Utilization of Alcohol Treatment Among HIV-Positive Women with Hazardous Drinking

• Less than one in five HIV + women with hazardous drinking reported recent use of any alcohol treatment.
• Half of HIV + women receiving any alcohol treatment reported receiving multiple treatment services among which Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) was the most common.
• A mixture of factors (income levels, social support, drinking levels, and drug use) was important in explaining utilization of alcohol treatment among HIV + women with hazardous drinking.

Hazardous alcohol consumption has been frequently reported among women with HIV infection and is associated with a variety of negative health consequences. Treatments to reduce alcohol use may bring in health benefits. However, little is known regarding the utilization of alcohol treatment services among HIV + women with hazardous drinking. Using data from the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS), this study assessed utilization of any alcohol treatment in the past 6 months and performed multivariable logistic regression to determine correlates of receipt of any alcohol treatment. Among 474 HIV + women reporting recent hazardous drinking, less than one in five (19%) reported recent utilization of any alcohol treatment. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) was the most commonly reported (12.9%), followed by inpatient detoxification (9.9%) and outpatient alcohol treatment program (7.0%). Half (51%) receiving any alcohol treatment reported utilization of multiple treatments. Multivariable analyses found alcohol treatment was more often utilized by those who had social support (odds ratio [OR] = 1.68, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.00 to 2.83), fewer economic resources (income ≤$12,000 vs. >$12,000, OR = 3.10, 95% CI = 1.53 to 6.27), higher levels of drinking (16–35 drinks/week vs. 12–15 drinks/week, OR = 3.02, 95% CI = 1.47 to 6.21; 36 + drinks/week vs. 12–15 drinks/week, OR = 4.41, 95% CI = 2.03 to 9.59), and those who reported any illicit drug use (OR = 2.77, 95% CI = 1.44 to 5.34). More efforts are needed to enhance the utilization of alcohol treatment. Our findings highlight the unique profile of those who utilized alcohol treatment. Such information is vital to improve treatment delivery to address unmet need in this particular population.