ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative prioritizes treatment and prevention efforts in counties where most new HIV diagnoses occur and states with substantial incidence of new HIV diagnoses in rural areas. Understanding the characteristics of adults with HIV living in EHE priority areas, and how these characteristics compare with adults with HIV living in non-EHE priority areas, can inform EHE efforts. METHODS: We analyzed data from the 2018 Medical Monitoring Project (MMP) to understand the characteristics of adults with HIV living in 36 of 48 EHE priority counties; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and 1 of 7 EHE priority states. We calculated weighted percentages of sociodemographic characteristics, behaviors, and clinical outcomes of adults with diagnosed HIV living in MMP EHE priority areas and compared them with characteristics of adults who did not live in MMP EHE priority areas using prevalence ratios (PRs) with predicted marginal means. RESULTS: Living in an MMP EHE priority area was more common among adults who were non-Hispanic Black or Hispanic, experienced homelessness, or were food insecure compared with adults who were non-Hispanic White (59.3% and 58.4% vs 41.0%), not experiencing homelessness (60.9% vs 51.9%), or not food insecure (59.8% vs 51.0%). Adults who lived in MMP EHE priority areas were significantly less likely to be adherent to their HIV medications (PR = 0.95; 95% CI, 0.91-0.99) and durably virally suppressed (PR = 0.94; 95% CI, 0.91-0.97), and more likely to miss scheduled appointments for HIV care (PR = 1.31; 95% CI, 1.10-1.56) than adults who did not live in MMP EHE priority areas. CONCLUSION: To increase viral suppression and reduce HIV transmission, it is essential to strengthen public health efforts to improve medication and appointment adherence in this population.
