PrEP to Party: Exploring MSM's PrEP Use and Interest in the Context of Sexually Themed Events

Sexually themed events present a unique opportunity for scaling up pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to men who have sex with men (MSM). This study descriptively explored PrEP uptake among MSM who anticipated attending a week-long major South Florida sexually themed event and examined potential facilitators and barriers to PrEP engagement among potential attendees. Of the participating HIV-negative MSM (n = 96), 66.7% were currently taking PrEP. Prior attendance at sexually themed events was significantly associated with current PrEP engagement and almost 75% of HIV-negative MSM not on PrEP reported high interest in taking PrEP if offered for free at future events.

Comparing individually based and family-based treatments for internalizing, externalizing, and family symptoms in Latino youth

Rigorous randomized trials that test promising culturally centered treatments for Latino youth and families are needed. This study adds to the knowledge base by comparing the efficacy of Culturally Informed and Flexible Family Treatment for Adolescents (CIFFTA) to an Individually Oriented Treatment-As-Usual (ITAU) in its ability to retain Latino youth and families in treatment, reduce internalizing and externalizing child symptoms, and improve family functioning. CIFFTA uses an adaptive/flexible approach to deliver individual therapy, family therapy, and psycho-educational modules tailored to each family's unique clinical and cultural characteristics. Two hundred Latino adolescents 11-14 years of age completed a baseline assessment, were randomly assigned to CIFFTA or ITAU, then were assessed again after 16 weeks of intervention. Results show that CIFFTA had significantly higher retention (83%) than ITAU (71%), OR = 2.05, p = .036. Youth in both conditions showed significant reductions in youth and parent reported externalizing and internalizing behaviors, and there were no differences in change between conditions. Parents in CIFFTA reported significantly greater reductions in family conflict, d = 0.38, p = .025 than in ITAU. In CIFFTA, children of less acculturated Latino parents showed more improvement than the children of more acculturated parents. In ITAU, the reverse was true, children of more acculturated parents reported more improvement. This evidence of CIFFTA's impact on retention, family conflict, and differential effect depending on cultural values and behaviors, has important implications for the field of Latino psychology and family treatment.

An adapted cognitive behavioral stress and self-management (CBSM) intervention for sexual minority men living with HIV and cancer using the SmartManage eHealth platform: Study design and protocol. (Preprint)

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

Engaging, retaining, and providing transdiagnostic integrated cognitive-behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing for underserved people with HIV

People with HIV experience elevated levels of co-occurring psychosocial concerns, which can interfere with HIV-related self-care behaviors, such as medication adherence. We recently developed transdiagnostic, integrated cognitive-behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing psychotherapy to address interrelated psychosocial problems (syndemics) that can interfere with medication adherence and self-care among people with uncontrolled HIV (i.e., a detectable viral load). Through completion of a field trial that included development, clinical supervision, treatment, and administrative coordination of this project, we identified recommendations for engaging, retaining, and delivering transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral therapy/motivational interviewing to individuals with HIV and experiencing psychosocial and structural barriers to mental and physical health. We describe these recommendations, which include (a) building the relationship; (b) addressing HIV in the context of syndemics; (c) attending to the impact of stigma on health; (d) being flexible in delivering the treatment; (e) managing emergent crises with relevant skill material; (f) tailoring the treatment to education, language, and sociocultural context; (g) implementing problem-solving skills for structural barriers; (h) scheduling flexibly and following up; (i) colocating mental health services and coordinating among providers; and (j) providing a comfortable and affirming physical space. In addition to describing these recommendations, we provide clinical examples and highlight empirical research to illustrate and support using these recommendations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Immunity to diphtheria in the 4-70 year age group in Italy

Diphtheria antibody level in serum samples obtained from 270 subjects aged 4-70 was measured by in vitro seroneutralization test on Vero cells. Of the studied population, 27.8% had an antibody titre below the protective level (< 0.01 IU/ml). The prevalence of susceptible subjects showed a significant age-related increase (p < 0.01), with the highest value (53.8%) in the 31-40 age group. Mean antibody titre was maximum in individuals aged 13-14, then decreased reaching the minimum level in the 41-50 age group. These data suggest that in individuals aged 30-50, diphtheria immunity is not satisfactory, both for prevalence of immune subjects and for antibody levels. Therefore, a revaccination of adults with reduced doses of diphtheria toxoid may be advisable.

