Reaching Out-of-school Adolescent Girls and Young Women at Risk for HIV Through Their Social Networks
AbstractOut-of-school adolescent girls/young women (AGYW) in Africa are at increased risk for HIV and are underserved by HIV prevention interventions. Identifying social networks of out-of-school AGYW may be a strategic approach for reaching them. A sequential mixed methods study design was used. The PLACE (Priorities for Local AIDS Control Efforts) methodology, implemented in one ward of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, identified 69 networks of AGYW. We randomly selected 28 networks and conducted surveys and network assessments with 80.9% (n = 310) of the members. On average, the networks consisted of 13.7 members, and had ...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - September 19, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
Latent Constructs of Economic Marginality Associated with Sexual Behavior, Healthcare Access and HIV Outcomes Among Transgender and Nonbinary People in Three U.S. Cities
AbstractTransgender and nonbinary people (TNB) in the U.S. experience high HIV prevalence and diverse economic hardships. Yet a comprehensive understanding of how multiple, simultaneously occurring hardships —termed economic marginality—aretogether associated with healthcare and HIV outcomes is needed. Leveraging survey data from a sample of 330 TNB people in three U.S. cities, we conducted an exploratory mixed-source principal component analysis of latent factors of economic experience, then estimated their associations with sexual behavior, access to healthcare, HIV status, and HIV testing frequency. Two factors emer...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - September 12, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
Sociodemographic and Behavioral Risk Correlates of PrEP Interest and Use Among Young Adults Experiencing Homelessness in Los Angeles
AbstractYoung adults experiencing homelessness (YAEH) are at elevated risk for HIV compared to their stably housed peers. Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective at preventing HIV infection, yet YAEH have been largely overlooked in PrEP efforts to date despite YAEH reporting high overall interest in PrEP. We assessed individual, social, and structural variables associated with PrEP interest and use among a sample of 195 YAEH (ages 18 –25) recruited from drop-in centers across Los Angeles County who met criteria for HIV risk. In the current sample, though most had heard of PrEP (81.0%), the majority were not in...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - September 12, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
Healthcare Utilization Among Persons with HIV and Unhealthy Alcohol Use in St. Petersburg, Russia
This study analyzed the association between unhealthy alcohol use (defined as AUDIT score ≥ 8) and healthcare utilization among PWH with heavy alcohol use and daily smoking in St. Petersburg, Russia. This secondary analysis used data from a randomized controlled trial addressing alcohol use. The primary outcome was seeing an infectionist for HIV care in the past year. Outcomes wer e measured at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. We assessed the association between unhealthy alcohol use and healthcare utilization outcomes with a repeated measures logistic regression model, controlling for relevant covariates. Nearl...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - September 8, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
Effectiveness of Linkage to Care and Prevention Interventions Following HIV Self-Testing: A Global Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
AbstractOver 38.4 million people were living with HIV globally in 2021. The HIV continuum includes HIV testing, diagnosis, linkage to combined antiretroviral therapy (cART), and retention in care. An important innovation in the HIV care continuum is HIV self-testing. There is a paucity of evidence regarding the eff ectiveness of interventions aimed at linking self-testers to care and prevention, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). To bridge this gap, we carried out a global systematic review and meta-analysis to ascertain the effectiveness of interventions post-HIV self-testing regarding: (1) linkage to care or AR...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - September 5, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
The Moderating Role of Social Support and HIV Stigma on the Association Between Depression and ART Adherence Among Young Thai Men Who Have Sex with Men
AbstractIn Thailand, antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs still have difficulties reaching and promoting adherence among a key population - young men who have sex with men (YMSM) living with HIV. As such, we sought to examine potential psychosocial barriers that may contribute to suboptimal levels of ART adherence for this population. Data were drawn from a study of 214 YMSM living with HIV from Bangkok, Thailand. Linear regression models tested the association between depression and ART adherence, and whether social support and HIV-related stigma moderated that relationship. Multivariable models demonstrated social suppo...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - August 31, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
Attitudes and Beliefs About HIV Treatment as Prevention Among People Who are Not Engaged in HIV Care, 2018 –2019
AbstractTreatment as prevention (TasP) is an effective HIV prevention strategy. Our objectives were to explore TasP attitudes and beliefs among people with HIV (PWH) who are not engaged in care and to examine attitudes and beliefs by selected characteristics. We sampled PWH who had participated in the Medical Monitoring Project (MMP), a structured interview survey, from June 2018 –May 2019 to participate in 60-minute semi-structured telephone interviews. We obtained sociodemographic and behavioral quantitative data from the MMP structured interview. We used applied thematic analysis to analyze the qualitative data and in...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - August 31, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
Identifying Patterns of Discontinuing and Recommencing Pre-exposure Prophylaxis in the Context of Sexual Behavior Among Gay and Bisexual Men in Australia
