Syndemic of Substance Abuse, Depression, and Type 2 Diabetes and Their Association with Retention in Care Among People Living with HIV
AbstractSubstance abuse (SA), depression, and type 2 diabetes (DM2) often co-occur among people living with HIV (PLHIV). Guided by a syndemic framework, this cross-sectional retrospective study examined the cumulative and interaction effects of SA, depression, and DM2 on retention in HIV care (RIC) among 621 PLHIV receiving medical care in central Pennsylvania. We performed logistic regression analysis to test the associations between SA, depression, and DM2 and RIC. To test the “syndemic” model, we assessed additive and multiplicative interactions. In an unadjusted model, a dose-response pattern between the syndemic i...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - January 28, 2024 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
HIV, Social Networks, and Loneliness among Older Adults in Uganda
AbstractLoneliness among older adults has been identified as a major public health problem. Yet little is known about loneliness, or the potential role of social networks in explaining loneliness, among older people with HIV (PWH) in sub-Saharan Africa, where 70% of PWH reside. To explore this issue, we analyzed data from 599 participants enrolled in the Quality of Life and Ageing with HIV in Rural Uganda study, including older adults with HIV in ambulatory care and a comparator group of people without HIV of similar age and gender. The 3-item UCLA Loneliness Scale was used to measure loneliness, and HIV status was the pri...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - January 28, 2024 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
Characterizing Socioecological Markers of Differentiated HIV Risk Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Indonesia
AbstractHIV prevention programs typically focus on changing individuals ’ risk behaviors, often without considering the socioecological factors that can moderate this risk. We characterized HIV risk among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Indonesia (n = 1314) using latent class analysis and used multinomial logistic regression to identify latent class relationshi ps with demographics, social/sexual networks, and community-level socioecological indicators of HIV risk. Three HIV risk latent classes were identified—“Sexually Moderate” (n = 333), “Sexual Explorative” (n = 575), and “Navigating Comple...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - January 25, 2024 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
HIV Support Source: Development of a Distress Screening Measure for Adults with HIV
AbstractTo provide an effective, multidimensional, and psychometrically valid measure to screen for distress among people with HIV, we developed and assessed the psychometric properties of HIV Support Source, a distress screening, referral, and support program designed to identify the unmet needs of adults with HIV and link them to desired resources and support. Development and testing were completed in three phases: (1) item generation and initial item pool testing (N = 375), (2) scale refinement via exploratory factor analysis (N = 220); external/internal item quality, and judging theoretical and practical impli...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - January 23, 2024 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
Poor HIV-related Knowledge, Perceived Risks and Attitudes Among Urban-dwelling Malaysian Older Adults: Key Barriers to Zero HIV Transmission by 2030
AbstractGlobally and in Malaysia, there are increasing rates of HIV infection among older adults but a corresponding decline in other younger age groups. We aimed to investigate the HIV-related knowledge, perceived risks, attitudes, and risk behaviours among multi-ethnic urban-dwelling older adults in Malaysia. A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted among 320 adults aged 50 years and above residing in urban Klang Valley, Malaysia. Participants were recruited via convenience sampling in the community and in the outpatient clinics and pharmacy of University Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia, from April 2021...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - January 23, 2024 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
Perception and Awareness about Monkeypox and Vaccination Acceptance in an At-Risk Population in Brescia, Italy: An Investigative Survey
AbstractBefore 2022, monkeypox virus (Mpox) infection in humans was seldom reported outside Africa. During the May 2022 outbreak, most cases were detected among men who have sex with men (MSM). Since Mpox is largely unknown to the general population, through a self-completion questionnaire, we investigated the behaviours and knowledge of our at-risk population belonging to the sexually transmitted infection (STI) outpatient clinic of the Infectious Diseases Unit of the ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Italy, between August and October 2022. Most patients that took part in the compilation are HIV positive MSM. The other part...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - January 19, 2024 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
The City Clinic Cohort Study: Hepatitis B, HTLV-III/LAV, and CDC AIDS Project 24
AbstractAnticipating the availability of a safe vaccine, scientists at the Center for Disease Control (CDC) planned for a multicenter study of the prevalence, incidence, and efficacy of an experimental vaccine for hepatitis B in 1977, conducted the study among homosexual male volunteers in five collaborating sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinics in the United States from April 1978 through 1980, and concluded that the candidate vaccine was highly efficacious in preventing infections with the hepatitis B virus. Then something completely unexpected and portentous happened. Some successfully vaccinated as well as other...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - January 18, 2024 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
Heavy Alcohol Use and HIV Outcomes: The Moderating Role of Pain
AbstractPain and heavy alcohol consumption are prevalent among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH), each contributing to impaired functioning and diminished quality of life. Each of these conditions may have negative effects on the HIV care continuum, but less is known about their combined influences. The current study examined how heavy drinking and pain were associated with HIV viral suppression and CD4 cell count among participants receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). The study sample consisted of 220 PLWH with past 12-month substance dependence or ever injection drug use enrolled in a large HIV cohort study. Logistic...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - January 18, 2024 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
