%0 Journal Article
%T Antiretroviral Therapy among HIV-1 Infected Female Sex Workers in Benin: A Comparative Study with Patients from the General Population
%A Souleymane Diabat¨¦
%A Djimon Marcel Zannou
%A Nassirou Geraldo
%A Annie Chamberland
%A Jocelyn Akakpo
%A Carin Ahouada
%A Marguerite Massinga Loemb¨¦
%A S¨¦v¨¦rin Anagonou
%A Annie Claude Labb¨¦
%A Michel Alary
%A Cecile Tremblay
%J World Journal of AIDS
%P 94-99
%@ 2160-8822
%D 2011
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/wja.2011.13014
%X Objective: The aim of this study conducted in Benin was to compare HIV-1 infected female sex workers (FSW) and patients from the general population (GP) to see whether there was a difference in adherence level, mortality rate and immuno-virologic response to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Methods: Fifty-tree FSW and 318 patients from the GP were recruited and followed for at least one year. We compared both cohorts according to poor-adherence (taking <95% of the pills), CD4 count increase, undetectable viral load (VL; ˇÜ50 copies/mL) and crude mortality rate. We constructed a multivariate regression model to assess factors associated with undetectable VL. Results: During the first year, the proportion of FSW with poor-adherence was significantly higher than that of the GP patients (19.3% versus 7.5%; p < 0.0001) and median gain in CD4 count among FSW was slightly lower (103/mm3 versus 129/mm3; p = 0.085). In the multivariate model (including CD4 at ART initiation and the sub-cohort i.e. FSW vs GP patients), duration under ART (p = 0.003) as well as CD4 count at enrolment in the study (p < 0.0001) and good-adherence (0.057) were independently associated with undetectable VL. When adherence was withdrawn from this model, there was a borderline significant association between detectable VL and being a FSW (p = 0.074). The crude mortality rate was 1.11 per 100 persons-years among the GP patients and 4.65 per 100 persons-years among FSW. Conclusion: Response to ART was lower among FSW compared to GP patients, as a result of poorer adherence. Specific behavioural interventions are needed to improve adherence and response to ART among FSW.
%K ART
%K FSW
%K Adherence
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=7509