The expected impact of a cure for HIV among people with HIV and key populations

This study explored the expected impact of two hypothetical HIV cure scenarios on quality of life, sexual satisfaction, and stigma among people with HIV and key populations (i.e., partners and communities of people with HIV and men who have sex with men without HIV) in the Netherlands.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among people with HIV and key populations from October 2021 until June 2022. We assessed quality of life, sexual satisfaction, and stigma using linear regression and mixed models to compare participants' current situation with two hypothetical HIV cure scenarios: HIV post-intervention control, where HIV is suppressed without the need for ongoing antiretroviral treatment, but the viral reservoir is expected to persist, and HIV elimination, where HIV is completely removed from the body.

Our findings show that people with HIV (n = 222) expect improved quality of life and sexual satisfaction, as well as reduced stigma, compared to their current situation following both post-intervention control and elimination. Key populations (n = 495) similarly expect improvements for both HIV cure scenarios, except no expected improvement was found for quality of life following post-intervention control. Participants aged 18 to 34 anticipate greater improvements from both cure scenarios than those over 34.

Both people with HIV and key populations without HIV expect an HIV cure to have a positive impact on quality of life, sexual satisfaction, and stigma. This impact is expected not only for HIV elimination but also for HIV post-intervention control, the development of which appears more feasible.