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Alarcón Gutiérrez M, Palma Díaz D, Forns Cantón ML, Fernández-López L, García de Olalla P, Rius Gibert C. Trends in Sexual Health of Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men, and Transgender Individuals: Apps Driven Testing Program for HIV and Other STIs in Barcelona, Spain (2016-2023). J Community Health 2024; 49:429-438. [PMID: 38063976 PMCID: PMC10981613 DOI: 10.1007/s10900-023-01310-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) and transgender individuals face heightened risks of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Surveillance within these populations is critical, and community testing services play a pivotal role in preventing and controlling HIV and STIs. This study investigates the trends in HIV, syphilis and hepatitis C (HCV) infections among participants in an apps-driven rapid test program from 2016 to 2023 in Barcelona, Spain, examining associated factors. Trend analysis utilized Wilcoxon-type test and associated factors were determined through multivariate logistic analysis. The prevalence of new HIV diagnosis was 1.81% (CI 1.18-2.64), active syphilis was 3.37% (CI 2.46-4.50) and acute HCV was 0.40% (CI 0.11-1.02). While infection rates showed no significant changes, there was significant increasing in sex work and chemsex and decreasing in condom use. Additionally, a peak in dating apps use for sex and a specific reduction in number of sexual partners were observed in 2020. Factors associated with HIV diagnoses included migrant status (aOR = 11.19; CI 2.58-48.53) and inconsistent condom use during the previous 12 months (aOR = 3.12; CI 1.02-9.51). For syphilis, associated factors were migrant status (aOR = 2.46; CI 1.14-5.29), inconsistent condom use (aOR = 3.38; CI 1.37-8.36), and chemsex practice during the previous 12 months (aOR = 2.80; CI 1.24-6.30). Our findings emphasize the need for tailored interventions, including culturally sensitive outreach for migrants and comprehensive strategies addressing substance use in sexual contexts. Technological innovations and targeted educational initiatives could reduce the burden of HIV and STIs within the GBMSM and transgender communities, providing valuable insights for public health strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Alarcón Gutiérrez
- Department of Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Preventive Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
- Epidemiology Service, Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
- Centre of Epidemiological Studies of HIV/AIDS and STI of Catalonia (CEEISCAT), Health Department, Generalitat de Catalunya, Badalona, Spain.
| | - David Palma Díaz
- Epidemiology Service, Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of International Health, Care and Public Health Research Institute-CAPHRI, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Laura Fernández-López
- Centre of Epidemiological Studies of HIV/AIDS and STI of Catalonia (CEEISCAT), Health Department, Generalitat de Catalunya, Badalona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Patricia García de Olalla
- Epidemiology Service, Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Institut de Recerca de l'Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Institut d'Investigació Biomédica Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Rius Gibert
- Epidemiology Service, Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Institut de Recerca de l'Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Institut d'Investigació Biomédica Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
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Bogers S, Boyd A, Schim van der Loeff M, Geerlings S, Davidovich U. Opportunities for improved indicator-based HIV testing in the hospital setting: a structural equation model analysis. AIDS Care 2024; 36:840-848. [PMID: 37683267 DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2023.2254548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Indicator condition (IC)-guided HIV testing, i.e., testing when diagnosing a condition associated with HIV, is a feasible and cost-effective testing strategy to identify undiagnosed individuals. Assessing determinants for IC-guided testing may identify opportunities for improvement. A survey study based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) was conducted among 163 hospital physicians from five specialties in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Structural equation models were used to determine the association between the TPB domains (i.e., attitude, belief, norms, self-efficacy and behavioural control) and (1) the intention to test as a mediator for HIV testing behaviour (intentional model) and (2) actual HIV testing behaviour (direct model). Both models accounted for the effect of guideline recommendations. Behaviour scored lower than intention on a five-point scale (mean score of 2.8, SD = 1.6 versus 3.8, SD = 1.1; p<0.0001). The direct model had a better fit than the intentional model based on fit statistics. Discrepancies between the determinants most important for intention versus those for behaviour led to the following recommendations: interventions to improve IC-guided testing in hospitals should primarily focus on implementation of guideline recommendations, followed by improving physicians' attitude towards IC-guided HIV testing and self-efficacy, as these were the most important correlates of actual HIV testing behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saskia Bogers
- Internal Medicine, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Infectious diseases, Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Quality of Care, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anders Boyd
- Infectious diseases, Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Stichting HIV Monitoring, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten Schim van der Loeff
- Internal Medicine, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Infectious diseases, Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Suzanne Geerlings
- Internal Medicine, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Infectious diseases, Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Quality of Care, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Udi Davidovich
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Social Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Ni Y, Lu Y, Jing F, Wang Q, Xie Y, He X, Wu D, Tan RKJ, Tucker JD, Yan X, Ong JJ, Zhang Q, Jiang H, Dai W, Huang L, Mei W, Zhou Y, Tang W. A Machine Learning Model for Identifying Sexual Health Influencers to Promote the Secondary Distribution of HIV Self-Testing Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men in China: Quasi-Experimental Study. JMIR Public Health Surveill 2024; 10:e50656. [PMID: 38656769 DOI: 10.2196/50656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sexual health influencers (SHIs) are individuals actively sharing sexual health information with their peers, and they play an important role in promoting HIV care services, including the secondary distribution of HIV self-testing (SD-HIVST). Previous studies used a 6-item empirical leadership scale to identify SHIs. However, this approach may be biased as it does not consider individuals' social networks. OBJECTIVE This study used a quasi-experimental study design to evaluate how well a newly developed machine learning (ML) model identifies SHIs in promoting SD-HIVST compared to SHIs identified by a scale whose validity had been tested before. METHODS We recruited participants from BlueD, the largest social networking app for gay men in China. Based on their responses to the baseline survey, the ML model and scale were used to identify SHIs, respectively. This study consisted of 2 rounds, differing in the upper limit of the number of HIVST kits and peer-referral links that SHIs could order and distribute (first round ≤5 and second round ≤10). Consented SHIs could order multiple HIV self-testing (HIVST) kits and generate personalized peer-referral links through a web-based platform managed by a partnered gay-friendly community-based organization. SHIs were encouraged to share additional kits and peer-referral links with their social contacts (defined as "alters"). SHIs would receive US $3 incentives when their corresponding alters uploaded valid photographic testing results to the same platform. Our primary outcomes included (1) the number of alters who conducted HIVST in each group and (2) the number of newly tested alters who conducted HIVST in each. We used negative binomial regression to examine group differences during the first round (February-June 2021), the second round (June-November 2021), and the combined first and second rounds, respectively. RESULTS In January 2021, a total of 1828 men who have sex with men (MSM) completed the survey. Overall, 393 SHIs (scale=195 and ML model=198) agreed to participate in SD-HIVST. Among them, 229 SHIs (scale=116 and ML model=113) ordered HIVST on the web. Compared with the scale group, SHIs in the ML model group motivated more alters to conduct HIVST (mean difference [MD] 0.88, 95% CI 0.02-2.22; adjusted incidence risk ratio [aIRR] 1.77, 95% CI 1.07-2.95) when we combined the first and second rounds. Although the mean number of newly tested alters was slightly higher in the ML model group than in the scale group, the group difference was insignificant (MD 0.35, 95% CI -0.17 to -0.99; aIRR 1.49, 95% CI 0.74-3.02). CONCLUSIONS Among Chinese MSM, SHIs identified by the ML model can motivate more individuals to conduct HIVST than those identified by the scale. Future research can focus on how to adapt the ML model to encourage newly tested individuals to conduct HIVST. TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trials Registry ChiCTR2000039632; https://www.chictr.org.cn/showprojEN.html?proj=63068. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) RR2-10.1186/s12889-021-11817-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxin Ni
- Dermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Project-China, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Health Law, Policy, and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Ying Lu
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Project-China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fengshi Jing
- Institute for Healthcare Artificial Intelligence Application, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, China
- Faculty of Data Science, City University of Macau, Macao SAR, China
| | - Qianyun Wang
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Project-China, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Social Welfare, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Yewei Xie
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Project-China, Guangzhou, China
- Health Service and System Research Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xi He
- Zhuhai Xutong Voluntary Services Center, Zhuhai, China
| | - Dan Wu
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Rayner Kay Jin Tan
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Project-China, Guangzhou, China
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Joseph D Tucker
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Project-China, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Xumeng Yan
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Project-China, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Jason J Ong
- Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Qingpeng Zhang
- Musketeers Foundation Institute of Data Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China (Hong Kong)
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China (Hong Kong)
| | - Hongbo Jiang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wencan Dai
- Zhuhai Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Zhuhai, China
| | - Liqun Huang
- Zhuhai Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Zhuhai, China
| | - Wenhua Mei
- Zhuhai Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Zhuhai, China
| | - Yi Zhou
- Zhuhai Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Zhuhai, China
| | - Weiming Tang
- Dermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Project-China, Guangzhou, China
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Trayner KMA, Yeung A, Palmateer NE, McAuley A, Wilkinson M, Craik J, Metcalfe R, Peters E, Shepherd SJ, Gunson RN, Carter D, Sills L, Hutchinson SJ. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on HIV Test Uptake Among People Who Inject Drugs in the Context of an HIV Outbreak. AIDS Behav 2024:10.1007/s10461-024-04311-4. [PMID: 38649554 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-024-04311-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Glasgow, Scotland's largest city, has been experiencing an HIV outbreak among people who inject drugs (PWID) since 2015. A key focus of the public health response has been to increase HIV testing among those at risk of infection. Our aim was to assess the impact of COVID-19 on HIV testing among PWID in Glasgow. HIV test uptake in the last 12 months was quantified among: (1) PWID recruited in six Needle Exchange Surveillance Initiative (NESI) surveys (n = 6110); linked laboratory data for (2) people prescribed opioid agonist therapy (OAT) (n = 14,527) and (3) people hospitalised for an injecting-related hospital admission (IRHA) (n = 12,621) across four time periods: pre-outbreak (2010-2014); early-outbreak (2015-2016); ongoing-outbreak (2017-2019); and COVID-19 (2020-June 21). From the pre to ongoing period, HIV testing increased: the highest among people recruited in NESI (from 28% to 56%) and on OAT (from 17% to 54%) while the lowest was among people with an IRHA (from 15% to 42%). From the ongoing to the COVID-19 period, HIV testing decreased markedly among people prescribed OAT, from 54% to 37% (aOR 0.50, 95% CI 0.48-0.53), but increased marginally among people with an IRHA from 42% to 47% (aOR 1.19, 95% CI 1.08-1.31). In conclusion, progress in increasing testing in response to the HIV outbreak has been eroded by COVID-19. Adoption of a linked data approach could be warranted in other settings to inform efforts to eliminate HIV transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten M A Trayner
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK.
- Public Health Scotland, Glasgow, UK.
| | - Alan Yeung
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
- Public Health Scotland, Glasgow, UK
| | - Norah E Palmateer
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
- Public Health Scotland, Glasgow, UK
| | - Andrew McAuley
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
- Public Health Scotland, Glasgow, UK
| | - Max Wilkinson
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
- Public Health Scotland, Glasgow, UK
| | - Julie Craik
- Public Health Protection Unit, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Rebecca Metcalfe
- Brownlee Centre for Infectious Diseases, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Erica Peters
- Brownlee Centre for Infectious Diseases, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow, UK
| | | | - Rory N Gunson
- West of Scotland Specialist Virology Centre, Glasgow, UK
| | - Daniel Carter
- Public Health Protection Unit, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Laura Sills
- NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Addiction Services, Glasgow, UK
| | - Sharon J Hutchinson
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK.