Factors Associated with Having both Male and Female Recent Sexual Partnerships Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Harare and Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
AbstractTo better understand male and female sexual partnerships among men who have sex with men (MSM), we used data from a 2019 biobehavioral survey among MSM in Harare and Bulawayo, Zimbabwe to conduct bivariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression to determine whether sociodemographic characteristics and HIV-related factors were associated with having both male and female sexual partnerships within the last 6 months. Of included MSM (N = 1143), 31% reported both male and female partnerships in the last 6 months. Being married/cohabiting (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 8.58, 95% confidence interval (CI) ...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - January 18, 2024 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
“As I Grew Older, My Life Got Better”: Conceptions of Successful Aging among Older Women Living with or at Risk of HIV
AbstractSuccessful aging (SA) is an important target for HIV care. However, we have insufficient understanding of how older women living with HIV (OWLH) in the US define SA. We explored conceptions of SA by OWLH and older women at risk of HIV and examined whether SA conceptions differed by (1) HIV serostatus, and (2) participation in the Women ’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS). These analyses were part of a larger mixed-methods study with a sequential design. Participants were recruited at two clinical WIHS sites. We enrolled both WIHS participants and non-WIHS clinic patients. Our sample was 84% Black and included 29 OWLH...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - January 17, 2024 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial of an Economic Strengthening Intervention to Enhance Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence among Adolescents Living with HIV.
We examined the impact of an economic empowerment intervention on ART adherence among ALHIV. We used data from 455 ALHIV, randomized into intervention,n = 111, and controln = 344. ALHIV were aged 12–16 and recruited from 39 clinics in Uganda between January 2013 and December 2015. The intervention comprised a long-term child development account (CDA), micro-enterprise workshops, and educational sessions. Adherence was measured using unannounced pill counts. We u sed mixed-effects logistic regression analysis to examine the effect of the intervention on ART adherence. The mean age was 12.6 years. Despite observing...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - January 17, 2024 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
Factors Associated with the First-time HIV Testing Among Chinese men who have sex with men Who Received HIV Self-tests from Partners or Friends
AbstractSecondary distribution of HIV self-testing (HIVST) among individual social networks was an effective approach to expanding HIV testing among men who have sex with men (MSM). However, understanding the factors associated with first-time HIV testing behaviors in the secondary distribution of HIVST programs is limited. Hence, this study aims to identify factors related to first-time testers in the secondary distribution of HIVST. Participants were recruited from five provinces in southern China through Blued, a geo-social gay networking app in China from January 2021 to December 2021. Eligible consented participants (...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - January 9, 2024 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
Social Determinants of Health Among Persons Living with HIV Impact Important Health Outcomes in Michigan
AbstractAddressing social determinants of health (SDOH) is a national priority for improving quality of life and addressing obstacles to accessing care for people living with HIV (PLWH). Utilizing the Oregon Social Determinants of HIV Health Index and CDC's Medical Monitoring Project, we examined the association between social determinants of health and various HIV clinical outcomes and quality of life indicators, including stigma and mental health, for people living with HIV in Michigan. We calculated estimates of SDOHs, clinical outcomes, stigma, and mental health using weighted percentages and prevalence ratios with pre...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - January 5, 2024 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
Acceptability, Feasibility, and Preliminary Impact of 4 Remotely-Delivered Interventions for Rural Older Adults Living with HIV
AbstractPeople living with HIV (PLH) who live in rural areas of the United States (US) face more challenges to obtaining medical care and suffer higher mortality rates compared to non-rural PLH. Compared with younger PLH, older PLH (age 50+) also face additional challenges to maintaining their health and wellbeing. Despite the heightened barriers to receiving care and remaining adherent to treatment among older rural PLH, few interventions to increase viral suppression and improve quality of life exist for this population. We pilot-tested four remotely-delivered interventions —group-based social support, group-based stig...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - January 3, 2024 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
A Qualitative Analysis of Barriers to Accessing HIV Prevention Services During an HIV Outbreak among Persons who Inject Drugs in West Virginia
AbstractIn response to an increase in HIV diagnoses among persons who inject drugs (PWID) in Kanawha County, West Virginia, West Virginia Bureau for Public Health and CDC conducted a qualitative assessment in Kanawha County to inform HIV outbreak response activities. Interviews with 26 PWID and 45 community partners were completed. Transcribed interviews were analyzed to identify barriers to accessing HIV prevention services among PWID using the risk environment framework. Participants identified numerous political, physical, social, and economic community-level barriers that influenced access to HIV prevention services am...
Source: AIDS and Behavior - January 2, 2024 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
