Substance Use Treatment Utilization Among Women with and without HIV

Introduction Substance use (SU) contributes to poor health outcomes, yet limited data exist to inform strategies to optimize SU treatment among persons with HIV. We describe SU and SU treatment utilization among women with and without HIV in the Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS). Methods We included data from women enrolled in WIHS from 2013-2020. Current SU was self-reported, non-medical use of drugs in the past year, excluding use of only marijuana. Substance use treatment utilization was self-reported use of a drug treatment program in the past year. Multivariable regression models were used to investigate associations between participant characteristics and SU treatment. Results Among 2559 women (1802 women living with HIV (WWH), 757 women without HIV), 14% reported current SU. Among those with current SU (n = 367), 71% reported crack/cocaine followed by 40% reporting opioids, and 42% reported any treatment in the past year. The most common treatments were methadone (64%), Narcotics Anonymous (29%), inpatient (28%), and outpatient programs (16%). Among women using opioids (n = 147), 67% reported methadone use in the past year compared to 5% using buprenorphine/naloxone. Multivariable analysis showed lower odds of treatment utilization among WWH with concurrent alcohol or marijuana use. Visiting a psychiatrist/counselor was associated with higher odds of treatment. Among WWH, SU treatment was not associated with HIV-related clinical outcomes. Conclusions Treatment utilization was high, especially for methadone use. Our results highlight opportunities for accessing SU treatment for WWH, such as the need to prioritize buprenorphine and comprehensive, wraparound services in HIV care settings.