Effects of acupuncture on psychological stress and viral load in African-Americans living with HIV/AIDS

People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) often seek various forms of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in combination with their daily antiretroviral therapy. Despite the widespread use of CAM among PLWHA little evidence exists to confirm any benefits it may have within this population. Purpose: To identify the effects of real and placebo acupuncture on psychological stress and viral load in HIV-infected African Americans. Methods: Sixty-four HIV infected African Americans were randomized into either a real (n = 36) or placebo (n = 28) acupuncture group. Each subject underwent five weeks of treatment in a group setting for twenty minutes twice a week. Data was collected at pre and post treatment consisting of plasma viral load, perceived stress, and symptom distress. Data was analyzed using a two way repeated measures ANOVA. Results: At 5 weeks there was a significant decrease in viral load (p = 0.002) and perceived stress (p = 0.02) in the real group, but no change in the placebo group. In addition, both groups showed a significant increase in HIV-related symptoms and their associated distress at 5 weeks (p < 0.001). Conclusion: These data show that 5 weeks of real acupuncture decreases viral load and perceived stress levels compared to a placebo treatment. In addition, 5 weeks of acupuncture has no effect on the frequency of reported HIV-related symptoms or their associated distress.