Case Studies in HIV Prevention and Treatment of Persons Who Use Drugs

Educational Need:
Prevention of HIV in individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) is vitally important from a public health perspective. People with SUD are significantly more vulnerable to contracting HIV, attributable to behaviors such as sharing needles and injection equipment, engaging in condomless sex, and impaired judgement. Furthermore, substance use can negatively affect medication adherence and engagement in healthcare, making it more challenging to treat and manage HIV in this population. This can lead to rapid disease progression, development of multi-drug resistance and increased morbidity and mortality. Effective prevention strategies such as harm reduction programs, substance use treatment, access to mental health services and access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) are crucial in reducing HIV transmission rates among individuals with SUD. Addressing both SUD and HIV prevention simultaneously, through a team-based integrated model of care, can both improve health outcomes of infected individuals and contribute to broader efforts to curb the HIV epidemic. .

Learning Objectives
After participating in the activity, learners should be better able to:
Identify the specific behaviors and risk factors associated with substance use disorder (SUD) that contribute to an increased risk of HIV transmission.
Explain the significance of addressing HIV prevention and SUD concurrently through an integrated care model to improve uptake of HIV prevention tools in this population.
Identify barriers and facilitators for HIV prevention in individuals with SUD.