- Public Health Scotland, Glasgow, UK.
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Wagner GJ, Bogart LM, Matovu JKB, Okoboi S, Gwokyalya V, Klein DJ, Ninsiima S, Green HD. Characteristics of Received HIV Prevention Advocacy from Persons Living with HIV in Uganda, and Associations with HIV Testing and Condom Use Among Social Network Members. AIDS Behav 2024:10.1007/s10461-024-04347-6. [PMID: 38642213 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-024-04347-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
Receiving peer advocacy has been shown to result in increased HIV protective behaviors, but little research has gone beyond assessment of the mere presence of advocacy to examine aspects of advocacy driving these effects. With baseline data from a controlled trial of an advocacy training intervention, we studied characteristics of HIV prevention advocacy received among 599 social network members of persons living with HIV in Uganda and the association of these characteristics with the social network members' recent HIV testing (past six months) and consistent condom use, as well as perceived influence of advocacy on these behaviors. Participants reported on receipt of advocacy specific to HIV testing and condom use, as well as on measures of advocacy content, tone of delivery, support for autonomous regulation, and perceived influence on behavior. Receiving HIV testing advocacy and condom use advocacy were associated with recent HIV testing [65.2% vs. 51.4%; OR (95% CI) = 1.77 (1.11-2.84)], and consistent condom use with main sex partner [19.3% vs. 10.0%; OR (95% CI) = 2.16 (1.12-4.13)], respectively, compared to not receiving advocacy. Among those who received condom advocacy, perceived influence of the advocacy was positively correlated with consistent condom use, regardless of type of sex partner; support of autonomous regulation was a correlate of consistent condom use with casual sex partners, while judgmental advocacy was a correlate of consistent condom use with serodiscordant main partners. Among those who received testing advocacy, HIV testing in the past 6 months was positively correlated with receipt of direct support for getting tested. In multiple regression analysis, perceived influence of both HIV testing and condom use advocacy were positively correlated with advocacy that included access information and support of autonomous regulation; confrontational advocacy and judgmental advocacy were independent positive correlates of perceived influence of testing and condom use advocacy, respectively. These findings support associations that suggest potential benefits of peer advocacy from PLWH on HIV testing and condom use among their social network members, and indicate that advocacy content, tone of delivery, and support of autonomous regulation advocacy may play an important role in the success of advocacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenn J Wagner
- RAND Corporation, 1776 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA, 90407, USA.
| | - Laura M Bogart
- RAND Corporation, 1776 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA, 90407, USA
- Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Stephen Okoboi
- Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - David J Klein
- RAND Corporation, 1776 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA, 90407, USA
| | - Susan Ninsiima
- Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Harold D Green
- University of Indiana Bloomington School of Public Health, Bloomington, IN, USA
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Essuman MA, Mohammed H, Kebir MS, Obiribea C, Ahinkorah BO. Prevalence and factors associated with HIV testing among young women in Ghana. BMC Infect Dis 2024; 24:416. [PMID: 38641776 PMCID: PMC11027531 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-09068-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND HIV/AIDS is a global health challenge and continues to threaten lives in sub-Saharan African countries such as Ghana. One of the important interventions for controlling its transmission is through testing and receiving medication. In this study, we present findings on the prevalence and factors associated with HIV testing among young women in Ghana. METHODS We used data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey comprising young women aged 15-24 years. We calculated the proportion of these young women who have ever been tested for HIV. The multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess the determinants of HIV testing at a 95% confidence interval (CI), and adjusted odds ratio (aORs) and p-values were reported. All analyses were adjusted using survey weights to account for unequal sampling probabilities. RESULTS The results showed that 31.4% (95% CI [29.63, 32.81]) of young women in Ghana had tested for HIV. The odds of HIV testing were likely to be higher among young women aged 20-24 (aOR = 2.24, 95% CI [1.75, 2.87]), those who were pregnant (aOR = 3.17, 95% CI [2.03, 4.95]) and those with one (aOR = 7.99, 95% CI [5.72, 11.17]), two (aOR = 10.43, 95% CI [6.47, 16.81]) or three or more children (aOR = 14.60, 95% CI [8.37, 25.48]) compared to their counterparts in the reference category. Women who had attained secondary education or higher (aOR = 2.66, 95% CI [1.67, 4.23]), were sexually active (aOR = 2.82, 95% CI [2.00, 3.97]), and in richer (aOR = 1.98, 95% CI [1.17, 3.34]) and richest wealth index (aOR = 1.99, 95% CI [1.10, 3.61]) were more likely to test for HIV than those with no formal education, who had not had sex before or in the poorest wealth index. Women from the Eastern (aOR = 1.69, 95% CI [1.04,2.72]) and Upper East regions (aOR = 2.62, 95% CI [1.44, 4.75]) were more likely than those in the Western region to get tested for HIV. However, the odds of testing for HIV were lower among women belonging to other religions (aOR = 0.43, 95% CI [0.23,0.82]) than Christians. CONCLUSION The findings show that HIV testing is low among young women in Ghana. To address this issue, it is recommended that both government and non-governmental organizations collaborate to create effective programmes and strategies. These may include continuous health education, regular sensitization programs and making HIV testing services much more accessible and affordable, taking into consideration the sociodemographic characteristics of young women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mainprice Akuoko Essuman
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, School of Allied Health Sciences, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medical Sciences, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
| | - Hidaya Mohammed
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medical Sciences, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Martha Suntah Kebir
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medical Sciences, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Comfort Obiribea
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medical Sciences, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Bright Opoku Ahinkorah
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- REMS Consultancy Services, Sekondi-Takoradi, Western Region, Ghana
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7
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Wang C, Prigozhina A, Leitner M. Measuring Spatial Access of Vulnerable Population to HIV Testing Facilities in the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area, Louisiana. AIDS Behav 2024:10.1007/s10461-024-04304-3. [PMID: 38605253 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-024-04304-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Ensuring adequate and equitable access to affordable HIV testing is a crucial step toward ending the HIV epidemic (EHE). Using the high-burden Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) as an example, we measure spatial access to HIV testing facilities for vulnerable populations and assess whether their access would improve if eliminating a considerable barrier-costs. Locations and status (free, low-cost, and full cost) of HIV testing facilities are searched on the Internet and confirmed through a field survey. Vulnerable populations include the uninsured and people living with HIV (PLWH), disaggregated from county-level HIV prevalence data. Spatial access is computed by a normalized urban-rural two-step floating catchment area (NUR2SFCA) method. Our survey confirms that only 11% and 37% of the 103 Internet-searched HIV testing facilities are indeed free and low-cost. Making more facilities cheaper or free increases the average access of PLWH, the uninsured, and the entire population but their geographic patterns vary. Free testing facilities, clustered in Baton Rouge city, are highly accessible to 82.6%, 69.4%, and 70.2% of three population groups living in East and West Baton Rouge Parish. In comparison, making all low-cost facilities free increases access in most outlying parishes but at the cost of reducing access in East Baton Rouge Parish, leaving west Livingston, north Iberville, and east Pointe Coupee Parish with the poorest access. Making all full-cost facilities cheaper or free exhibits a similar pattern. The study has important policy implications for where and how to improve access to HIV testing for vulnerable populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changzhen Wang
- Department of Geography and the Environment, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35401, USA.
| | | | - Michael Leitner
- Department of Geography and Anthropology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
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Prescott MR, Montoya JL, Perry C, Teran R, Armenta R, Gaines TL. Community-Identified Implementation Strategies for Promoting the Adoption of HIV Self-Testing in a Southern California American Indian community: A Rapid Qualitative Analysis. AIDS Behav 2024:10.1007/s10461-024-04309-y. [PMID: 38594409 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-024-04309-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
HIV incidence increased by 18% between 2015 and 2019 among American Indians (AIs) despite declining rates in other racial/ethnic groups. Culturally-appropriate implementation of prevention programs is needed to address the intersectional conditions contributing to HIV vulnerabilities experienced by AIs. The objectives of this study were to understand factors influencing HIV testing decisions and identify implementation strategies to promote the acceptability of HIV self-testing (HIVST) in a southern California AI community. A total of 15 semi-structured interviews were completed with adult community members of a southern California AI reservation. Analysis used a rapid analytic approach that was guided by the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) framework and expert recommendations for implementing change (ERIC) compilation. Two team members applied a standardized summary template to elucidate implementation determinants and implementation strategies for adopting HIVST. Barriers to HIV testing identified by community members included HIV-related stigma and privacy concerns within their community. Community members expressed positive perceptions of the acceptability of HIVST, with many identifying ease of use and privacy as appealing attributes. Several implementation strategies were suggested for facilitating the adoption of HIVST, including increasing access to tests by mailing kits to community members and increasing demand for kits through media campaigns (e.g., local flyers, social media posts, and booths at tribal events). Community members also recommended discreet packaging of kits and cultural adaptation of accompanying materials (e.g., educational videos featuring community members). The qualitative input from AI community members facilitated identification of implementation strategies that may promote the acceptability and culturally-appropriateness of HIVST.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximo R Prescott
- San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA, USA.
- University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | | | - Christina Perry
- Southern California Tribal Wellness Center, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ray Teran
- Southern California Tribal Wellness Center, San Diego, CA, USA
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Würfel LM, Potthoff A, Nambiar S, Skaletz-Rorowski A. Missed opportunities for HIV testing and sexual health-related challenges in an individual with intellectual disability: a case report. AIDS Res Ther 2024; 21:20. [PMID: 38581028 PMCID: PMC10996268 DOI: 10.1186/s12981-024-00606-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND HIV testing remains an important tool in identifying people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). An early diagnosis of HIV can lead to a prolonged life expectancy if treatment is initiated promptly. Indicator conditions can be the first sign of an HIV infection and should therefore be recognised and consequently a HIV test should be carried out. Testing should occur in all individuals as sexuality can be experienced by everyone, and stigma can lead to the exclusion of vulnerable groups, leading to a gap in diagnosis and treatment [1, 2]. CASE PRESENTATION A 63-year-old man, who identifies as bisexual and has had an intellectual disability since birth, presented at our health care centre for HIV testing. A decade ago, the patient was diagnosed with Stage III Diffuse Large B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, an AIDS defining cancer. The patient presented at a Haematology and Oncology department 3 months prior, due to a weight loss of 10 kg over the past 5 months. Oral thrush, an HIV-indicator condition, had been diagnosed by the otolaryngologists shortly before. During this medical evaluation, pancytopenia was identified. Despite the presence of indicator conditions, the patient was never tested for HIV in the past. Staff members from the care facility for intellectually disabled suggested conducting a HIV test in our clinic through the public health department, where HIV positivity was revealed. The AIDS-defining diagnosis, along with a CD4 + cell count of 41/µl, suggests a prolonged period of HIV positivity. CONCLUSION Due to the presence of existing indicator conditions, an earlier HIV diagnosis was possible. We contend that most of the recent illnesses could have been prevented if earlier testing had been carried out. Therefore, patients presenting with AIDS indicator conditions, including those with mental disabilities, should be given the opportunity to be tested for HIV. HIV/AIDS trainings should be made available to health care professionals as well as to personnel interacting with vulnerable groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Martina Würfel
- WIR-Walk In Ruhr - Center for Sexual Health and Medicine, Große Beckstraße 12, 44787, Bochum, Germany
- Interdisciplinary Immunological Outpatient Clinic, Center for Sexual Health and Medicine, Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Anja Potthoff
- WIR-Walk In Ruhr - Center for Sexual Health and Medicine, Große Beckstraße 12, 44787, Bochum, Germany
- Interdisciplinary Immunological Outpatient Clinic, Center for Sexual Health and Medicine, Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sandeep Nambiar
- WIR-Walk In Ruhr - Center for Sexual Health and Medicine, Große Beckstraße 12, 44787, Bochum, Germany
| | - Adriane Skaletz-Rorowski
- WIR-Walk In Ruhr - Center for Sexual Health and Medicine, Große Beckstraße 12, 44787, Bochum, Germany.
