E-Cigarette Use Among persons With Diagnosed HIV in the U.S.

Introduction: E-cigarettes emerged in the U.S. market in the late 2000s. In 2017, E-cigarette use among U.S. adults was 2.8%, with higher use among some population groups. Limited studies have assessed E-cigarette use among persons with diagnosed HIV. The purpose of this study is to describe the national prevalence estimates of E-cigarette use among persons with diagnosed HIV by selected sociodemographic, behavioral, and clinical characteristics.

Methods: Data were collected between June 2018 and May 2019 as part of the Medical Monitoring Project, an annual cross-sectional survey that produces nationally representative estimates of behavioral and clinical characteristics of persons with diagnosed HIV in the U.S. Statistically significant differences (<0.05) were determined using chi-square tests. Data were analyzed in 2021.

Results: Among persons with diagnosed HIV, 5.9% reported currently using E-cigarettes, 27.1% had ever used them but were not using them currently, and 72.9% had never used them. Current use of E-cigarettes was highest among persons with diagnosed HIV who currently smoke conventional cigarettes (11.1%), those with major depression (10.8%), those aged 25-34 years (10.5%), those who reported injectable and noninjectable drug use in the past 12 months (9.7%), those diagnosed <5 years ago (9.5%), those who self-reported sexual orientation as other (9.2%), and non-Hispanic White people (8.4%).

Conclusions: Overall, findings suggest that a greater proportion of persons with diagnosed HIV used E-cigarettes than the overall U.S. adult population and that higher rates were observed among certain subgroups, including those who currently smoke cigarettes. E-cigarette use among persons with diagnosed HIV warrants continued attention because of its potential impact on HIV-related morbidity and mortality.