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Cannabis Use, Medication Management and Adherence Among Persons Living with HIV

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Abstract

Cannabis is used to relieve nausea, trigger weight gain, and reduce pain among adults living with HIV; however, the relationship between its use and medication adherence and management is unclear. Participants (N = 107) were from an ongoing cohort study of community-dwelling HIV+ adults, stratified by cannabis (CB) use: HIV+/CB+ (n = 41) and HIV+/CB− (n = 66). CB+ participants either tested positive in a urine toxicology screen for THC or had a self-reported history of regular and recent use. HIV-status was provided by physician results and/or biomarker assessment. Adherence was measured via the Morisky scale and medication management was assessed via the Medication Management Test-Revised. After adjusting for gender, we found no association between cannabis use group and adherence nor medication management. The amount of cannabis used was also not associated with measures of adherence and management. Preliminary findings suggest that cannabis use may not adversely influence medication adherence/management among adults living with HIV.

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Acknowledgements

This work was approved by Florida International University’s Institutional Review Board and was supported by Grants R01 DA031176 & R01 DA033156 (PI: Gonzalez) from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Funding

This study was funded by R01 DA031176 & R01 DA033156 (PI: Gonzalez) from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Miami, 5030 Brunson Ave, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA

    Denise C. Vidot

  2. Department of Psychology, Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA

    Brenda Lerner & Raul Gonzalez

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  1. Denise C. Vidot
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  2. Brenda Lerner
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Correspondence to Denise C. Vidot.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Vidot, D.C., Lerner, B. & Gonzalez, R. Cannabis Use, Medication Management and Adherence Among Persons Living with HIV. AIDS Behav 21, 2005–2013 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-017-1782-x

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