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A cross sectional survey of the barriers for implementing rapid HIV testing among French general practitioners
In France, almost 30,000 people are unaware of their HIV-positive status. Innovative screening strategies are essential to reach this population. The aim of this study was to describe the acceptability of rapid HIV testing (RHT) among French general practitioners (GPs) working in the south of France and barriers for implementing this strategy. We analysed an anonymous questionnaire sent by mail to GPs about demographic data, routine practice, knowledge of RHT and barriers to its use. Between 1 April and 30 September 2013, out of the 165 GPs contacted, 78 returned the questionnaires. The GPs’ mean age was 52 years; 49...
Source: International Journal of STD and AIDS - September 19, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Fraisse, T., Fourcade, C., Brazes-Sanz, J., Koumar, Y., Lavigne, J. P., Sotto, A., Laureillard, D. Tags: Original research articles Source Type: research

CURB-65 and other markers of illness severity in community-acquired pneumonia among HIV-positive patients
As the relative burden of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia among HIV-positive patients increases, adequate prediction of case severity on presentation is crucial. We sought to determine what characteristics measurable on presentation are predictive of worse outcomes. We studied all admissions for community-acquired bacterial pneumonia over one year at a tertiary centre. Patient demographics, comorbidities, HIV-specific markers and CURB-65 scores on Emergency Department presentation were reviewed. Outcomes of interest included mortality, bacteraemia, intensive care unit admission and orotracheal intubation. A total of...
Source: International Journal of STD and AIDS - September 19, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Almeida, A., Almeida, A. R., Castelo Branco, S., Vesza, Z., Pereira, R. Tags: Original research articles Source Type: research

Identifying a need for more focused treatment of chlamydia and gonorrhoea in the emergency department
The indolent nature of chlamydia and gonorrhoea, along with the time delay associated with current diagnostic testing, makes definitive diagnosis while in the emergency department impossible. We therefore sought to determine the proportion of patients who receive accurate, presumptive antimicrobial treatment for these infections. A retrospective chart review was performed on all patient encounters that underwent chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing at an urban emergency department during a single month in 2012. Each encounter was reviewed for nucleic acid amplification test results and whether presumptive antibiotics were give...
Source: International Journal of STD and AIDS - September 19, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Wilson, S. P., Knych, M., Iordanova, R., Mahan, M., Vohra, T. Tags: Original research articles Source Type: research

Acceptability and preferences for safer conception HIV prevention strategies: a qualitative study
Safer conception strategies to reduce the HIV transmission risk include antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive partners, pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV-negative partners, condomless sex limited to fertile periods, and home-based self-insemination. Resistance to taking treatment or cultural concerns may limit uptake of strategies and intervention success. Understanding the acceptability and preferences between different approaches is important to optimise service delivery. Between February and July 2013, 42 adults (21 HIV-positive and 21 HIV-negative) receiving primary care at Witkoppen Health and Welfare Centre in Johan...
Source: International Journal of STD and AIDS - September 19, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Schwartz, S. R., West, N., Phofa, R., Yende, N., Sanne, I., Bassett, J., Van Rie, A. Tags: Original research articles Source Type: research

Chlamydia trachomatis infection in African American women who exclusively have sex with women
In conclusion, Chlamydia trachomatis seropositivity was relatively common in exclusive African American WSW, though significantly less common than in African American WSWM. (Source: International Journal of STD and AIDS)
Source: International Journal of STD and AIDS - September 19, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Muzny, C. A., Kapil, R., Austin, E. L., Brown, L., Hook, E. W., Geisler, W. M. Tags: Original research articles Source Type: research

Ability of a rapid HIV testing site to attract and test vulnerable populations: a cross-sectional study on Actuel sur Rue
Quebec’s HIV epidemic persists, particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM) and in Montreal. Increasing access to HIV testing is necessary and community-based rapid testing offers one strategy. This paper examines the clienteles and activities of a rapid HIV testing site in Montreal, the pilot project Actuel sur Rue. Comparative analyses were conducted with 1357 MSM, 147 heterosexual men and 64 women who visited Actuel sur Rue between July 2012 and November 2013 on socio-demographics, health, drug use, sexual practices/infection and HIV testing/prevention. Significant group differences were observed in each ca...
Source: International Journal of STD and AIDS - September 19, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Engler, K., Rollet, K., Lessard, D., Thomas, R., Lebouche, B. Tags: Original research articles Source Type: research

Occult hepatitis B virus infection and S gene escape mutants in HIV-infected patients after hepatitis B virus vaccination
This study assessed the presence of occult HBV infection and S gene escape mutants in HIV-positive patients after HBV vaccination. Ninety-two HIV-positive patients were enrolled in this study, including 52 responders to HBV vaccine and 40 non-responders. All of the cases received HBV vaccine according to routine HBV vaccination protocols. The presence of HBV-DNA was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In HBV-DNA positive samples, the most conserved regions of S gene sequences were amplified by nested PCR and PCR products were sequenced. Occult HBV infection was detected in two cases. Glycine to arginin...
Source: International Journal of STD and AIDS - September 19, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Aghakhani, A., Mohraz, M., Aghasadeghi, M. R., Banifazl, M., Vahabpour, R., Karami, A., Foroughi, M., Ramezani, A. Tags: Original research articles Source Type: research

