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To determine prevalence and predictors of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use disclosure to health care providers and whether CAM use disclosure is associated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) adherence among HIV-infected women, we analyzed longitudinal data collected between October 1994 and March 2002 from HIV-infected CAM-using women enrolled in the Women's Interagency HIV Study. Repeated measures Poisson regression models were constructed to evaluate associations of selected predictors with CAM use disclosure and association between CAM use disclosure and HAART adherence. A total of 1377 HIV-infected women reported CAM use during study follow-up and contributed a total of 4689 CAM-using person visits. The overall prevalence of CAM use disclosure to health care providers was 36% across study visits. Women over 45 years old, with a college education, or with health insurance coverage were more likely to disclose their CAM use to health care providers, whereas women identified as non-Hispanic Black or other ethnicities were less likely to communicate their CAM usage. More health care provider visits, more CAM domains used, and higher health care satisfaction scores had significant relationships with increased levels of CAM use disclosure. Restricting analysis to use of herbal or nonherbal medications only, similar results were obtained. Compared to other CAM domains, mind-body practice had the lowest prevalence of CAM use disclosure. Additionally, CAM use disclosure was significantly associated with higher HAART adherence. From this study, we showed that a high percentage of HIV-infected women did not discuss their CAM use with health care providers. Interventions targeted towards both physicians and patients may enhance communication of CAM use, avoid potential adverse events and drug interactions, and enhance HAART adherence. DOI: 10.1089/apc.2009.0134

Although the primary mode of hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission is exposure to blood products or injection drug use (IDU), studies have found varying independent risk factors for HCV infection among persons with no history of IDU or exposure to blood products. For HIV-infected women, sexual transmission may be another potential source of HCV infection. HIV-infected and HIV-negative women at risk for HIV enrolled in the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) during October 1994 to November 1995 and again between October 2001 and November 2002 were studied. Clinical and demographic factors associated with HCV seroprevalence were assessed in multivariate logistic regression models controlling for history of blood transfusion and IDU. Among 3636 women with HCV results, 31.5% were HCV antibody positive (HCV+) including 13.5% with no reported history of IDU or blood transfusions. Multivariate logistic regression analyses stratified on IDU showed that among women with no history of IDU, sex with an IDU male was independently associated with HCV positivity (odds ratio [OR] = 2.8, 95% confidence [CI] = 2.1, 3.8, p < 0.0001) after controlling for blood transfusion, age, HIV infection, unemployment, birth in the United States, history of hepatitis B infection, and current smoking status. Further stratification on HIV status showed that the association was significant only for the HIV+ (OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.3, 2.7, p = 0.0007) compared to the HIV- women (OR = 1.1, 95% CI = 0.4, 2.7) although these odds ratios were not significantly different (p = 0.25). For HIV-positive women with no reported history of IDU, sex with an IDU male was independently associated with HCV suggesting that sexual transmission may be an important mode of HCV transmission for these high-risk women. DOI: 10.1089/apc.2009.0111

The association of advancing stages of HIV with coagulation abnormalities that could predispose to venous thrombotic events (VTEs) is determined by studying a group of HIV-infected women and HIV-negative comparators. The results have shown that advancing HIV is associated with progressive abnormalities of protein S and factor VIII, both of which are associated with increased risk for VTE, thus providing a biologic mechanism for the increased prevalence of VTE in HIV.

A study aims to determine the association of race with clinical and laboratory outcomes after initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in HIV-1-infected women in the US. The results reveal that no significant differences by race are found in virologic, immunologic, or clinical outcomes after adjustment for continued HAART use and depression.

A determination of the incidence of squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) in HIV-seropositive women with normal cytology results, by baseline human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA results is done. The results suggest that similar cervical cancer screening practices would be applicable to both HIV-seronegative and HIV-seropositive women.

The study was conducted to ascertain the impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on anemia and the relationship between anemia and overall survival in HIV-infected women. It was found that anemia is an independent risk factor for decreased survival among HIV-infected women and HAART therapy for as little as six months is associated with resolution of anemia.

The linkage of AIDS and cancer registries in the United States has indicated an increase in T-cell lymphomas among individuals infected with the HIV. The characteristics of the eleven cases of T-cell lymphoma, identified from AIDS Lymphoma Registry at the University of Southern California, are compared with B-cell lymphoma in HIV-infected patients.

The effects of benzoic acid on the behavior of discrete intracellular membrane trafficking pathways in yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, including macroautophagy were analyzed. The analysis suggest that the synergism between nitrogen starvation and benzoic acid was the result of inhibition of macroautophagy by benzoic acid and that this inhibition is beneficial in the development of novel food preservation technologies.

Objectives. We assessed the association between initiation of highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) regimens and sexual risk behaviors among HIV-infected women. Methods. We analyzed data from 724 women who initiated HAART between January 1996 and January 2001 and who had pre-HAART viral loads at or above 400 copies per milliliter. Results. Sexually active women were less likely (odds ratio [OR]=0.79) to report 2 or more partners during a 6-month period after HAART initiation than before HAART initiation. However, the risk for unprotected sex was higher after HAART initiation than before HAART initiation among all sexually active women (both those who reported 2 or more partners [OR = 1.84] and those who reported 1 partner [OR=1.22]). Conclusions. Sexual risk behaviors are associated with receipt of therapy but not with therapeutic response, indicating a risk for transmission among female HAART recipients.

Objectives. We investigated the prevalence and characteristics of HIV-positive women who do not report highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) use. Methods. We analyzed HAART use among 1165 HIV-positive participants in the Women's Interagency HIV Study. Results. Between October 1, 2000, and March 31, 2001, 254 women with clinical indications for HAART reported not using it, 635 reported HAART use, and 276 had no clinical indications. In multivariate analysis, using crack/cocaine/heroin and a history of abuse decreased the likelihood of using HAART, whereas being White increased it. Conclusions. One of 4 women for whom HAART was indicated reported not using HAART. Childhood sexual abuse prevention, more intensive abuse treatment, and continuing drug treatment may enhance HIV disease treatment of women.