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

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.

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 (p<0.05) were determined using chi-square tests. Data were analyzed in 2021.

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%).

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.