Among Latinos living with HIV, numerous key differences between men and women may affect how well they respond to medical care for the virus. Nevertheless, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analysis, among Latinos, men and women in care for HIV do comparably well when it comes to being on antiretrovirals (ARVs) and having a fully suppressed viral load.

Publishing their findings in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, CDC researchers studied data from the 2013 and 2014 cycles of the Medical Monitoring Project. MMP is an annual national cross-sectional representative surveillance system that during these cycles gathered data about behaviors, medical care and clinical outcomes among adults receiving medical care for HIV.

Looking at data from the Latino respondents to the survey, including 1,774 men and 577 women, the researchers found that 78 percent of the women and 54 percent of the men lived in poverty. Additionally, among women and men, a respective 38 percent and 21 percent did not speak English well, 27 percent and 16 percent used services from an interpreter, 35 percent and 21 percent used transportation services, and 44 percent and 26 percent used meal services.

Despite these differences, there were no statistically significant differences between the rate at which women and men received ARVs (95 percent of the women and 96 percent of the men did so) or achieved viral suppression (68 percent of women and 73 percent of men and women did so).

The study authors theorized that the women overcame obstacles to care by availing themselves of ancillary services at higher rates than their male counterparts.

To read the report, click here.