- Interdisciplinary Immunological Outpatient Clinic, Center for Sexual Health and Medicine, Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
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Aluisio AR, Smith-Sreen J, Offorjebe A, Maina W, Pirirei S, Kinuthia J, Bukusi D, Waweru H, Bosire R, Ojuka DK, Eastment MC, Katz DA, Mello MJ, Farquhar C. Implementation and Assessment of the HIV Enhanced Access Testing in the Emergency Department (HEATED) Program in Nairobi, Kenya: A Quasi-Experimental Prospective Study. medRxiv 2024:2024.04.03.24305277. [PMID: 38633813 PMCID: PMC11023650 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.03.24305277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Background Persons seeking emergency injury care are often from underserved key populations (KPs) and priority populations (PPs) for HIV programming. While facility-based HIV Testing Services (HTS) in Kenya are effective, emergency department (ED) delivery is limited, despite the potential to reach underserved persons. Methods This quasi-experimental prospective study evaluated implementation of the HIV Enhanced Access Testing in Emergency Departments (HEATED) at Kenyatta National Hospital ED in Nairobi, Kenya. The HEATED program was designed using setting specific data and utilizes resource reorganization, services integration and HIV sensitization to promote ED-HTS. KPs included sex workers, gay men, men who have sex with men, transgender persons and persons who inject drugs. PPs included young persons (18-24 years), victims of interpersonal violence, persons with hazardous alcohol use and those never previously HIV tested. Data were obtained from systems-level records, enrolled injured patient participants and healthcare providers. Systems and patient-level data were collected during a pre-implementation period (6 March - 16 April 2023) and post-implementation (period 1, 1 May - 26 June 2023). Additional, systems-level data were collected during a second post-implementation (period 2, 27 June - 20 August 2023). Evaluation analyses were completed across reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation and maintenance framework domains. Results All 151 clinical staff were reached through trainings and sensitizations on the HEATED program. Systems-level ED-HTS increased from 16.7% pre-implementation to 23.0% post-implementation periods 1 and 2 (RR=1.31, 95% CI:1.21-1.43; p<0.001) with a 62.9% relative increase in HIV self-test kit provision. Among 605 patient participants, facilities-based HTS increased from 5.7% pre-implementation to 62.3% post-implementation period 1 (RR=11.2, 95%CI:6.9-18.1; p<0.001). There were 440 (72.7%) patient participants identified as KPs (5.6%) and/or PPs (65.3%). For enrolled KPs/PPs, HTS increased from 4.6% pre-implementation to 72.3% post-implementation period 1 (RR=13.8, 95%CI:5.5-28.7, p<0.001). Systems and participant level data demonstrated successful adoption and implementation of the HEATED program. Through 16-weeks post-implementation a significant increase in ED-HTS delivery was maintained as compared to pre-implementation. Conclusions The HEATED program increased ED-HTS and augmented delivery to KPs/PPs, suggesting that broader implementation could improve HIV services for underserved persons, already in contact with health systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam R. Aluisio
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, USA
| | | | - Agatha Offorjebe
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, USA
| | | | | | - John Kinuthia
- Center for Public Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | | | - Rose Bosire
- Center for Public Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Daniel K. Ojuka
- Department of Surgery, University of Nairobi Faculty of Health Sciences, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - McKenna C. Eastment
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, US
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, US
| | - David A. Katz
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, US
| | - Michael J. Mello
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, USA
| | - Carey Farquhar
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, US
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, US
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Alarcón Gutiérrez M, Palma Díaz D, Alberny Iglesias M, Ruiz Riera R, Guayta-Escolies R, García de Olalla P, Rius Gibert C. Response Rate, Acceptability and Effectiveness of an Intervention Offering HIV/STI Testing Via Apps Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men in Barcelona, Spain, from 2016 to 2020. AIDS Behav 2024; 28:1345-1355. [PMID: 37768426 PMCID: PMC10940395 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-023-04165-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
We evaluated the response rate, acceptability, and effectiveness of a preventive programme offering rapid HIV and other STI testing, as well as sexual counselling to gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) via dating apps over a 4-year period. The programme was carried out in 9 out of the 10 districts in the city of Barcelona, Spain. The response rate was defined as the proportion of people responding to the message sent, acceptability as the proportion of those responding favourably, and effectiveness as the proportion of users requesting a test. We performed univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression in relation with the response rate, acceptability and effectiveness. A total of 5,254 messages were send to different users. The response rate was 33.1% (n = 1,741), acceptability was 86.2% (n = 1,500), and effectiveness was 10.1% (n = 532). The factors associated with user response were recent connection to the app (aOR = 1.85; CI:1.39-2.46) and the presence of a profile photograph (aOR = 1.34; CI:1.11-1.64). Acceptability was associated with recent connection to the app (aOR = 1.98; CI:1.09-3.58). Effectiveness was associated with lower reported age (aOR = 0.98; CI:0.97-0.99), contact before 14:00 (aOR = 2.47; CI: 1.77-3.46), and recent connection to the app (aOR = 4.89; CI:1.98-12.08). Effectiveness was also greater in districts that were more disadvantaged or had fewer sexual health services. This study demonstrates that the use of these apps is an acceptable and effective method of prevention and sexual health promotion in GBMSM in this setting and identifies the associated factors that could guide such interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Alarcón Gutiérrez
- Department of Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Preventive Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
- Epidemiology service, Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
- Centre of Epidemiological Studies of HIV/AIDS and STI of Catalonia (CEEISCAT), Health Department, Generalitat de Catalunya, Badalona, Spain.
| | - David Palma Díaz
- Epidemiology service, Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of International Health, Care and Public Health Research Institute - CAPHRI, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Rafael Ruiz Riera
- Direcció Estratègica d'Atenció Primària i Comunitària, Health Department, Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rafael Guayta-Escolies
- Projects and Research Directorate, Council of Pharmacists Colleges of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Patricia García de Olalla
- Epidemiology service, Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Institut de Recerca de l'Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Institut d'Investigació Biomédica Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Rius Gibert
- Epidemiology service, Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Institut de Recerca de l'Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Institut d'Investigació Biomédica Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
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12
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Galletly CL, McAuliffe TL, Dickson-Gomez JB, Glasman LR, Ruelas DM. The Relative Influence of Perceived Immigration Laws and Consequences on HIV Testing Among US Latino Immigrants. AIDS Behav 2024; 28:1301-1313. [PMID: 37632603 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-023-04159-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
The CDC recommends that persons aged 13-64 receive an HIV test at least once in their lifetime and that some groups test annually or more frequently. Nearly one-half of US Latino immigrants have never been tested for HIV. To the extent that immigration-related laws deter documented and undocumented immigrants from engaging in communicable disease control measures, these laws undermine public health efforts. 1750 noncitizen adult, sexually active, Spanish-speaking Latino immigrants across four cities in the US completed a cross-sectional survey assessing perceptions of immigration-related laws and immigration consequences related to HIV testing and diagnosis. Participants were recruited in-person by staff in community settings, through flyers posted in places frequented by Latino immigrants, and by word-of-mouth through snowball sampling. Outcomes were whether participants had ever received an HIV test and whether they tested in the previous 12 months. Multivariable analyses examined the relative contribution of perceived immigration laws and consequences on HIV testing behaviors when considering established predictors of HIV testing. Perceptions of HIV-related immigration laws and immigration consequences was a significant predictor of never having had an HIV test even when considered relative to common predictors of HIV testing. The influence of perceived immigration laws and consequences on testing in the previous 12 months was not significant in multivariable analysis. Perceived HIV-related immigration laws and consequences appear to be a substantial contributor to reluctance to be tested for HIV among Latino immigrants who have never been tested. Effective interventions should be developed to address these.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol L Galletly
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Center for AIDS Intervention Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, 1710 East Lafayette Place, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, USA.
| | - Timothy L McAuliffe
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Center for AIDS Intervention Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, 1710 East Lafayette Place, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, USA
| | - Julia B Dickson-Gomez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Center for AIDS Intervention Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, 1710 East Lafayette Place, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, USA
- Institute for Health Equity, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA
| | - Laura R Glasman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Center for AIDS Intervention Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, 1710 East Lafayette Place, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, USA
| | - Dulce M Ruelas
- College of Nursing & Healthcare Professions, Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, USA
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13
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Xu S, Wang G, Williams W, Marano Lee M, Wright C, Uhl G. Asian People Reached by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention HIV Testing Program in the United States: HIV Testing, Linkage to HIV Medical Care, and Interview for Partner Services 2014-2020. AIDS Educ Prev 2024; 36:103-112. [PMID: 38648177 DOI: 10.1521/aeap.2024.36.2.103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
The purpose of this analysis is to describe HIV tests and associated outcomes for Asian people reached by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) HIV testing program. We analyzed CDC-funded HIV tests among Asian individuals in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (2014-2020). Of the 415,560 tests, the positivity of new diagnoses was higher among males (0.49%, aPR = 7.64) than females (0.06%), and in the West (0.42%, aPR = 1.15) than in the South (0.25%). In non-health care settings, positivity was highest among men who have sex with men (MSM; 0.87%) and transgender people (0.46%). Linkage to HIV medical care among Asian people was 87.5%, and 70.7% were interviewed for partner services. Our findings suggest that improvements are crucial, particularly for Asian MSM, in linkage to care and interview for partner services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songli Xu
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Guoshen Wang
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Weston Williams
- Statistician, Public Health Analytic Consulting Services, Inc., Hillsborough, North Carolina
| | | | - Carolyn Wright
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Gary Uhl
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
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14
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Patel D, Clark HA, Williams WO, Taylor-Aidoo N, Wright C. CDC-Funded HIV Testing Services Outcomes and Social Determinants of Health in Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. Jurisdictions. AIDS Behav 2024; 28:1152-1165. [PMID: 37479920 PMCID: PMC10799961 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-023-04133-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
We performed an ecological analysis to examine associations between CDC-funded HIV testing services outcomes and social determinants of health (SDOH) among Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. jurisdictions. Using National HIV Prevention Program Monitoring & Evaluation (2020) and American Community Survey (2016-2020) data, we ran robust Poisson models (adjusted for race/ethnicity). In healthcare settings, a 10% absolute increase in percentage without health insurance was associated with a 40% lower prevalence of newly diagnosed positivity (aPR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.43-0.83); a $5,000 increase in median household income (aPR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.03-1.06) and a 10% absolute increase in percentage unemployed (aPR = 1.80, 95% CI: 1.31-2.46) were associated with 4% and 80%, respectively, higher prevalence of percentage linked to HIV medical care within 30 days of diagnosis (i.e., linkage). In non-healthcare settings, a 10% absolute increase in percentage with less than high school diploma (aPR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.29-0.96) was associated with a 47% lower prevalence of newly diagnosed positivity, whereas a 10% absolute increase in percentage without health insurance (aPR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.29-2.88) was associated with a 92% higher prevalence of newly diagnosed positivity; a 10% absolute increase in percentage with less than high school diploma was associated with a 35% lower prevalence of linkage (aPR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.43-0.97). Addressing SDOH in HIV prevention programs will play an important role in ending the HIV epidemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deesha Patel
- Division of HIV Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, MS H24-5, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.