Syndemics and gender affirmation: HIV sexual risk in female-to-male trans masculine adults reporting sexual contact with cisgender males
This study examined the role of syndemic conditions and social gender affirmation processes (living full-time in one’s identified gender) in potentiating sexual risk among TMSM adults in Massachusetts, US. Cross-sectional data were restricted to TMSM who reported lifetime sexual behaviour with a cisgender male (n = 173; mean age = 29.4, SD = 9.6; 18.5% people of colour; 93.1% non-heterosexual identity; 56.1% hormones/surgery). Sexual risk outcomes were: lifetime STI diagnoses, three or more sexual partners in the previous six months, and condomless anal/vaginal sex at last encounter with a cisgender male. Age- and su...
Source: International Journal of STD and AIDS - September 19, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Reisner, S. L., White Hughto, J. M., Pardee, D., Sevelius, J. Tags: Original research articles Source Type: research

Point-of-care testing for HIV in an Irish prison setting: results from three major Irish prisons
HIV is more prevalent in the prison population compared to the general population. Prison inmates are at an increased risk of blood-borne infections. Considerable stigma has been documented amongst inmates with HIV infection. In collaboration with the schools, healthcare facilities, prison authorities and inmate Irish Red Cross groups in Wheatfield, Cloverhill and Mountjoy prisons in Dublin, Ireland, the Department of Genito Urinary Medicine and Infectious Diseases at St James’ Hospital in Dublin developed a campaign for raising awareness of HIV, educating inmates about HIV and tackling HIV stigma. Following this cam...
Source: International Journal of STD and AIDS - September 19, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Bannan, C. L., Lynch, P. A., Conroy, E. P., ODea, S., Surah, S., Betts-Symonds, G., Lyons, F. E. Tags: Original research articles Source Type: research

Psychiatric disorders and adherence to antiretroviral therapy among a population of HIV-infected adults in Nigeria
In this study, we aimed to identify associations between antiretroviral adherence, measured by one-week and one-month self-reported missed doses, and psychiatric illness in a cohort previously assessed for psychiatric disorders using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. The study participants comprised 151 adults with major depression, anxiety or suicidal symptoms, and 302 matched-control participants. Two controls were randomly selected for each case within the same gender and education level. We compared participants with psychiatric disorders (WPDs) and no psychiatric disorders (NPDs) on selected demographi...
Source: International Journal of STD and AIDS - September 19, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Adejumo, O., Oladeji, B., Akpa, O., Malee, K., Baiyewu, O., Ogunniyi, A., Evans, S., Berzins, B., Taiwo, B. Tags: Original research articles Source Type: research

2016 European guideline on the management of non-gonococcal urethritis
We present the updated International Union against Sexually Transmitted Infections (IUSTI) guideline for the management of non-gonococcal urethritis in men. This guideline recommends confirmation of urethritis in symptomatic men before starting treatment. It does not recommend testing asymptomatic men for the presence of urethritis. All men with urethritis should be tested for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae and ideally Mycoplasma genitalium using a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) as this is highly likely to improve clinical outcomes. If a NAAT is positive for gonorrhoea, a culture should be performe...
Source: International Journal of STD and AIDS - September 19, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Horner, P. J., Blee, K., Falk, L., van der Meijden, W., Moi, H. Tags: Guidelines Source Type: research

Urgent need for demonstration projects in Portugal to produce pre-exposure prophylaxis-related data
(Source: International Journal of STD and AIDS)
Source: International Journal of STD and AIDS - August 24, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Rocha, M., Deniel, A., Mereiles, P., Fuertes, R., Barros, H., Bernier, A. Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: research

Invasive shigellosis in MSM
Shigella flexneri is an emerging pathogen in men who have sex with men (MSM); recent outbreaks related to sexual practices have been noted in this population in the UK and other developed countries. While the majority of cases of shigellosis present with gastroenteritis, some vulnerable patients with underlying immunosuppression can develop complications like bacteraemia and may present atypically as an acute surgical emergency. This case report highlights such a case of S. flexneri bacteraemia in a man who had sex with men. (Source: International Journal of STD and AIDS)
Source: International Journal of STD and AIDS - August 24, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Serafino Wani, R. L., Filson, S. A., Chattaway, M. A., Godbole, G. Tags: Case reports Source Type: research

Cellulitis-like symptoms manifested by bone metastasis of lung cancer in a patient living with human immunodeficiency virus
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients are at a high risk of cancer compared with the general population. As the use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has increased, non-AIDS-defining cancers have also increased in the past decade. A 61-year-old man with HIV infection on ART developed a painful, erythematous and oedematous lower left leg and an associated fever. He was initially treated with antibiotics for cellulitis but there was no improvement, which warranted further investigation. A translucent lesion was found by X-ray imaging and bone scintigraphy showed bone metastasis from a primary adenocarcinoma of t...
Source: International Journal of STD and AIDS - August 24, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Kashima, J., Okuma, Y., Watanabe, K., Ajisawa, A., Hishima, T. Tags: Case reports Source Type: research

Extramedullary plasmacytoma: an unusual neoplasm in a HIV-positive patient
We report this case for its rarity, histopathological dilemma and its atypical features in HIV infection. (Source: International Journal of STD and AIDS)
Source: International Journal of STD and AIDS - August 24, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Joseph, A. A., Pulimood, S., Manipadam, M. T., Viswabandya, A., Sigamani, E. Tags: Case reports Source Type: research