Table 1 Characterizing sociodemographic profiles and treatment experiences among people living with HIV before and after the implementation of the provincial STOP HIV/AIDS program in British Columbia, Canada
Variable | Overall (n = 325) n (%) | Pre- STOP HIV/AIDS (n = 198) n (%) | Post-STOP HIV/AIDS (n = 127) n (%) | P-Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Gender identity | Â | Â | Â | 0.004 |
   Man | 235 (72.3) | 131 (66.2) | 104 (81.9) |  |
 Woman | 85 (26.2) | 64 (32.3) | 21 (16.5) |  |
 Transgender and non-binary individualsa | 5 (1.5) |  < 5 |  < 5 |  |
Sexual orientation | Â | Â | Â | 0.039 |
 Straight | 146 (44.9) | 100 (50.5) | 46 (36.2) |  |
 Gay | 126 (38.8) | 68 (34.3) | 58 (45.7) |  |
 Other | 53 (16.3) | 30 (15.2) | 23 (18.1) |  |
Health Authority | Â | Â | Â | 0.826 |
 Interior Health | 20 (6.2) | 13 (6.6) | 7 (5.5) |  |
 Fraser Health | 65 (20.0) | 37 (18.7) | 28 (22.0) |  |
 Vancouver Coastal Health | 157 (48.3) | 98 (49.5) | 59 (46.5) |  |
 Vancouver Island Health | 35 (10.8) | 23 (11.6) | 12 (9.4) |  |
 Northern Health | 48 (14.8) | 27 (13.6) | 21 (16.5) |  |
Education | Â | Â | Â | 0.001 |
 Incomplete high school | 102 (31.4) | 76 (38.4) | 26 (20.5) |  |
 High school or greater | 223 (68.6) | 122 (61.6) | 101 (79.5) |  |
Employed | 120 (36.9) | 69 (34.8) | 51 (40.2) | 0.333 |
Ever incarcerated as adult | 134 (41.2) | 95 (48.0) | 39 (30.7) | 0.002 |
Ever homeless | Â | Â | Â | 0.103 |
 No | 143 (44.0) | 80 (40.4) | 63 (49.6) |  |
 Yes, currently or previously | 182 (56.0) | 118 (59.6) | 64 (50.4) |  |
Stable housing | Â | Â | Â | 0.852 |
 Strongly agree | 154 (47.4) | 93 (47.0) | 61 (48.0) |  |
 Somewhat agree | 92 (28.3) | 59 (29.8) | 33 (26.0) |  |
 Neutral | 32 (9.8) | 19 (9.6) | 13 (10.2) |  |
 Somewhat disagree | 22 (6.8) | 14 (7.1) | 8 (6.3) |  |
 Strongly disagree | 25 (7.7) | 13 (6.6) | 12 (9.4) |  |
Food security (CCHS)b | Â | Â | Â | 0.355 |
 Sufficient | 116 (35.8) | 67 (33.8) | 49 (38.9) |  |
 Insufficient | 208 (64.2) | 131 (66.2) | 77 (61.1) |  |
Ever diagnosed with hepatitis B | 40 (12.3) | 32 (16.2) | 8 (6.3) | 0.008 |
Ever diagnosed with hepatitis C | 118 (36.4) | 95 (48.2) | 23 (18.1) |  < 0.001 |
Ever used cocaine | 226 (69.5) | 141 (71.2) | 85 (66.9) | 0.413 |
Ever used crystal methamphetamine | 166 (51.7) | 95 (48.5) | 71 (56.8) | 0.145 |
Ever used heroin | 113 (34.8) | 79 (39.9) | 34 (26.8) | 0.015 |
Ever injected non-prescription drugs | 151 (46.5) | 105 (53.0) | 46 (36.2) | 0.003 |
Depression (CES-D 10)c | Â | Â | Â | 0.415 |
 Non-significant depressive symptoms | 141 (47.5) | 87 (49.4) | 54 (44.6) |  |
 Significant depressive symptoms | 156 (52.5) | 89 (50.6) | 67 (55.4) |  |
Location of HIV diagnosis | Â | Â | Â | 0.042 |
 Family doctor | 90 (27.7) | 64 (32.3) | 26 (20.5) |  |
 Walk-in clinic | 135 (41.5) | 78 (39.4) | 57 (44.9) |  |