| | - Hollie A Clark
- Division of Birth Defects and Infant Disorders, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Weston O Williams
- Public Health Analytic Consulting Services, Inc, Hillsborough, NC, USA
| | - Nicole Taylor-Aidoo
- Keymind, A Division of Axiom Resource Management, Inc, Falls Church, VA, USA
| | - Carolyn Wright
- Division of HIV Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, MS H24-5, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
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Prata Menezes NS, Mehta SH, Wesolowski A, Clipman SJ, Srikrishnan AK, Kumar MS, Zook KJC, Lucas GM, Latkin C, Solomon SS. Injection network drivers of HIV prevention service utilization among people who inject drugs: results of a community-based sociometric network cohort in New Delhi, India. J Int AIDS Soc 2024; 27:e26241. [PMID: 38632848 PMCID: PMC11024448 DOI: 10.1002/jia2.26241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Injection drug networks may influence their network members' health-seeking behaviours. Using data from a sociometric injecting partner network of people who inject drugs (PWID) in New Delhi, India, we assessed the role of injecting partner (alter) behaviours on individual engagement in HIV prevention services. METHODS We enumerated injecting partner linkages among 2512 PWID using coupon referrals and biometric data from November 2017 to March 2020. Participants completed interviewer-administered questionnaires and provided information on injection behaviours, injecting partners, HIV/hepatitis C (HCV) testing and service engagement. Multilevel multiple-membership models (MMMM) evaluated individual PWID HIV testing, medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and syringe service engagement as a function of alter attributes, accounting for membership across multiple ego-networks. Logistic regression models assessed parallel associations among socially proximal injecting peers, defined as PWID ≤3 path length from ego. RESULTS Median age was 26 years; 99% were male. PWID had median 2 injecting partners and 8 socially proximal peers; 14% reported HIV testing, 33% accessed MOUD and 13% used syringe services 6 months prior. In MMMM analyses, PWID with ≥1 versus 0 injecting partners who received HIV testing were significantly more likely to report HIV testing (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.27, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.68-3.16), MOUD (aOR: 1.99, 95% CI: 1.60-2.53) and syringe service use (aOR: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.21-2.39). We observed similar findings for individual MOUD and syringe service use. Having ≥1 versus 0 HIV-positive partners was associated with decreased HIV testing and MOUD but increased syringe service use (aOR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.09-2.17). PWID with ≥1 versus 0 socially proximal peers who used non-sterile injection equipment reported increased HIV testing (aOR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.01-1.92), MOUD (aOR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.10-1.77) and syringe service use (aOR: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.23-2.68). CONCLUSIONS We found differential associative relationships between individual HIV prevention service engagement and the health or risk behaviours of direct and indirect alters. Characterizing network exposure beyond direct injecting partnerships provided important context on possible mechanisms of behavioural influence. Findings could be leveraged to design peer-based interventions that promote network diffusion of health-seeking behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neia S. Prata Menezes
- Department of EpidemiologyJohns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public HealthBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Shruti H. Mehta
- Department of EpidemiologyJohns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public HealthBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Amy Wesolowski
- Department of EpidemiologyJohns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public HealthBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Steven J. Clipman
- Department of MedicineJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | | | | | - Katie J. C. Zook
- Department of MedicineJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Gregory M. Lucas
- Department of MedicineJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Carl Latkin
- Department of MedicineJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- Department of Health, Behaviour and SocietyJohns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public HealthBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Sunil S. Solomon
- Department of MedicineJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- YR Gaitonde Centre for AIDS Research and EducationChennaiIndia
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Jaramillo J, Reyes N, Atuluru P, Payen N, Taylor K, Safren SA, Saber R, Harkness A. Peer ambassador stories: formative qualitative research to enhance the reach of PrEP, HIV testing, and behavioral health treatments to LMSM in South Florida. AIDS Care 2024; 36:569-579. [PMID: 38157344 DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2023.2287736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Existing HIV prevention interventions, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and behavioral health treatments inadequately reach Latino men who have sex with men (LMSM) in the US. This study involved formative research to inform the content, design, and implementation of a scalable, low resource implementation strategy - peer ambassador stories - stories from peers to normalize using PrEP, HIV testing, and behavioral health treatment. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 LMSM to elucidate their content, design, and implementation preferences for peer ambassador stories. Men were asked about story prompts, story contributor characteristics, story platform features, design preferences, and recommendations for enhancing the adoption and use of the peer ambassador technology platform among LMSM. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed via rapid qualitative analysis. Qualitative analyses identified 14 themes within 4 pre-specified domains. Collectively, the themes unified around the central concept that technology-delivered peer ambassador stories require a personalized, relational, culturally relevant touch to be acceptable and appropriate for LMSM. This study suggests that disseminating peer ambassador stories using electronic platforms and audio/video formats may enhance the reach of services and if they are personalized, relational, and culturally relevant. Findings have broad implications for informing other peer-based strategies to mitigate HIV disparities among LMSM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jahn Jaramillo
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Nequiel Reyes
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Pranusha Atuluru
- Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Naomie Payen
- School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Kayla Taylor
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Steven A Safren
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Rana Saber
- Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Audrey Harkness
- School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
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Lakoh S, Bangura MM, Adekanmbi O, Barrie U, Jiba DF, Kamara MN, Sesay D, Jalloh AT, Deen GF, Russell JBW, Egesimba G, Yendewa GA, Firima E. Impact of COVID-19 on the Utilization of HIV Testing and Linkage Services in Sierra Leone: Experience from Three Public Health Facilities in Freetown. AIDS Behav 2024; 28:1235-1243. [PMID: 37642824 PMCID: PMC10940454 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-023-04149-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected the delivery of essential health services globally. In this study, we aimed to assess the impact of the pandemic on HIV testing and linkage services at three public health facilities in Freetown, Sierra Leone. We conducted a retrospective study to assess the impact of COVID-19 on HIV testing and linkage to treatment services (HTS) at Connaught Hospital (CH-tertiary), Lumley Government Hospital (LGH-secondary) and George Brooke Community Health Center (GBC-primary) in Freetown. Statistical analyses were conducted in Stata (16.1, StataCorp LLC, College Station, TX). Intra-pandemic HTS (2020) and HTS during recovery (2021) were compared with pre-pandemic HTS (2019). Of the 8538 people tested for HIV in the three facilities, 4929 (57.5%) visited CH. Only 2249 people were tested for HIV in 2020 compared to 3825 in 2019 (difference: - 41.2%, P < 0.001). Fewer people were also tested in 2021 (difference: - 35.6% P < 0.001). The largest reductions in testing in 2020 occurred in women (- 47.7%), children under 15 (- 95.2%), married people (- 42.6%), and CH (- 46.2%). Overall, 1369 (16.0%) people were positive for HIV; CH (878, 17.9%), LGH (469, 15.6%) and GBC (22, 3.5%). The likelihood of a positive HIV test was 26% lower in 2020 than 2019 (PR 0.74; 95% CI 0.64-0.85; P < 0.001), but 16% higher in 2021 than 2019 (PR 1.16; 95% CI 1.03-1.30; P < 0.05). Of the 1369 HIV diagnosis, 526 (38.4%) were linked to care. We found significant disruptions in HIV testing and linkage services at different levels of service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the need to strengthen essential health services during public health emergencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sulaiman Lakoh
- College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone
- Government of Sierra Leone, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra Leone
- Sustainable Health Systems Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - Moses M Bangura
- College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - Olukemi Adekanmbi
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Department of Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Umu Barrie
- Infectious Disease Research Network, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - Darlinda F Jiba
- Government of Sierra Leone, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - Matilda N Kamara
- College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - Daniel Sesay
- Government of Sierra Leone, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - Abdulai Tejan Jalloh
- Government of Sierra Leone, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - Gibrilla F Deen
- College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone
- Government of Sierra Leone, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - James B W Russell
- College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone
- Government of Sierra Leone, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - Ginika Egesimba
- ICAP at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - George A Yendewa
- Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Emmanuel Firima
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- Clinical Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- Centre for Multidisciplinary Research and Innovation, Abuja, Nigeria.
