People living with HIV in the United Kingdom have poorer health-related quality of life (HRQoL) than the HIV-negative population, aidsmap reports. A study comparing the findings of two HRQoL surveys conducted between 2010 and 2011—one polling 3,151 HIV-positive adults, the other 7,424 HIV-negative adults—was presented at the Joint Conference of BHIVA (British HIV Association) with BASHH (British Association for Sexual Health and HIV).

Ninety-five percent of those with HIV had more than 200 CD4s, and three-quarters were taking antiretrovirals and had an undetectable viral load.

The respective percentages of people having problems in each of five HRQoL measures in the HIV-positive and HIV-negative groups were as follows: mobility, 27 percent and 20 percent; self-care, 13 percent and 5 percent; usual activities, 34 percent and 21 percent; pain, 42 percent and 40 percent; and anxiety/depression, 50 percent and 27 percent. All of the differences were significant, meaning it is unlikely they occurred by chance. People with HIV had an overall HRQoL score of 0.74, compared with 0.82 for HIV-negative people.

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