 Hospital | 48 (14.8) | 22 (11.1) | 26 (20.5) |  |
 Outreach nurse | 31 (9.5) | 20 (10.1) | 11 (8.7) |  |
 Self-test |  < 5 |  < 5 |  < 5 |  |
 Other | 20 (6.2) | 14 (7.1) | 6 (4.7) |  |
Advice provided about ART initiation from health care provider when diagnosed (n = 297) |  |  |  | 0.008 |
 Start ART right away | 158 (48.6) | 84 (42.4) | 74 (58.3) |  |
 Up to me | 61 (18.8) | 41 (20.7) | 20 (15.7) |  |
 Delay starting ART | 78 (32.6) | 60 (36.9) | 18 (26.0) |  |
Easy to access HIV-related care after HIV diagnosis? | Â | Â | Â | 0.233 |
 Yes | 264 (81.2) | 155 (78.3) | 109 (85.8) |  |
 Somewhat | 50 (15.4) | 35 (17.7) | 15 (11.8) |  |
 No | 11 (3.4) | 8 (4.0) |  < 5 |  |
Difficulties faced when accessing HIV-related care: | ||||
 Services not available | 11 (3.4) | 5 (2.5) | 6 (4.7) | 0.350 |
 Services too far | 20 (6.2) | 13 (6.6) | 7 (5.5) | 0.700 |
 Wait time | 14 (4.3) | 7 (3.5) | 7 (5.5) | 0.392 |
 Didn’t know where to go | 9 (2.8) | 8 (4.0) |  < 5 | 0.096 |
 Didn’t know who to talk to | 23 (7.1) | 19 (9.6) |  < 5 | 0.027 |
Indicated a personal desire to start ART immediately after diagnosis | 173 (53.4) | 79 (40.1) | 94 (74.0) |  < 0.001 |
Most important reason for starting ART (n = 324) |  |  |  | 0.052 |
 Doctor advised me to and explained why | 127 (39.2) | 84 (42.6) | 43 (33.9) |  |
 I wanted to stay healthy | 89 (27.5) | 48 (24.4) | 41 (32.3) |  |
 I was feeling sick | 25 (7.7) | 20 (10.2) | 5 (3.9) |  |
 In hospital and had to | 19 (5.9) | 9 (4.6) | 10 (7.9) |  |
 Concerned about transmitting HIV to partner | 14 (4.3) | 5 (2.5) | 9 (7.1) |  |
 Doctor advised me to but didn’t explain why | 12 (3.7) | 9 (4.6) |  < 5 |  |
 Other HIV positive people were on ART |  < 5 |  < 5 |  < 5 |  |
 I had another condition/infection | 9 (2.8) | 5 (2.5) |  < 5 |  |
 Participating in a research study |  < 5 |  < 5 |  < 5 |  |
 I was pregnant | 6 (1.9) |  < 5 |  < 5 |  |
 Other | 11 (3.4) | 6 (3.0) | 5 (3.9) |  |
Resource desired, but not used: | ||||
 Discussion with health care providers | 9 (2.8) | 5 (2.5) |  < 5 | 0.739 |
 Discussion with family and friends | 28 (8.6) | 15 (7.6) | 13 (10.2) | 0.381 |
 Discussion with friends living with HIV | 18 (5.5) | 7 (3.5) | 11 (8.7) | 0.045 |
 Community organization information | 16 (4.9) | 9 (4.5) | 7 (5.5) | 0.672 |
 Online resources | 18 (5.5) | 9 (4.5) | 9 (7.1) | 0.312 |
 Pamphlets | 17 (5.2) | 9 (4.5) | 8 (6.3) | 0.469 |
 Other | 9 (2.8) | 6 (3.0) |  < 5 | 0.999 |
At least one treatment interruption event within five years from ART initiation | 117 (36.0) | 95 (48.0) | 22 (17.3) |  < 0.001 |
Variable | Median (Q1-Q3) | Median (Q1-Q3) | Median (Q1-Q3) | P-Value |
Age at diagnosis (years) | 37 (30–46) | 37 (31–44) | 38 (29–47) | 0.258 |
CD4 count at first ART (n = 324, cells/ul) | 310 (180–497) | 270 (170–430) | 410 (220–620) | 0.001 |