83).

Conclusions: Retention in HIV care is suboptimal for YMSM of color in DC. However, retention is significantly associated with clinical benefit and may reduce risk of ongoing HIV transmission. To improve outcomes and reduce disparities, increased retention efforts are warranted for HIV-positive YMSM of color in DC.

Learning Areas:

Epidemiology
Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Describe the difference in demographic characteristics and health outcomes for HIV positive Black and Latino young men who have sex with men in the District of Columbia who are retained in care versus those who are not retained.

Keyword(s): HIV/AIDS, Treatment

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have conducted multiple studies focusing on health disparities and HIV. My research focuses on the study of social determinants of health that underlie HIV-related health disparities in communities of color.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4226.0: HIV and Latino communities