Drug use and emotional distress differentiate unstably- versus stably-housed adults living with HIV who engage in unprotected sex

Abstract

Among adults living with HIV (ALH) unstable housing is a barrier to health. Stably- (SALH) and unstably-housed ALH (UALH) were assessed over 25 months. At baseline, UALH had a more recent HIV diagnosis, higher viral loads, worse physical and mental health, lower rates antiretroviral therapy use and insurance coverage, and higher rates of hard drug use than SALH. At follow-up, the health of both groups was similar, but UALH reported significantly more hard drug use and mental health symptoms compared to SALH. Drug and mental health risks decreased for both groups, but decreases in unprotected sex were greater among UALH.