HIV and Substance Use Disorder: Role of the HIV Physician

Abstract

The ongoing syndemic of substance use disorder and human immunodeficiency virus infection threatens progress made in preventing new infections and improving outcomes among those infected. To address this challenge effectively, human immunodeficiency virus physicians must take an increased role in the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of substance use disorders. Such treatment decreases human immunodeficiency virus risk behaviors and improves human immunodeficiency virus and substance use disorder-related outcomes. An effective response to this syndemic requires increased access to adjuvant interventions and a radical movement away from the current stigmatization and criminalization of those suffering from substance use disorders.

Keywords: Injection drug use (IDU); Persons who inject drugs (PWID); Persons with HIV; Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP); Substance use disorder (SUD); Supervised injection facilities (SIFs); Syndemic; Syringe service programs (SSPs).