Sex Differences in the Cognitive Performance of a South African Cohort of People With HIV and Comorbid Major Depressive Disorder

Abstract

Women with HIV (WWH) may be more vulnerable to cognitive impairment than men with HIV (MWH), which may be explained by the direct effects of HIV or by sociodemographic and psychiatric characteristics. We recruited 105 people with HIV (PWH; 76 women) with incomplete antiretroviral therapy adherence, comorbid major depressive disorder, and socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Participants completed neuropsychological testing and measures gathering sociodemographic, medical, and psychiatric information. We compared WWH and MWH cognitive performance using unadjusted and adjusted regressions, and within each respective group, we explored predictors of cognitive performance. Results showed no significant between-sex differences in cognitive performance, both globally and within domains. Fewer years of education ( β = 0.94), illiteracy ( β = 4.55), and greater food insecurity ( β = −0.28) predicted lower cognitive performance in WWH but not MWH. We conclude that sex differences in PWH are likely due to sample characteristics representing broader inequalities, rather than true biological differences.