Abstract
Since gender differences vary across a geographical setting and are poorly reported in the extant literature, the present study aimed to investigate the presence of differences between HIV+ infected men and women, in terms of i) achievement of immunological/virological response, ii) adherence to medication, iii) health-related quality of life, and iv) absorption of resources for their management, within an HIV+ cohort of patients in Lombardy Region (Northern Italy), during a 12-month observation. Methods. Consecutive cases of HIV+ outpatients were enrolled in a prospective study, involving Sacco Hospital (Milan), and their demographic and clinical data were collected. Clinicians also administered to a subgroup of patients the EQ-5D questionnaire, useful to investigate the perceived quality of life. Results. 1,117 patients were enrolled in the study. The two populations were comparable in terms of actual CD4 and viral load, thus showing a good immunological and virological condition (p >0.05). Significant differences emerged with respect to adherence to medication and quality of life measures within the subgroup of patients (n = 302): while women paid more attention to the administration of ART (94% vs 87% were fully adherent, p = 0.020), they conversely reported a worse quality of life (0.86±0.025 vs 0.89±0.013, p = 0,016). From an economic point of view, since men patients absorbed more resources than women (€ 10,281.96 vs € 10,025.71, p <0.05 for treated patients; € 1,791.95 versus € 1,359.15, p <0.05 for naïve patients), male gender could be considered a determinant of higher cost for the management of HIV disease. Discussion. The study provides healthcare professionals with evidence-based information, useful for the identification and the personalization of the most effective and efficient clinical pathway, based on gender, in order to enhance the overall health of an HIV+ patient. Key words: Italian patients, gender differences, resource absorption, quality of life, HIV+.