Economic Burden Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men Living With HIV or Living Without HIV in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study

BACKGROUND: With HIV now considered a chronic disease, economic burden for people living with HIV (LWH) may threaten long-term disease outcomes. We studied associations between economic burden (employment, income, insurance, and financial difficulty) and HIV status for gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) and how economic burden relates to disease progression. SETTING: We analyzed data collected every 6 months through 2015 from GBMSM LWH and GBMSM living without HIV from 2 waves (2001-2003 cohort and 2010+ new recruit cohort) of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study. METHODS: Using generalized estimating equations, we first assessed the association between HIV status (exposure) and economic burden indicators since the last study visit (outcomes) of employment (working/student/retired versus not currently working), personal annual income of ≥$10,000, insurance (public/private versus none), and financial difficulty meeting basic expenses. Then among people LWH, we assessed the relationships between economic burden indicators (exposures), risk of progressive immune suppression (CD4 ≤500 cells/uL), and progression to AIDS (CD4 ≤200; outcomes). RESULTS: Of 1721 participants, 59.5% were LWH (n = 1024). GBMSM LWH were 12% less likely to be employed, 16% more likely to have health insurance, and 9% more likely to experience financial difficulty than GBMSM living without HIV. Among GBMSM LWH, employment was associated with a 6% and 32% lower likelihood of immune suppression or progression to AIDS, respectively, and the income was associated with a 15% lower likelihood of progression to AIDS. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions that stabilize employment, income, and offer insurance support may enrich GBMSM LWH's ability to prevent disease progression.