Gender Moderates Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial for the Khanya Intervention for Substance Use and ART Adherence in HIV Care in South Africa

Little is known about gender effects of alcohol and drug use (AOD) among people living with HIV (PLWH) in resource-limited settings. Using multilevel models, we tested whether gender moderated the effect of Khanya, a cognitive-behavioral therapy-based intervention addressing antiretroviral (ART) adherence and AOD reduction. We enrolled 61 participants from HIV care and examined outcomes at 3- and 6-months compared to enhanced treatment as usual (ETAU). Gender significantly moderated the effect of Khanya on ART adherence (measured using electronically-monitored and biomarker-confirmed adherence), such that women in Khanya had significantly lower ART adherence compared to men in Khanya; no gender differences were found for AOD outcomes. Exploratory trajectory analyses showed men in Khanya and both genders in ETAU had significant reductions in at least one AOD outcome; women in Khanya did not. More research is needed to understand whether a gender lens can support behavioral interventions for PLWH with AOD. Trial registry ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03529409. Trial registered on May 18, 2018.