Tetanus immunity in a partially vaccinated population of children in a district of Naples (Secondigliano)

A general opinion is that compliance with the compulsory immunization programme of children is excellent in Italy. We have studied antitetanus immunity in relation to vaccination history in a sample of 444 school children born between 1977 and 1981 in a district of Naples. Information on vaccination history was collected by interviewing the parents and validated using the official vaccination certificates. Titration of antibodies against tetanus was carried out by the immunoenzymatic method. 0.9% of our study subjects had not been vaccinated at all and only 21.2% had received 4 vaccine doses. In 18 children the presence of antitetanus antibodies was not detected; 14 of them had received one or more doses of vaccine. The lack of compliance with the vaccination programme was associated with a remarkable delay in administering the tetanus vaccine. In the population reported here, the percentage of subjects only partially covered is higher than that found in other regions of Italy.

Detection of anti-HIV antibodies in immunoglobulin preparations: the significance of antibodies to the HIV-envelope

Four hundred and sixty-eight immunoglobulin preparations, produced between 1969 and 1989, were examined for anti-HIV antibodies by means of two competitive immunoenzymatic assays and the Western blot test. This study refers the results obtained by the three different methods. Such results show that the detection of anti-HIV antibodies in immunoglobulins may be performed on a routine basis using commercial kits intended for human sera. The meaning of the test and the role of antibodies against the HIV envelope proteins are emphasized.

[Nutrition errors in children]

Errors in the childhood feeding administration are commonly met, particularly during the first and second year of life, according to the poor or vague knowledge among paediatricians. A first proof of this assumption is given when, as a consequence of digestive disturbance, caused by a wrong nourishment, the paediatrician suggests remedies that, substantially, make the same primitive mistakes. A second proof is given when a particular diet, due to the presence of intestinal disturbance and already seen to be inefficacious, is reproposed, even more than once, with industrial aliments which differ from the ones used in the name and the brand but not in the composition. Finally, another proof is given when in the exclusion therapy due to an intolerance towards gluten, towards cow's milk, towards disaccharides, the paediatrician inserts, in the diet, products containing, respectively, the above mentioned components. These and other mistakes are reported in the present casuistry (121 cases), the majority of which (75 cases) is accompanied by specific examples. Between the cases that mostly stand out we find the so called "precocious weaning" as cause of digestive disturbance and, frequently, as initial moment of a chain of errors responsible, in their turn for the protraction and the chronicization of the aforementioned intestinal pathology.

[Herpesvirus simplex disease in the newborn infant. Clinical aspects, diagnosis, prophylaxis, therapy]

Herpes Simplex virus infection (Particularly by HVS2) is one of the most important disease transmitted by mother to newborn because of the seriousness of symptoms and the high incidence of genital infection of pregnants. Transmission of congenital HVS infection occurs usually by contact with infected genital secretions during the birth process, but there is evidence that transplacenter transmission also may occur. Emphasis must be placed then on prophylaxis of genital infection of pregnants and of their partners. Specific Immunoglobulins with high antibody titre are recommended for prophylaxis. An anti HVS2 vaccine without oncogen property os still at experimental stage. This prophylaxis is inadequate for the newborn of infected mother: this one must be treated with newer antiviral agents (Acyclovir), even is absence of herpetic lesion and other symptoms.

[Sinusitis in children. Personal case study]

The presence of sinusitis has been found out 85 times out of 278 cases of acute relapsing respiratory diseases in children between 4 and 12 years of age. The maxilla sinuses have been those most frequently stricken; the frontal sinuses come next and last at a distance the sphenoidal sinus. A close relationship between the entity of basic respiratory pathology and the presence and seriousness of the sinusitis has been observed. There also seems to be a rather close relationship between the frequency of the presence of sinusitis in children with respiratory pathology either relapsing or chronic and climatic environmental situation. A damp climate with persistent fog together with industrial atmospheric pollution seems to favour the considered pathology in an undisputed way.