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. 2016 Dec 1;73(4):446-453.
doi: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000001125.

Trends in Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Antiretroviral Therapy Prescription and Viral Suppression in the United States, 2009-2013

Linda Beer  1 , Heather Bradley, Christine L Mattson, Christopher H Johnson, Brooke Hoots, Roy L Shouse; Medical Monitoring Project
Affiliations

Trends in Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Antiretroviral Therapy Prescription and Viral Suppression in the United States, 2009-2013

Linda Beer et al. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. .

Abstract

Objectives: To examine trends in racial/ethnic disparities in antiretroviral therapy (ART) prescription and viral suppression among HIV-infected persons in care, overall and among men who have sex with men (MSM), from 2009 to 2013.

Design: The Medical Monitoring Project (MMP) is a complex sample survey of HIV-infected adults receiving medical care in the United States.

Methods: We used weighted interview and medical record data collected June 2009-May 2014 to estimate the prevalence of ART prescription and viral suppression among racial/ethnic groups overall and among MSM.

Results: We found significant increases in ART prescription and viral suppression among all racial/ethnic groups from 2009 to 2013, both overall and among MSM. By 2013, overall and among MSM, the Hispanic-white disparity in ART prescription was nonexistent, and the black-white disparity was not significant after accounting for differences between blacks and whites in age and length of HIV diagnosis. Despite reductions in racial/ethnic disparities in viral suppression over the time period, significant disparities remained among the total population, even after adjusting for differences in racial/ethnic group characteristics. Encouragingly, however, there was no significant Hispanic-white disparity in viral suppression among MSM by 2013.

Conclusions: Despite significant improvements in ART prescription and viral suppression in recent years, racial and ethnic disparities persist, particularly for black persons. If the United States is to achieve the National HIV/AIDS Strategy goal of reducing HIV-related health disparities, continued efforts to accelerate the rate of improvement in ART prescription and viral suppression among Hispanic and black persons may need to be prioritized.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Figures 1a and 1b. Trends in antiretroviral therapy prescription and viral suppression (<200 copies/mL or undetectable at last measurement) by race/ethnicity among HIV-infected patients, 2009–2013—Medical Monitoring Project, United States All trends significant at p < 0.01; black and white persons are non-Hispanic; Hispanic persons can be of any race.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Figures 2a and 2b. Trends in antiretroviral therapy prescription and viral suppression (<200 copies/mL or undetectable at last measurement) by race/ethnicity among HIV-infected men who have sex with men 2009–2013—Medical Monitoring Project, United States All trends significant at p < 0.01; black and white persons are non-Hispanic; Hispanic persons can be of any race.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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