The modern antiretroviral therapy (ART) era has seen substantial reductions in mortality among people living with HIV. However, HIV-positive people who inject drugs (PWIDs) continue to experience high rates of suboptimal HIV-related outcomes. We review recent findings regarding factors contributing to premature and preventable mortality among HIV-positive PWID, and describe the promise of interventions to improve survival in this group.
The current leading causes of death among HIV-positive PWID are HIV/AIDS-related causes, overdose, and liver-related causes, including infection with hepatitis C virus. Elevated mortality levels in this population are driven by social–structural barriers to ART access and adherence, particularly criminalization and stigmatization of drug use. In contexts where opioid substitution therapy and ART adherence support programs are widely accessible, evidence highlights comparable levels of survival among HIV-positive PWID and people living with HIV who do not inject drugs.