Presentations and Posters Archive

Poster Presentations

Bekele et al. Uptake of three doses of COVID-19 vaccine among people living with HIV who have completed a 2-dose primary series: Findings from the Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN) Cohort Study.

“Uptake of 3 doses of COVID-19 vaccine was significantly lower among women, heterosexual men, and people who identified as Black, used recreational drugs, and received care inEastern Ontario/ Southwestern Ontario. A targeted approach may help to improve uptake of updated COVID-19 vaccines in these groups”.

Rehman et al. Association between virtual visits and health outcomes of people living with HIV: A cross-sectional study.

“Virtual care has become a common way to access HIV services in Ontario, but its impact has not been well understood. This study found that people living with HIV who received virtual or blended care had good adherence to treatment, viral suppression, and mental health compared.”

Rehman et al. Socio-economical determinants of use of virtual care in HIV care in a clinical cohort in Ontario, Canada: A cross-sectional study.

“Virtual care was introduced to improve access to HIV services, but its use varies across different socio-demographic groups. This study found that people living outside Toronto, women, non-MSM individuals, those with lower education, and those recently diagnosed with HIV were less likely to use virtual care, highlighting the need to address equity in virtual healthcare access.”

Su at al. Five-Year Trajectories of Disability and the Associated Factors Among Adults Aging with HIV in the Ontario HIV Treatment Network Cohort Study.

“Disability experiences among adults living with HIV were episodic in nature and followed three distinct trajectories (low, medium, and high disability) over a 5-year period. These trajectories were influenced by a range of intrinsic (e.g., age, gender, race/ethnicity, household income, comorbidities) and extrinsic (e.g., HIV stigma and social support) contextual factors.”

Lazor et al. A comprehensive profile of cannabis consumers living with HIV after legalization: The Ontario Cannabis and HIV Survey.

“Over half of the study participants reported consumption of cannabis for recreational purposes, while only 12% reported medical use. Trends in types of product consumed were similar for both recreational and medicinal use purposes aside from edibles, hash, beverages and concentrates, which were more commonly used recreationally, and liquid oil drops and topicals, which were more commonly used medicinally.”

Lazor et al. Feasibility of Evaluating Standard THC Units (STU) Across Product Types Among People Living with HIV in Ontario, Canada.

“Calculation of a STU by product type was feasible using THC content ranges and amounts consumed, and we saw participants reporting a broad range of STUs across different cannabis product types.”

Oral Presentations

Light at al. Self-reported anal cancer screening prior to release of new clinical guidelines: Results from the Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN) Cohort Study.

“New international guidelines recommend annual anal cancer screening for people living with HIV aged 35+ for MSM and age 45+ for all others. Data from the OCS show that in 2023, the year prior to the release of these guidelines, the proportion reporting an anal cytology (Pap) test were 27% for MSM, 5.3% for women, and 4.1% for heterosexual men. Implementation of the guidelines requires scaling up screening practice among MSM and targeted efforts to introduce screening to women and heterosexual men for whom it will likely be new practice.”

Xi et al. Trends in Annual Healthcare Costs among People Living with HIV in Ontario, Canada from 2003 to 2018: Results from a Population-Based Study.

“Healthcare cost trends for people living with HIV in Ontario have fluctuated over time, primarily reflecting changes in medication costs. Differential healthcare costs across populations warrants further study, including the role of delayed diagnoses and care.”

Rueda et al. Investigating intersectional inequalities of gender, age, and race in cannabis use among Ontarians living with HIV: the Ontario HIV Treatment Network Cohort Study.

“This was a first application of an Intersectional Multi-Level Analysis of Individual Heterogeneity and Discriminatory Accuracy (I-MAIHDA) using data from the OHTN Cohort Study. Findings showed that the contribution of people’s social identities on frequency of cannabis use was largely additive, but for some there was also an interaction effect which either enhanced or suppressed frequency of use, highlighting a need for tailored messaging and equitable resources and supports.”

Su et al. Dual Trajectories of Disability and Physical Activity in Adults Aging with HIV: Insights from a Population-Based Longitudinal Study in Ontario, Canada.
“Disability (no disability; low disability; medium disability; high disability) and physical activity (barely active; decreasing activity; increasing activity; highly active) each followed four distinct trajectories over four years and were interconnected among adults aging with HIV. These findings highlight the importance of ongoing monitoring and the potential role of physical activity in mitigating disability among adults living with HIV.”

AIDS 2024 International Aids Society