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Rotenberg S, Chen S, Hanass‐Hancock J, Davey C, Banks LM, Kuper H. HIV knowledge and access to testing for people with and without disabilities in low- and middle-income countries: evidence from 37 Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys. J Int AIDS Soc 2024; 27:e26239. [PMID: 38566480 PMCID: PMC10988115 DOI: 10.1002/jia2.26239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Disability and HIV are intricately linked, as people with disabilities are at higher risk of contracting HIV, and living with HIV can lead to impairments and disability. Despite this well-established relationship, there remains limited internationally comparable evidence on HIV knowledge and access to testing for people with disabilities. METHODS We used cross-sectional data from 37 Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys. Surveys were from six UNICEF regions, including East Asia and Pacific (n = 6), East and Central Asia (n = 7), Latin America and the Caribbean (n = 6), Middle East and North Africa (n = 4), South Asia (n = 2) and sub-Saharan Africa (n = 12). A total of 513,252 people were eligible for inclusion, including 24,695 (4.8%) people with disabilities. We examined risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals for key indicators on HIV knowledge and access to testing for people with disabilities by sex and country. We also conducted a meta-analysis to get a pooled estimate for each sex and indicator. RESULTS Men and women with disabilities were less likely to have comprehensive knowledge about HIV prevention (aRR: 0.74 [0.67, 0.81] and 0.75 [0.69, 0.83], respectively) and to know of a place to be tested for HIV (aRR: 0.95 [0.92, 0.99] and 0.94 [0.92, 0.97], respectively) compared to men and women without disabilities. Women with disabilities were also less likely to know how to prevent mother-to-child transmission (aRR: 0.87 [0.81, 0.93]) and ever have been tested for HIV (aRR: 0.90 [0.85, 0.94]). CONCLUSIONS Men and women with disabilities have lower overall HIV knowledge and in particular women with disabilities also indicate lower testing rates. Governments must include people with disabilities in HIV programmes by improving disability-inclusion and accessibility to HIV-related information, education and healthcare services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Rotenberg
- International Center for Evidence in Disability, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUK
| | - Shanquan Chen
- International Center for Evidence in Disability, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUK
| | - Jill Hanass‐Hancock
- South African Medical Research Council, Gender and Health Research UnitDurbanSouth Africa
- School of Health Science, University of KwaZulu‐NatalDurbanSouth Africa
| | - Calum Davey
- International Center for Evidence in Disability, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUK
| | - Lena Morgon Banks
- International Center for Evidence in Disability, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUK
| | - Hannah Kuper
- International Center for Evidence in Disability, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUK
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19
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O'Byrne P, Kroch A, Orser L, Ho N, Musten A, Haines M, Lindsay J. Targeted HIV Self-Testing Identifies Persons with Undiagnosed HIV and Active Engagement Links them to Care: The GetaKit Study. AIDS Behav 2024:10.1007/s10461-024-04302-5. [PMID: 38526637 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-024-04302-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Current international HIV testing guidelines recommend that HIV negative persons from HIV priority groups complete repeat screening every 3-6 months; local guidelines in our jurisdiction recommend that such retesting should occur every 3 months. Such an approach allows for timely HIV diagnosis and linkage to care - and aligns with the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets to have 95% of undiagnosed persons be aware of their HIV status. To meet these aims, new approaches to HIV testing have been developed, including our HIV self-testing initiative, GetaKit.ca, which uses an online screening algorithm to determine eligibility and has built in pathways for re-test reminders, linkage HIV prevention care, and rapid follow-up for positive test results. To understand self-testing frequency in relation to our local recommendations for resting every 3 months, we evaluated data from participants who ordered repeat HIV self-tests through GetaKit.ca. Descriptive analyses were performed on participant characteristics and chi-square tests were performed on aggregated participant risk data. During the study period, 5235 HIV self-tests were distributed to 3627 participants, of whom, 26% ordered more than once and 27% belonged to an HIV priority population. Participants who retested were more likely to have been white, male, and part of an HIV priority population; they were also more likely to have completed prior STI or HIV testing or had a prior STI diagnosis, compared to those who did not. We identified 16 new HIV diagnoses, 2 of which were among repeat testers. Our results suggest that HIV self-testing can be useful to help meet UNAIDS targets to identify undiagnosed infections; however, such efforts are less likely to be successful without adequate linkage to follow-up services, including HIV treatment and prevention care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick O'Byrne
- School of Nursing, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| | | | - Lauren Orser
- School of Nursing, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Nikki Ho
- School of Nursing, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Marlene Haines
- School of Nursing, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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20
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Razzaq A, Travaglia J, Raynes-Greenow C, Alam NA. Understanding Fijian health system challenges in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV services in the three tertiary hospitals in Fiji. AIDS Care 2024:1-10. [PMID: 38507223 DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2024.2331215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Mother-to-child transmission is the most common route of human immunodeficiency virus transmission in children, which could be prevented with proper treatment and access to care. Health system challenges can impede the effectiveness of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programmes. We aim to understand the health system challenges to the provision of PMTCT services for pregnant women in three tertiary hospitals in Fiji. Data were collected using in-depth interviews in the three tertiary hospitals and associated health clinics in Fiji between April-May 2013 and February-March 2014. Ethical approvals were obtained. A total of 58 healthcare providers were interviewed including doctors (n = 12), midwives (n = 19), nurses (n = 14), laboratory technicians (n = 5) and counsellors (n = 8). The data were analysed using thematic analysis. We found that the healthcare workers faced a wide range of health system challenges including institutional and human resource challenges. Staff shortage, limited PMTCT training and shortage of supplies were barriers to the quality of PMTCT services. Our findings would be useful in developing strategies to overcome barriers as it would be imperative in improving the quality of PMTCT service provision in Fiji and other similar settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amina Razzaq
- Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Joanne Travaglia
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
- School of Public Health and Social Work, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Camille Raynes-Greenow
- Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Neeloy Ashraful Alam
- Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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21
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Secor AM, Ihnatiuk A, Shapoval A, McDowell M, Hetman L, Wagner AD, Pintye J, Beima-Sofie K, Golden MR, Puttkammer N. Does HIV index testing bring patients into treatment at earlier stages of HIV disease? Results from a retrospective study in Ukraine. BMC Infect Dis 2024; 24:328. [PMID: 38500055 PMCID: PMC10949801 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-09190-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Over one-third of people living with HIV (PLH) in Ukraine are not on treatment. Index testing services, which link potentially exposed partners (named partners) of known PLH (index patients) with testing and treatment services, are being scaled in Ukraine and could potentially close this gap. METHODS This retrospective study included patient data from 14,554 adult PLH who initiated antiretroviral treatment (ART) between October 2018 and May 2021 at one of 35 facilities participating in an intervention to strengthen index testing services. Mixed effects modified Poisson models were used to assess differences between named partners and other ART initiators, and an interrupted time series (ITS) analysis was used to assess changes in ART initiation over time. RESULTS Compared to other ART initiators, named partners were significantly less likely to have a confirmed TB diagnosis (aRR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.40, 0.77, p < 0.001), a CD4 count less than 200 cells/mm3 (aRR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.73, 0.97, p = 0.017), or be categorized as WHO HIV stage 4 (aRR = 0.68, 9% CI = 0.55, 0.83, p < 0.001) at the time of ART initiation, and were significantly more likely to initiate ART within seven days of testing for HIV (aRR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.22, 1.50, p < 0.001). Our ITS analysis showed a modest 2.34% (95% CI = 0.26%, 4.38%; p = 0.028) month-on-month reduction in mean ART initiations comparing the post-intervention period to the pre-intervention period, although these results were likely confounded by the COVID epidemic. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that index testing services may be beneficial in bringing PLH into treatment at an earlier stage of HIV disease and decreasing delays between HIV testing and ART initiation, potentially improving patient outcomes and retention in the HIV care cascade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Secor
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Hans Rosling Center, 3980 15th Ave NE, 98105, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Alyona Ihnatiuk
- International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Anna Shapoval
- International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Misti McDowell
- International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Larisa Hetman
- Public Health Center (PHC) of the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Anjuli D Wagner
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Hans Rosling Center, 3980 15th Ave NE, 98105, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jillian Pintye
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Hans Rosling Center, 3980 15th Ave NE, 98105, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kristin Beima-Sofie
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Hans Rosling Center, 3980 15th Ave NE, 98105, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Matthew R Golden
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- HIV/STD Program, Public Health-Seattle & King County, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nancy Puttkammer
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Hans Rosling Center, 3980 15th Ave NE, 98105, Seattle, WA, USA
- International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), Seattle, WA, USA
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22
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Lankowski A, Tollefson D, Sánchez H, Cabello R, Hidalgo J, Mathison MN, Molina Y, Duerr A. Acceptability of venue-based HIV testing and prevention interventions for men who have sex with transgender women and transgender women in Lima, Perú: a formative, qualitative study. HIV Res Clin Pract 2024; 25:2331360. [PMID: 38579280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite being at elevated risk for HIV, men who have sex with transgender women (MSTW) are an overlooked population in the global HIV response. Venue-based HIV interventions have previously had success reaching other HIV priority populations, including transgender women (TW). Similar approaches could be applied for MSTW. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the prospective acceptability of venue-based HIV testing and prevention interventions for MSTW and TW in Lima, Peru. METHODS In this exploratory qualitative study, we conducted in-depth interviews (IDI) and focus group discussions (FGD) with three types of participants: MSTW (7 IDIs, 1 FGD), TW (1 FGD), and owners of social venues frequented by MSTW/TW in Lima (2 IDIs). We elicited participants' attitudes and perceptions related to the following four hypothetical interventions delivered at social venues in Lima: rapid HIV testing; HIV self-test distribution; condom/lubricant distribution; and enrolment in a mobile app supporting HIV prevention. We performed a mixed deductive-inductive thematic analysis using the framework method, then applied the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability to classify the overall acceptability of each intervention. RESULTS Condom/lubricant distribution and app-based HIV prevention information were highly acceptable among all participant types. The two HIV testing interventions had relatively lower acceptability; however, participants suggested this could be overcome if such interventions focused on ensuring discretion, providing access to healthcare professionals, and offering appropriate incentives. CONCLUSIONS Overall, MSTW and TW shared similar favourable attitudes towards venue-based HIV interventions. Venue-based outreach warrants further exploration as a strategy for engaging MSTW and TW in HIV prevention activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Lankowski
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Deanna Tollefson
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Mary N Mathison
- School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yamilé Molina
- School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ann Duerr
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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23
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Thapa S, Ogunleye TT, Shrestha R, Joshi R, Hannes K. Increased Stigma, and Physical and Sexual Violence Against Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender Women in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Qualitative Evidence Synthesis Analyzing Social and Structural Barriers to HIV Testing and Coping Behaviors. J Homosex 2024:1-27. [PMID: 38456684 DOI: 10.1080/00918369.2024.2320237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
In sub-Saharan Africa, accessing HIV testing services is a significant challenge for men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW). In this qualitative evidence synthesis, our aim is to understand social and structural barriers and how they hinder MSM's and TGW's access to HIV testing services in sub-Saharan African countries. We searched four selective databases (PubMed, Web of Science and CINAHL complemented with Google Scholar) for qualitative studies, published in English between January 2005 and December 2023, generated 1507 articles, of which 22 were included. Thematic synthesis was conducted for data synthesis. This led to five barriers that hinder HIV test uptake among MSM and TGW, which included: non-availability of tailored HIV testing services, stigma, lack of trust among service providers, sexual and physical violence, and criminalization of same sex relationship. To navigate these social and structural barriers and cope with fears of discrimination and criminalization, MSM and TGW engaged into riskier behaviors, including avoiding HIV testing, non-disclosure, or relying on informal or alternative sources of HIV testing. Decriminalization of same-sex relationship and peer-led HIV testing services were noted to address structural barriers, including stigma and poor access, and subsequently increase the participation in HIV testing services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subash Thapa
- Rural Health Research Institute, Charles Sturt University, Orange, Australia
| | - Tadese Tewogbola Ogunleye
- Unit for Health Promotion, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Roman Shrestha
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Ranjila Joshi
- Unit for Health Promotion, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Karin Hannes
- Research Group SoMeTHin'K (Social, Methodological and Theoretical Innovation/Kreative), Faculty of Social Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven, Belgium
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24
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Ghasemi E, Bahrami T, Majdzadeh R, Negarandeh R, Rajabi F. Peer interventions to improve HIV testing uptake among immigrants: A realist review. Health Promot Perspect 2024; 14:19-31. [PMID: 38623348 PMCID: PMC11016139 DOI: 10.34172/hpp.42639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Background As a vulnerable group in HIV control programs, immigrants face various obstacles to HIV testing. Despite the effectiveness of peer interventions on health promotion in HIV testing, relatively little is known about how these interventions work. This realist review aims to understand why, how, and under what conditions peer interventions can improve immigrants' HIV testing uptake. Methods We followed the steps suggested by Pawson and colleagues for conducting the realist review. To test a initial program theory, we first systematically searched databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane, as well as the websites of UNAIDS, World Bank, Global Fund, WHO, and IOM. After data extraction and quality appraisal, data synthesis was conducted to explain the intervention pathways corresponding to context-mechanism-outcome configurations. Results Seventeen studies were included in the review. Peer interventions for improving immigrants' HIV testing uptake worked through four pathways: Following the improvement of communications (as a proximal mechanism): 1) increasing awareness, 2) reduced stigma, 3) improved support, and 4) increased access to services could lead to improved HIV testing uptake among immigrants. The identified mechanisms were influenced by three groups of individual/ interpersonal, service delivery, and structural factors. Conclusion Peer interventions with multiple strategies to be designed and implemented considering the barriers to HIV testing and also moving beyond one-size-fits-all approaches can successfully improve the immigrants' HIV testing uptake. The refined program theory in this study can help the healthcare providers and policy-makers promote the immigrants' HIV testing uptake and reduce the risk of disease transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elham Ghasemi