AbstractWe mapped gay and bisexual men ’s (GBM) patterns of using pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) over time and explored sexual behavior as PrEP use changed. We conducted semi-structured interviews between June 2020 and February 2021 with 40 GBM living in Australia who had changed their PrEP use since initiating. There was considerable diversity in patterns of discontinuation, suspension, and recommencement of PrEP. Reasons for changing PrEP use mostly centered on accurate perceived changes to HIV risk. Twelve participants reported condomless anal intercourse with casual or f.buddy partners after discontinuing PrEP. Thes...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - August 31, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
Examining the Relationship Between HIV-Related Stigma and the Health and Wellbeing of Children and Adolescents Living with HIV: A Systematic Review
AbstractHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) affects millions of people globally. The associated stigma remains a challenge for individuals living with HIV and children and adolescents face the additional challenge of withstanding the peer, pubertal and identity challenges associated with growing up. The current systematic review aimed to define and explore the major stigma-related challenges of children and adolescents from their own perspectives. A secondary aim was to identify any challenges distinct to childhood and adolescence. Studies included individuals aged 3 to 18 years who were aware of their status. Fifteen studi...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - August 31, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
Verbal Memory Performance and Depressive Symptoms in Persons with Treated HIV
AbstractThe link between memory and comorbid depression in persons with HIV (PWH) is unclear based on evidence from published cohorts. We compared verbal memory in the HVLT-R in a well-characterized HIV cohort (n = 354) with (n = 102) or without (n = 252) comorbid depressive symptoms, and examined memory correlates in both scenarios. Memory fell within unimpaired ranges, but was lower in depressed than non-depressed PWH. Memory was related to quality of life, sociodemographic, and mental health factors, but not to assessed HIV-related or antiretroviral factors. However, longitudinally (n = 52) memory declin...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - August 31, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
Costs of a Brief Alcohol Consumption Reduction Intervention for Persons Living with HIV in Southwestern Uganda: Comparisons of Live Versus Automated Cell Phone-Based Booster Components
AbstractLow-cost interventions are needed to reduce alcohol use among persons with HIV (PWH) in low-income settings. Brief alcohol interventions hold promise, and technology may efficiently deliver brief intervention components with high frequency. We conducted a costing study of the components of a randomized trial that compared a counselling-based intervention with two in-person one-on-one sessions supplemented by booster sessions to reinforce the intervention among PWH with unhealthy alcohol use in southwest Uganda. Booster sessions were delivered twice weekly by two-way short message service (SMS) or Interactive Voice ...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - August 31, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
The Effect of the Shikamana Peer-and-Provider Intervention on Depressive Symptoms, Alcohol Use, and Other Drug Use Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men in Kenya
AbstractKenyan gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) face stigma and discrimination, which may adversely impact mental health and limit antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence among GBMSM living with HIV. We evaluated whether theShikamana peer-and-provider intervention, which improved ART adherence among participants in a small randomized trial, was associated with changes in mental health or substance use. The intervention was associated with a significant decrease in PHQ-9 score between baseline and month 6 (estimated change − 2.7, 95% CI − 5.2 to − 0.2, p = 0.037) compared to standard ca...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - August 31, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
More than just Reminders: Using text Messaging to Improve HIV care Outcomes Among Youth and Young Adults Living with HIV
This study evaluated engagement, satisfaction, and efficacy of an automated and live two-way text messaging intervention that linked youth and young adults at high risk for poor HIV outcomes to their medical case managers, with the aims of increasing viral load suppression rates and improving medical visit attendance. Participants (N = 100) were an average age of 22–23 years old. Most were Black (93%) and men who have sex with men (82%). A total of 89,681 automated text messages were sent to participants; and 62% of participants engaged in monthly text-message exchanges with medical case managers. McNemar’s test r...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - August 31, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
Neuropsychological Test Norms for the Assessment of HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Impairment Among South African Adults
AbstractReliable and valid neurocognitive (NC) test batteries that assess multiple domains of cognitive functioning are vital tools in the early detection of HIV-associated NC impairment. The HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center ’s International Neurobehavioral Battery (HNRC Battery) is one such diagnostic tool and has shown cultural validity in several international neuroHIV studies. However, no published norms are currently available for the full HNRC Battery in South Africa. To accurately interpret NC test results, app ropriate reference norms are required. In light of this challenge, data were collected from 500 healt...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - August 31, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
Strategies of Managing Repeated Measures: Using Synthetic Random Forest to Predict HIV Viral Suppression Status Among Hospitalized Persons with HIV
This study suggested the individual-specific prediction of the growth curve performed the best in terms of lowest error rate on an independent set of test data. (Source: AIDS and Behavior)
Source: AIDS and Behavior - August 31, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
