Hormones and Inflammation among Women Living with HIV

HIV is a lifelong condition. While effective life-sustaining treatments have increased life expectancy, in Canada, women living with HIV (WLWH) live 7 years less and experience age-related illnesses earlier than men living with HIV and live 5-10 years less than women without HIV. The British Columbia CARMA-CHIWOS Collaboration (BCC3) is a study of WLWH and control women without HIV. It takes a holistic society-to-cell approach to address questions on healthy aging and involves WLWH in the research. Sex hormones are more often low in WLWH, perhaps due to HIV or its treatment. Low hormone levels impair immune function and increase inflammation, yet the link between HIV, hormones, and inflammation remains largely unexplored. My project will assess how levels of three key hormones – estradiol, estrone, and testosterone – known to be associated with age-related illnesses in women, are linked to immune responses and markers of inflammation. Ongoing knowledge sharing will include in-person and virtual events throughout BC with presentations, art-based activities, and take-home materials. This project will help understand the biological impacts of altered hormones in WLWH, and inform potential avenues to improve care for women.