- Community Based Participatory Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Tahereh Bahrami
- Medical Ethics and Law Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Majdzadeh
- School of Health and Social Care, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
- Knowledge Utilization Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Negarandeh
- Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Rajabi
- Community Based Participatory Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Center for Academic and Health Policy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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25
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He S, Dong W, Fairley CK, Li Z, Wei Y, Lai H, Li R, Lu P, Shen M, Wu Z, Zhang L. Optimizing health resource allocation for improving timely HIV diagnosis in China. J Int AIDS Soc 2024; 27:e26221. [PMID: 38444111 PMCID: PMC10935715 DOI: 10.1002/jia2.26221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) updated the 95-95-95 targets for the HIV endgame in 2030. To achieve the first target in a timely manner, we investigate the optimized strategy of resource allocation to maximize timely HIV diagnosis in 14 populations in China. METHODS We developed a mathematical model by integrating epidemiological, demographical and behavioural data from 12 high-risk and two general populations to evaluate the impact of various resource allocation strategies of HIV testing on HIV incidence in China. We identified the optimized allocation strategy that maximizes the number of HIV diagnoses at an estimated total spending on HIV tests in China and calculated the per-capita cost of new HIV case detection. RESULTS We estimated that 144,795 new HIV cases may occur annually in 14 populations in China, with a total annual spending of US$2.8 billion on HIV testing. The largest proportion of spending was allocated to general males (44.0%), followed by general females (42.6%) and pregnant women (5.1%). Despite this allocation strategy, only 45.5% (65,867/144,795, timely diagnosis rate) of annual new infections were diagnosed within a year of acquisition, with a cost of $42,852 required for each new HIV case detection. By optimizing the allocation of HIV testing resources within the same spending amount, we found that general females received the highest proportion of spending allocation (45.1%), followed by low-risk men who have sex with men (13.9%) and pregnant women (8.4%). In contrast, the proportion of spending allocation for the general males decreased to 0.2%. With this optimized strategy, we estimated that 120,755 (83.4%) of annual new infections would be diagnosed within a year of acquisition, with the cost required for one HIV case detection reduced to $23,364/case. Further spending increases could allow for significant increases in HIV testing among lower-risk populations. CONCLUSIONS Optimizing resource allocation for HIV testing in high-risk populations would improve HIV timely diagnosis rate of new infections and reduce cost per HIV case detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shihao He
- China‐Australia Joint Research Center for Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public HealthXi'an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterXi'anChina
| | - Wei Dong
- National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention (NCAIDS)Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC)BeijingChina
| | - Christopher K. Fairley
- Melbourne Sexual Health CentreAlfred HealthMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Central Clinical SchoolFaculty of MedicineMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Zengbin Li
- China‐Australia Joint Research Center for Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public HealthXi'an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterXi'anChina
| | - Yudong Wei
- China‐Australia Joint Research Center for Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public HealthXi'an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterXi'anChina
| | - Hao Lai
- China‐Australia Joint Research Center for Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public HealthXi'an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterXi'anChina
| | - Rui Li
- China‐Australia Joint Research Center for Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public HealthXi'an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterXi'anChina
| | - Pengyi Lu
- China‐Australia Joint Research Center for Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public HealthXi'an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterXi'anChina
| | - Mingwang Shen
- China‐Australia Joint Research Center for Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public HealthXi'an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterXi'anChina
- Key Laboratory for Disease Prevention and Control and Health Promotion of Shaanxi ProvinceXi'anChina
- The Interdisciplinary Center for Mathematics and Life SciencesSchool of Mathematics and StatisticsXi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'anChina
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases (Xi'an Jiaotong University)Ministry of EducationXi'anChina
| | - Zunyou Wu
- National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention (NCAIDS)Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC)BeijingChina
| | - Lei Zhang
- China‐Australia Joint Research Center for Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public HealthXi'an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterXi'anChina
- Melbourne Sexual Health CentreAlfred HealthMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Central Clinical SchoolFaculty of MedicineMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
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26
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Mahlalela NB, Manne-Goehler J, Ohene-Kwofie D, B Adams L, Montana L, Kahn K, Rohr JK, Bärnighausen T, Gómez-Olivé FX. The Association Between HIV-Related Stigma and the Uptake of HIV Testing and ART Among Older Adults in Rural South Africa: Findings from the HAALSI Cohort Study. AIDS Behav 2024; 28:1104-1121. [PMID: 38286975 PMCID: PMC10896802 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-023-04222-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
HIV testing and antiretroviral therapy (ART) remain critical for curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS, but stigma can impede access to these services. Using data from the Health and Aging in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community in South Africa (HAALSI), we used a multivariable logistic regression to examine the correlation between HIV-related stigma, HIV testing and ART uptake in older adults. We used four questions to measure stigma, with three assessing social stigma (reflecting social distancing preferences) and one assessing anticipated stigma (disclosure concern). We combined the three social stigma questions to generate a social stigma score ranging from 0 to 3, with higher scores indicating higher stigma. Anticipated stigma was prevalent 85% (95% CI 0.84-0.86), and social stigma was also frequent 25% (95% CI 0.24-0.27). Higher social stigma scores correlated with decreased HIV testing for all participants with social stigma. Compared to those with a score of 0, odds of testing decreased with higher stigma scores (OR = 0.66, 95% CI 0.53-0.81, p = 0.000) for a score of 1 and (OR = 0.56, 95% CI 0.38-0.83, p = 0.004) for a score of 3. ART uptake also decreased with higher social stigma scores among people living with HIV (PLWH), although it was significant for those with a score of 2 (OR = 0.41, 95% CI 0.19-0.87, p = 0.020). These findings emphasize that HIV-related stigma hampers testing and ART uptake among older adults in rural South Africa. Addressing stigma is crucial for improving testing rates, early diagnosis, and treatment initiation among the older population and achieving UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nomsa B Mahlalela
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Jennifer Manne-Goehler
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Medical Practice Evaluation Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel Ohene-Kwofie
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Leslie B Adams
- Center for Population and Development Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Livia Montana
- Center for Population and Development Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The DHS Program, ICF, Rockville MD, USA
| | - Kathleen Kahn
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Julia K Rohr
- Center for Population and Development Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Till Bärnighausen
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI), Mtubatuba, South Africa
| | - Francesc X Gómez-Olivé
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Grosso A, Bowring AL, Njindam IM, Decker MR, Lyons C, Rao A, Tamoufe U, Fako GH, Fouda G, Levitt D, Turpin G, Billong SC, Zoung-Kanyi Bissek AC, Njoya O, Baral S. Sexually Transmitted Infection Risks and Symptoms Heightened Among Female Sex Workers who Started Selling Sex Before the Age of 18 in Five Cities in Cameroon. AIDS Behav 2024; 28:898-906. [PMID: 37843686 PMCID: PMC10896857 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-023-04196-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Many adolescents under 18 years old who sell sex are at elevated risk for sexually transmitted infection (STI) acquisition, which may persist into adulthood. There has been limited study of the burden of the risks and vulnerabilities among women who started selling sex as adolescents across Sub-Saharan Africa. In this study, a Adult female sex workers (FSW) recruited through respondent-driven sampling in five cities in Cameroon from December 2015 to October 2016 completed a questionnaire and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and syphilis testing. Multivariable logistic regression analysis controlling for age was used to identify factors associated with reporting selling sex before age 18. Selling sex before age 18 was reported by 11.5% (256/2,220) of FSW. Initiation of selling sex as an adolescent was positively associated with experiencing dysuria (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]:1.50, 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.08-2.10) or genital warts (aOR:1.78, 95% CI:1.08-2.94) and negatively associated with prior recent testing for HIV (aOR:0.71, 95% CI:0.53-0.96) or STIs (aOR:0.65, 95% CI:0.44-0.96). Consistent condom use with clients was negatively associated with early initiation of selling sex (aOR:0.58, 95% CI:0.42-0.80), while experience of recent sexual violence was positively associated with early initiation (aOR:1.74, 95% CI:1.15-2.63). There were no independent significant differences in HIV (24.5%) or syphilis (8.3%) prevalence. Given the limited use of HIV and STI testing services by women who sold sex as adolescents, the prevalence of forced sex, condomless sex, and STI symptoms were high. Programs serving FSW should more vigorously aim to serve adolescents and adults who began selling sex early.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Grosso
- Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, Rutgers University, 112 Paterson Street, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA.
| | - Anna L Bowring
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University, 615 N Wolfe , MD, Baltimore, 21205, USA
- Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | | | - Michele R Decker
- Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins University, 615 N Wolfe St Baltimore, MD, Baltimore, 21205, USA
| | - Carrie Lyons
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University, 615 N Wolfe , MD, Baltimore, 21205, USA
| | - Amrita Rao
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University, 615 N Wolfe , MD, Baltimore, 21205, USA
| | - Ubald Tamoufe
- Metabiota, Avenue Mvog-Fouda Ada, Av 1.085, Carrefour Intendance BP, Yaoundé, 15939, Cameroon
| | - Guy H Fako
- Care and Health Program, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Ghislaine Fouda
- CARE Cameroon, Villa La Rose (3è étage, Av. Churchill, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Daniel Levitt
- CARE USA, 115 Broadway, 5th floor, New York, NY, 10006, USA
- FHI 360, New York, United States
| | - Gnilane Turpin
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University, 615 N Wolfe , MD, Baltimore, 21205, USA
| | - Serge C Billong
- Groupe Technique Central, CNLS, Rue Henri Dunant, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | | | - Oudou Njoya
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yaoundé University Hospital Center, Joseph Tchooungui Akoa, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Stefan Baral
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University, 615 N Wolfe , MD, Baltimore, 21205, USA
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Nardell MF, Govathson‐Mandimika C, Garnier S, Watts A, Babalola D, Ngcobo N, Long L, Lurie MN, Miot J, Pascoe S, Katz IT. "Emotional stress is more detrimental than the virus itself": A qualitative study to understand HIV testing and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use among internal migrant men in South Africa. J Int AIDS Soc 2024; 27:e26225. [PMID: 38462755 PMCID: PMC10935710 DOI: 10.1002/jia2.26225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION South Africa has one of the highest rates of internal migration on the continent, largely comprised of men seeking labour in urban centres. South African men who move within the country (internal migrants) are at higher risk than non-migrant men of acquiring HIV yet are less likely to test or use pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). However, little is known about the mechanisms that link internal migration and challenges engaging in HIV services. METHODS We recruited 30 internal migrant men (born outside Gauteng Province) during August 2022 for in-depth qualitative interviews at two sites in Johannesburg (Gauteng) where migrants may gather, a factories workplace and a homeless shelter. Interviewers used open-ended questions, based in the Theory of Triadic Influence, to explore experiences and challenges with HIV testing and/or PrEP. A mixed deductive inductive content analytic approach was used to review data and explain why participants may or may not use these services. RESULTS Migrant men come to Johannesburg to find work, but unreliable income, daily stress and time constraints limit their availability to seek health services. While awareness of HIV testing is high, the fear of a positive diagnosis often overshadows the benefits. In addition, many men lack knowledge about the opportunity for PrEP should they test negative, though they express interest in the medication after learning about it. Additionally, these men struggle with adjusting to urban life, lack of social support and fear of potential stigma. Finally, the necessity to prioritize work combined with long wait times at clinics further restricts their access to HIV services. Despite these challenges, Johannesburg also presents opportunities for HIV services for migrant men, such as greater anonymity and availability of HIV information and services in the city as compared to their rural homes of origin. CONCLUSIONS Bringing HIV services to migrant men at community sites may ease the burden of accessing these services. Including PrEP counselling and services alongside HIV testing may further encourage men to test, particularly if integrated into counselling for livelihood and coping strategies, as well as support for navigating health services in Johannesburg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Francesca Nardell
- Division of Global Health EquityBrigham and Women's HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Caroline Govathson‐Mandimika
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office (HE2RO)JohannesburgSouth Africa
- Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the WitwatersrandJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | | | | | | | - Nkosinathi Ngcobo
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office (HE2RO)JohannesburgSouth Africa
- Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the WitwatersrandJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - Lawrence Long
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office (HE2RO)JohannesburgSouth Africa
- Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the WitwatersrandJohannesburgSouth Africa
- Department of Global HealthBoston University School of Public HealthBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Mark N. Lurie
- Brown University School of Public HealthBrown UniversityProvidenceRhode IslandUSA
| | - Jacqui Miot
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office (HE2RO)JohannesburgSouth Africa
- Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the WitwatersrandJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - Sophie Pascoe
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office (HE2RO)JohannesburgSouth Africa
- Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the WitwatersrandJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - Ingrid T. Katz
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Division of Women's HealthBrigham and Women's HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
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Harkness A, Morales V, Atuluru P, Jaramillo J, Safren SA, Balise R, Turner D. PrEP and Behavioral Health Treatment Referral Among HIV Test Counselors in Miami-Dade County: A Rapid Qualitative Study Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. AIDS Behav 2024; 28:820-836. [PMID: 37792227 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-023-04184-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
HIV test counselors are well positioned to refer individuals to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and behavioral health treatments. HIV test counselors in Miami-Dade County (N = 20), a priority jurisdiction for Ending the HIV Epidemic, completed interviews to assess determinants of PrEP and behavioral health treatment referrals. To identify determinants, we used a rapid deductive qualitative analysis approach and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Identified determinants sometimes served as facilitators (e.g., relative priority, leadership importance) and sometimes as barriers (e.g., lack of access to knowledge and information, available resources for referrals) to making referrals. We also observed differences in determinants between PrEP and behavioral health referrals. For example, complexity (perceived difficulty of the referral) was a barrier to behavioral health more often than PrEP referral. Our findings suggest that determinants across many CFIR domains affect referral implementation, and the corresponding need for multiple implementation strategies to improve implementation of PrEP and behavioral health referrals in the context of HIV testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Harkness
- School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Miami, 5030 Brunson Dr Coral Gables, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA.
