Country of birth is associated with antiretroviral therapy choice in treatment-naive persons with HIV in France

Objectives: We aimed to describe factors associated with the choice of first antiretroviral therapy (ART) in persons with HIV (PWH) in France, included the country of birth, as well as the time to undetectable viral load and treatment discontinuation.

Design: Observational study conducted from the national Dat'AIDS prospectively collected database.

Methods: We included all adults who started their first ART between 01 January 2014 and 31 December 2020, with a pretherapeutic plasma viral load (pVL) at least 400 copies/ml. Univariable and multivariable logistic regressions were used to analyze PWH characteristics driving to an integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTI)-based first prescribed regimen. We also analyzed time to first line discontinuation, and to a first undetectable pVL, using Kaplan-Meier model.

Results: We analyzed data from 9094 PWH: 45% MSM, 27% women and 27% heterosexual men; 48% born abroad; 4.7 and 2.8% with concomitant hepatitis B and tuberculosis, respectively. INSTIs were prescribed as first-line therapy in 50% of PWH, which increased over time. Native French PWH were more likely to receive an INSTI-based regimen than PWH born abroad [adjusted prevalence ratio 1.47, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.33-1.60], as were high pVL at diagnosis, hepatitis B or concomitant tuberculosis. Time before discontinuation of the first ART and reaching a first undetectable pVL was not different according to the place of birth.

Conclusion: Despite unrestricted access to INSTIs in France, independently from HIV disease parameters, PWH born abroad received INSTIs less frequently as a first regimen than those born in France. Qualitative data are needed to better understand physicians' prescribing practices.