Are We There Yet? Short-Course Regimens in TB and HIV: From Prevention to Treatment of Latent to XDR TB
AbstractPurpose of ReviewDespite broad uptake of antiretroviral therapy (ART), tuberculosis (TB) incidence and mortality among people with HIV remain unacceptably high. Short-course regimens for TB, incorporating both novel and established drugs, offer the potential to enhance adherence and completion rates, thereby reducing the global TB burden. This review will outline short-course regimens for TB among patients with HIV.Recent FindingsAfter many years without new agents, there is now active testing of many novel drugs to treat TB, both for latent infection and active disease. Though not all studies have included patient...
Source: Current HIV/AIDS Reports - September 11, 2020 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
Mind the Gap: HIV Prevention Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex with Men
AbstractPurpose of ReviewYoung Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) suffer profound health inequities in new HIV diagnoses and clinical outcomes. While the evolution of HIV prevention options has become increasingly biomedical, inequities in access and uptake of these modalities persist.Recent FindingsStudies suggest that while YBMSM display interest and acceptability of varied HIV prevention options, uptake lags due to the lingering effects of intersectional oppression from racism and sexual prejudice, HIV stigma, institutional and provider bias, and unresolved health policy barriers. Promising avenues to address these...
Source: Current HIV/AIDS Reports - September 9, 2020 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
Relapse of Symptomatic Cerebrospinal Fluid HIV Escape
AbstractPurpose of ReviewSymptomatic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) HIV escape defines the presence of neurological disease in combination antiretroviral therapy (cART)-treated persons due to HIV replication in CSF despite systemic suppression or to higher viral replication in CSF than in plasma. The aim was to search for cases of recurrent symptomatic CSF escape and to define their characteristics.Recent FindingsBy review of the literature, we identified symptomatic CSF escape relapses in three patients who had shown clinical remission of a first escape episode following cART optimization. By examination of our cohort of 21 pa...
Source: Current HIV/AIDS Reports - August 31, 2020 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
Exploring Relative Preferences for HIV Service Features Using Discrete Choice Experiments: a Synthetic Review
AbstractPurpose of ReviewAligning HIV treatment services with patient preferences can promote long-term engagement. A rising number of studies solicit such preferences using discrete choice experiments, but have not been systematically reviewed to seek generalizable insights. Using a systematic search, we identified eleven choice experiments evaluating preferences for HIV treatment services published between 2004 and 2020.Recent FindingsAcross settings, the strongest preference was for nice, patient-centered providers, for which participants were willing to trade considerable amounts of time, money, and travel distance. In...
Source: Current HIV/AIDS Reports - August 27, 2020 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
Understanding Engagement in HIV Programmes: How Health Services Can Adapt to Ensure No One Is Left Behind
AbstractPurpose of ReviewDespite the significant progress in the HIV response, gaps remain in ensuring engagement in care to support life-long medication adherence and viral suppression. This review sought to describe the different points in the HIV care cascade where people living with HIV were not engaging and highlight promising interventions.Recent FindingsThere are opportunities to improve engagement both between testing and treatment and to support re-engagement in care for those in a treatment interruption. The gap between testing and treatment includes people who know their HIV status and people who do not know the...
Source: Current HIV/AIDS Reports - August 25, 2020 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