| | - Vanessa Morales
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | | | - Jahn Jaramillo
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Steven A Safren
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
| | - Raymond Balise
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - DeAnne Turner
- College of Nursing, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
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Riddell J, Cleary A, Dean JA, Flowers P, Heard E, Inch Z, Mutch A, Fitzgerald L, McDaid L. Social marketing and mass media interventions to increase sexually transmissible infections (STIs) testing among young people: social marketing and visual design component analysis. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:620. [PMID: 38408945 PMCID: PMC10898181 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18095-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Globally, sexually transmissible infections (STIs) continue to disproportionately affect young people. Regular STI testing is an important public health strategy but remains low among this age group. Raising awareness of testing is an essential step and requires effective interventions designed for young people. To inform the development of effective interventions that promote STI testing among young people, we conducted a systematic literature review to describe the social marketing and visual design components commonly found in STI testing interventions and explore associations of these components with intervention effectiveness. METHODS We used a systemic review methodology to identify peer-reviewed articles that met pre-defined inclusion criteria. Social marketing and visual component analyses were conducted using structured data extraction tools and coding schemes, based on the eight key social marketing principles and 28 descriptive dimensions for visual analysis. RESULTS 18 studies focusing on 13 separate interventions met the inclusion criteria. Most interventions used photograph-based images, using conventionally attractive actors, positioned centrally and making direct eye contact to engage the viewer. The majority of interventions featured text sparingly and drew on a range of tones (e.g. serious, humorous, positive, reassuring, empowering and informative) and three interventions used sexualised content. Four articles explicitly stated that the interventions was informed by social marketing principles, with two explicitly referencing all eight principles. Around half of the articles reported using a formal theoretical framework, but most were considered to have theoretical constructs implicit in interventions materials. Four articles provided detailed information regarding developmental consumer research or pre-testing. All articles suggested segmentation and development of materials specifically for young people. Explicit consideration of motivation and competition was lacking across all articles. This study found that there were some design elements common to interventions which were considered more effective. High social marketing complexity (where interventions met at least seven of the 11 criteria for complexity) seemed to be associated with more effective interventions. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that the incorporation of social marketing principles, could be more important for intervention effectiveness than specific elements of visual design. Effective and systematic use of social marketing principles may help to inform future evidence-informed and theoretically based interventions and should be employed within sexual health improvement efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Riddell
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
| | - Anne Cleary
- Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - Judith A Dean
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | | | - Emma Heard
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
- Griffith University, Creative Arts Research Institute, Southport, Australia
| | - Zeb Inch
- Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - Allyson Mutch
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - Lisa Fitzgerald
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - Lisa McDaid
- Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
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Kalu N, Ross MW, Taegtmeyer M, Lamontagne E, Howell S, Neuman M. Association of same-sex criminalisation laws and national HIV policies with HIV testing in African MSM: an ecological single-level and multilevel cross-sectional study of sub-Saharan African countries. Sex Transm Infect 2024; 100:sextrans-2023-055964. [PMID: 38331571 DOI: 10.1136/sextrans-2023-055964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND HIV incidence among men who have sex with men (MSM) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remains high compared with the general population. Many countries in the region still criminalise consensual homosexual relationships, and some are yet to adopt WHO-recommended interventions for MSM into national HIV policies. This study examines how HIV testing of adult MSM in SSA varies according to the legal climate and presence of targeted HIV policy using data from the cross-sectional 2019 Global LGBTI Internet Survey study. METHODS Using data from 3191 MSM in 44 SSA countries, we assessed associations of legal climate and HIV policy with ever and recent HIV testing using linear ecological and logistic multilevel analyses. From the single-level analysis, we can compare our findings to previously reported data, then, extending to a two-level multilevel analysis, we account for the hierarchical structure of the population and simultaneously adjust for differences in context and composition in each country. We then test the sensitivity of our analyses to excluding countries from the model. RESULTS We find evidence that legalised same-sex relationships were associated with increased odds of ever testing (OR=2.00, 95% CI 1.04, 3.82) in multilevel analyses. We also find evidence of an association of targeted HIV policies with increased odds of ever testing (OR=2.49, 95% CI 1.12, 5.52). We did not find evidence of an association of the legal climate (OR=1.01, 95% CI 0.69, 1.46) and targeted HIV policies (OR=1.26, 95% CI 0.78, 2.04) with recent testing. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests elimination of discriminatory laws and policies might be important for increasing HIV status awareness of MSM, an important first step in epidemic control. Additionally, we highlight heterogeneity between South Africa and other SSA countries, which has implications for studying SSA countries as a homogeneous group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ngozi Kalu
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Michael W Ross
- Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Miriam Taegtmeyer
- Department of International Public Health, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | | | - Sean Howell
- LGBT+ Foundation, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Melissa Neuman
- MRC International Statistics and Epidemiology Group and Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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Terefe B. HIV counseling, testing, and test result receipt among East African women of reproductive age using recent national health surveys. Front Reprod Health 2024; 6:1305671. [PMID: 38384397 PMCID: PMC10879555 DOI: 10.3389/frph.2024.1305671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction One of the most important public health concerns is still the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), particularly in developing countries. Although HIV testing is an important step in both prevention and treatment, its uptake remains low, and no study has looked into the scale of HIV counseling, testing, and test result receipt among East African women all at the same time. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate HIV counseling, testing, and test result receipt, as well as the factors that influence them, among East African women. Methods This analysis used Demographic and Health Survey data collected from 10 East African countries between 2011 and 2022. We examined the coverage of HIV counseling, testing, and test result receipt among East African women, as well as other characteristics. To select candidate factors and identify significant explanatory variables related to the outcome variable, binary and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted, and the results were presented using adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confidence intervals. In the binary and multiple logistic regression analyses, P values of less than or equal to 0.2 and <0.05 were used to assess significant variables, respectively. Results A total of 41,627 weighted women included to this study. HIV counseling, testing, and test result receipt among East African women were found to be 77.86% (95% CI = 77.46, 78.26). Being 25-34 years old (AOR = 1.13, 95% CI, 1.06, 1.21), 35-49 years old (AOR = 1.15, 95% CI, 1.05, 1.26) as compared to 15-24 years old women, primary education (AOR = 1.75, 95% CI, 1.64, 1.86), secondary/higher education level (AOR = 1.96, 95% CI, 1.82, 2.13) as compared to not educated women, poor, (AOR = 1.22, 95% CI, 1.14, 1.29), middle wealth (AOR = 1.12, 95% CI, 1.04, 1.21) as compared to rich wealth index, mass media exposure (AOR = 1.29, 95% CI, 1.22, 1.35), 3-5 parity (AOR = 1.29, 95% CI, 1.21, 1.37), more than 5 parity (AOR = 1.46, 95% CI, 1.33, 1.61) as compared to <3 parity, health institution delivery (AOR = 1.65, 95% CI, 1.53, 1.76), were associated positively with the outcome variable respectively. However, being married (AOR = 0.79, 95% CI, 0.72, 0.87), not using contraceptive (AOR = 0.58, 95% CI, 0.51, 0.61), and traditional contraceptive method user (AOR = 0.47, 95% CI, 0.41, 0.54) as compared to modern users were associated negatively with outcome variable respectively. Conclusion This study found that HIV counseling, testing, and test result receipt are still unsatisfactory. Strengthening maternal health services such as institutional delivery, family planning, and women's empowerment, as well as changing mass media and taking advantage of these opportunities, will boost the region's coverage of HIV counseling, testing, and obtaining results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bewuketu Terefe
- Department of Community Health Nursing, School of Nursing, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
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Suwedi-Kapesa LC, Nyondo-Mipando AL, Choko A, Obasi A, MacPherson P, Desmond N. Process Evaluation of Services for HIV-Infected Post-Partum Women and HIV-Exposed Infants in Primary Health Care Blantyre Malawi. Health Serv Insights 2024; 17:11786329231224623. [PMID: 38322594 PMCID: PMC10846036 DOI: 10.1177/11786329231224623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
HIV testing among HIV-exposed infants (HEI) in Malawi is below global targets and, affected by low utilisation of health services after birth. We conducted a mixed methods evaluation of the implementation of services for early infant diagnosis (EID) of HIV against national guidelines in Blantyre, Malawi, to inform the development of strategies to improve EID services uptake. We estimated coverage of HEI enrolment in HIV care and HIV testing at 6 weeks through a retrospective data review. We qualitatively explored implementation gaps in EID services through process mapping of 8 mother-infant pairs (MIP); and investigated healthcare workers' (HCW) perspectives on the implementation gaps through group interviews with 16 HCWs. We analysed the quantitative data descriptively and conducted a thematic content analysis of qualitative data. Of 163 HEIs born at the study sites, 39 (24%) were enrolled in an HIV care clinic before post-natal discharge, and 85 (52%) received HIV testing by 6 weeks. The median time for MIP to receive EID services was 4 (1-8) hours. The implementation gaps observed during process mapping included: failure to identify and enrol HEI in HIV care clinic; lack of immunisation, counselling for HEI testing, HIV testing, drug refilling, and family planning; and different appointment dates for mother and infant. HCWs reported delays and gaps influencing optimal service provision including: lack of screening to identify MIP, limited supervision for student HCWs when providing services, inadequate capacity of point of care machines, challenges with integrating services, and role confusion. Use of unique identifiers for MIP and establishing a booking system to schedule appointments to suit point of care machine capacity were primary service improvement recommendations. This study identified suboptimal EID services in Malawi due to process, capacity, and system factors. Context-appropriate interventions accommodating systems thinking are needed to enhance service provision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leticia Chimwemwe Suwedi-Kapesa
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, England, UK
- Malawi-Liverpool-Welcome Trust Clinical Research Programme (MLWT), Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Alinane Linda Nyondo-Mipando
- Malawi-Liverpool-Welcome Trust Clinical Research Programme (MLWT), Blantyre, Malawi
- Department of Health Systems and Policy, School of Global and Public Health Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, England, UK
| | - Augustine Choko
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, England, UK
- Malawi-Liverpool-Welcome Trust Clinical Research Programme (MLWT), Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Angela Obasi
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, England, UK
- Axess Sexual Health, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
| | - Peter MacPherson
- School of Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Nicola Desmond
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, England, UK
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Orkin C. Should Human Immunodeficiency Virus Testing Be Replaced With Combined Blood-Borne Virus Testing? Open Forum Infect Dis 2024; 11:ofad668. [PMID: 38352156 PMCID: PMC10863545 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofad668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Standalone HIV testing is a missed opportunity- a recent systematic review showed eight cases of viral hepatitis would be missed for each new HIV diagnosis. The review builds on a decade of research demonstrating the additional benefit of BBV testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe Orkin
- SHARE Collaborative, Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
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Hernández-Vásquez A, Vargas-Fernández R. Measuring Socioeconomic Inequalities in HIV Testing During Antenatal Care: A Peruvian National Survey. J Community Health 2024; 49:117-126. [PMID: 37558854 DOI: 10.1007/s10900-023-01268-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Although several Latin American countries have 70% antenatal care coverage, the proportion of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing of Peruvian pregnant women and the socioeconomic inequalities of this preventive measure are unknown. This study aimed to determine socioeconomic inequalities and quantify the contribution of contextual and compositional factors on HIV testing during prenatal care in Peru. A cross-sectional study of the 2021 Demographic and Family Health Survey data was conducted. The outcome variable was HIV testing of pregnant women during prenatal care. An analysis of inequalities was performed including the determination of concentration curves and a decomposition analysis of concentration indices. Of a total of 17521 women aged 15 to 49 years, 91.4% had been tested for HIV during prenatal care. The concentration curves showed that prenatal HIV testing was concentrated among richer women, while the decomposition analysis determined that the main contributors to inequality were having a higher education, residing in an urban area, and in the highlands, belonging to the wealthy quintile, and being exposed to television and newspapers. Strategies focused on improving access, promotion and restructuring of prevention of mother-to-child transmission measures should be prioritized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akram Hernández-Vásquez
- Centro de Excelencia en Investigaciones Económicas y Sociales en Salud, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, 500 La Fontana Ave, La Molina, 15024, Lima, Peru.
