Abstract

Antiretroviral adherence and development of drug resistance are the strongest predictors of genital HIV-1 shedding among women initiating treatment

Graham, S. M. Masese, L. Gitau, R. Jalalian-Lechak, Z. Richardson, B. A. Peshu, N. Mandaliya, K. Kiarie, J. N. Jaoko, W. Ndinya-Achola, J. Overbaugh, J. McClelland, R. S.
J Infect Dis. 2010; 2021538-42

Permanent descriptor

https://doi.org/10.1086/656790

Persistent genital human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) shedding among women receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) may present a transmission risk. We investigated the associations between genital HIV-1 suppression after ART initiation and adherence, resistance, pretreatment CD4 cell count, and hormonal contraceptive use. First-line ART was initiated in 102 women. Plasma and genital HIV-1 RNA levels were measured at months 0, 3, and 6. Adherence was a strong and consistent predictor of genital HIV-1 suppression (P < .001), whereas genotypic resistance was associated with higher vaginal HIV-1 RNA level at month 6 (P = .04). These results emphasize the importance of adherence to optimize the potential benefits of ART for reducing HIV-1 transmission risk.