Abstract
Little is known about gender effects of alcohol and drug use (AOD) among people living with HIV (PLWH) in resource-limited settings. Using multilevel models, we tested whether gender moderated the effect of
Khanya
, a cognitive-behavioral therapy-based intervention addressing antiretroviral (ART) adherence and AOD reduction. We enrolled 61 participants from HIV care and examined outcomes at 3- and 6-months compared to enhanced treatment as usual (ETAU). Gender significantly moderated the effect of
Khanya
on ART adherence (measured using electronically-monitored and biomarker-confirmed adherence), such that women in
Khanya
had significantly lower ART adherence compared to men in
Khanya
; no gender differences were found for AOD outcomes. Exploratory trajectory analyses showed men in
Khanya
and both genders in ETAU had significant reductions in at least one AOD outcome; women in
Khanya
did not. More research is needed to understand whether a gender lens can support behavioral interventions for PLWH with AOD.
Trial registry
ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03529409. Trial registered on May 18, 2018.
