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
Patterns of Event-Level Concurrent Substance Use During Sex Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men in Metro Vancouver
This study identified patterns of sexualized substance use among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) and examined associated risk factors for sexually transmitted and blood borne infections (STBBI). Data were from a longitudinal cohort recruited using respondent-driven sampling between Feb-2017 and Feb-2019. Participants reported on events with up to five of their most recent sexual partners. Latent class analysis examined patterns of concurrent substance use 2 h prior to or during sex. Multinomial regression identified demographic, partner-level, and event-level factors associated across 11,877 se...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - August 31, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
HIV Risk Perception, Willingness to Use PrEP, and PrEP Uptake Among Young Men who have Sex with Men in Washington, DC
AbstractLow HIV risk perception is a barrier to PrEP uptake, but few studies have examined risk perception and PrEP uptake among young men who have sex with men (YMSM). We performed a secondary analysis of data collected in 2016 from YMSM ages 16 –25 in the Washington, DC metropolitan area who participated in a cross-sectional online survey that aimed to identify strategies for engaging YMSM in PrEP services. Of 188 participants, 115 (61%) were considered eligible for PrEP. Among PrEP-eligible participants who had never used PrEP, 53%, 71% , and 100% with low, moderate, and high risk perception, respectively, were willin...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - August 31, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study of Just4Us, a Counseling and Navigation Intervention to Promote Oral HIV Prophylaxis Uptake Among PrEP-Eligible Cisgender Women
This report presents results on preliminary efficacy. At 3 months follow-up, 45% made an appointment to se e a provider about PrEP; only 13% received a PrEP prescription. There were no differences in PrEP initiation by study arm (9% Info vs. 11% Just4Us). PrEP knowledge was significantly higher in the Just4Us group at post-intervention. Analysis revealed high PrEP interest with many personal and structur al barriers along the PrEP continuum. Just4Us is a promising PrEP uptake intervention for cisgender women. Further research is needed to tailor intervention strategies to multilevel barriers.Clinicaltrials.gov registration...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - August 31, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
Examining Associations Between Resilience and PrEP Use Among HIV-negative GBM in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver
This study evaluated the association between resilience and PrEP use among a population-based sample of Canadian gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM). Sexually active GBM aged ≥ 16 years old were recruited via respondent-driven sampling (RDS) in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver from 02/2017 to 07/2019. We conducted a pooled cross-sectional analysis of HIV-negative/unknown GBM who met clinical eligibility for PrEP. We performed multivariable RDS-II-weighted logistic regression to assess the association between scores on the Connor-Davidson Resilience-2 Scale and PrEP. Mediation analyses with weigh...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - August 31, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