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Shobowale O, Schmidt AJ, Meireles P, Rojas Castro D, Detandt S, Stutterheim SE, Weatherburn P, Jonas KJ. Determinants of HIV Testing Among Migrant Men Who Have Sex With Men from Sub-Saharan Africa and Other Regions Residing in 10 European Countries. AIDS Behav 2024; 28:488-506. [PMID: 38326669 PMCID: PMC10876736 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-023-04239-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Migrant men who have sex with men (mMSM) from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and other regions outside Europe are highly vulnerable to HIV. However, research on the determinants of HIV testing among mMSM from SSA, and how these differ across the categories of mMSM living in Europe, is limited. Using data from the European MSM Internet Survey (EMIS-2017), we assessed HIV testing prevalence and recency in mMSM from SSA and other mMSM residing in ten European countries, as well as the determinants of HIV testing across different mMSM categories with logistic regression analyses. Ever-testing for HIV was slightly higher in mMSM from SSA (83%) compared to other mMSM categories (75-80%), except for mMSM from Latin America and Caribbean region (84%). Overall, 20% of mMSM had never tested. In multivariable analysis, higher age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.10), higher HIV knowledge (AOR 1.45, 95%-CI 1.11-1.90), and residence in smaller settlements (AOR 0.45, 95%-CI 0.21-0.96) were significantly associated with ever testing for HIV in mMSM from SSA. Comparing mMSM from SSA to mMSM from other regions, we found varying significant similarities (higher age, residence in smaller settlements and HIV knowledge) and differences (lower educational attainment, not identifying as gay, being a student, and limited disclosure of homosexual attraction) in the determinants of ever-testing for HIV. Community-specific interventions addressing identified sociodemographic and behavioral determinants to increase HIV testing uptake in the different mMSM categories and better data for further research are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oladipupo Shobowale
- Department of Work and Social Psychology, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - Axel J Schmidt
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Sigma Research, London, UK
| | - Paula Meireles
- EPIUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Porto, Portugal
| | | | - Sandrine Detandt
- Faculty of Psychology, Observatoire du Sida et des Sexualités Research Center, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sarah E Stutterheim
- Department of Health Promotion, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Weatherburn
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Sigma Research, London, UK
| | - Kai J Jonas
- Department of Work and Social Psychology, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Wang D, Zhou Y, Wu D, Tucker JD, Ni Y, Lu Y, Lyu H, Ong J, He X, Huang S, Tang W. 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. AIDS Behav 2024; 28:705-712. [PMID: 38194057 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-023-04259-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Secondary 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 (referred to as "seeds") finished a baseline survey and then applied for up to five HIVST kits. They were encouraged to distribute HIVST kits to other MSM (referred to as "alters") and alters were encouraged to scan a QR code to return their photographed testing results. All alters were invited to finish an online survey. In total, 229 seeds reached 292 alters, among whom 126 (43.2%) were first-time testers whereas 166 (56.8%) were non-first-time testers. Importantly, our results demonstrated that the first-time HIV testers were more likely to self-report as heterosexual (aOR = 4.88, 95% CI 1.01-23.61), disclose sexual orientation and/or SSB (aOR = 1.73, 95% CI 1.01-2.96), and receive HIVST knowledge from the seeds (aOR = 3.25, 95% CI 1.02-10.34). However, those who had sex with male partners in the last three months were less likely to be first-time testers (aOR = 0.43, 95% CI 0.23-0.82). Practical implications and limitations were also discussed to improve future HIV prevention programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongya Wang
- School of Communication, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
- Dermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- University of North Carolina Project-China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi Zhou
- Zhuhai Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, Zhuhai, China
| | - Dan Wu
- University of North Carolina Project-China, Guangzhou, China
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Joseph D Tucker
- University of North Carolina Project-China, Guangzhou, China
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Yuxin Ni
- Department of Health Law, Policy, and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ying Lu
- Dermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- University of North Carolina Project-China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hang Lyu
- Zhuhai Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, Zhuhai, China
| | - Jason Ong
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Xi He
- Zhuhai Xutong Voluntary Services Center, Zhuhai, China
| | - Shanzi Huang
- Zhuhai Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, Zhuhai, China
| | - Weiming Tang
- Dermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
- University of North Carolina Project-China, Guangzhou, China.
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D'Anna LH, Chang K. Healthcare discrimination, anticipated HIV stigma, and income as predictors of HIV testing among a community sample of YBMSM. AIDS Care 2024; 36:212-219. [PMID: 37607018 DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2023.2240068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) are at particular risk for HIV, and knowing one's HIV status is key to preventing new HIV infections. Data were derived from a community-based study involving 250 YBMSM to examine the relationships between race-based discrimination experienced in healthcare settings, anticipated HIV stigma, household income and lifetime HIV testing. Lifetime HIV testing was regressed on racial discrimination in healthcare settings, anticipated HIV stigma, and income, and a significant 3-way interaction was found. To help interpret the 3-way interaction, lifetime HIV testing was regressed on racial discrimination in healthcare settings and anticipated HIV stigma in two separate models; with low-income and higher-income YBMSM. Anticipated HIV stigma was found to predict HIV testing among low-income YBMSM. A significant interaction was detected such that low-income YBMSM with low levels of anticipated HIV stigma were more likely to get tested for HIV regardless of experiences with healthcare discrimination, while low-income YBMSM who reported greater anticipated HIV stigma and more experiences of healthcare discrimination were less likely to get tested for HIV. Understanding the complexity of potential barriers is crucial for developing interventions to increase HIV testing within this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Hoyt D'Anna
- Center for Health Equity Research, California State University, Long Beach
| | - Kyle Chang
- Center for Health Equity Research, California State University, Long Beach
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Liu J, Guo T, Han B, Cheng X, Qu S, Wang R, Dong X, Fang J, Wang J, Tang M, Yao Y, Jin L. Adverse childhood experiences and human immunodeficiency virus testing among adults with human immunodeficiency virus risk behaviours. Stress Health 2024; 40:e3262. [PMID: 37226429 DOI: 10.1002/smi.3262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been associated with poor HIV testing in adulthood yet, they have not been extensively described in those at increased risk for HIV. Cross-sectional analysis data (n = 204,231) on ACEs and HIV testing were obtained from the 2019-2020 Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance Survey. Weighted logistic regression models were used to access the association of ACEs exposure, ACEs score, and ACEs type with HIV testing among adults with HIV risk behaviours, and stratified analysis was also performed to examine gender differences. The results indicated the overall rate of HIV testing was 38.8% and was higher among those with HIV risk behaviours (64.6%) than those without (37.2%). In populations with HIV risk behaviours, the negative association of HIV testing with ACEs exposure, ACEs score, and ACEs type was identified. Relative to those without ACEs, adults who were exposed to ACEs might decrease the rate of HIV testing, participants with ≥4 ACEs scores were less likely to have HIV testing, and childhood exposure to sexual abuse had the greatest impact on HIV testing. For both males and females, childhood exposure to ACEs was associated with lower odds of HIV testing and ACEs score ≥4 had the most robust associations with HIV testing. For males, those who experienced witnessed domestic violence had the lowest odds of HIV testing but the odds of engaging in HIV testing for females were the lowest among those who experienced childhood sexual abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Liu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Tingting Guo
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Baihui Han
- Chaoyang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaowei Cheng
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Shifang Qu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Ruying Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Xinxin Dong
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Jiaxin Fang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Jin Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Mengyao Tang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Yan Yao
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Lina Jin
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
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Cheah MH, Gan YN, Altice FL, Wickersham JA, Shrestha R, Salleh NAM, Ng KS, Azwa I, Balakrishnan V, Kamarulzaman A, Ni Z. Testing the Feasibility and Acceptability of Using an Artificial Intelligence Chatbot to Promote HIV Testing and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis in Malaysia: Mixed Methods Study. JMIR Hum Factors 2024; 11:e52055. [PMID: 38277206 PMCID: PMC10858413 DOI: 10.2196/52055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The HIV epidemic continues to grow fastest among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Malaysia in the presence of stigma and discrimination. Engaging MSM on the internet using chatbots supported through artificial intelligence (AI) can potentially help HIV prevention efforts. We previously identified the benefits, limitations, and preferred features of HIV prevention AI chatbots and developed an AI chatbot prototype that is now tested for feasibility and acceptability. OBJECTIVE This study aims to test the feasibility and acceptability of an AI chatbot in promoting the uptake of HIV testing and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in MSM. METHODS We conducted beta testing with 14 MSM from February to April 2022 using Zoom (Zoom Video Communications, Inc). Beta testing involved 3 steps: a 45-minute human-chatbot interaction using the think-aloud method, a 35-minute semistructured interview, and a 10-minute web-based survey. The first 2 steps were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. Emerging themes from the qualitative data were mapped on the 4 domains of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology: performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, and social influence. RESULTS Most participants (13/14, 93%) perceived the chatbot to be useful because it provided comprehensive information on HIV testing and PrEP (performance expectancy). All participants indicated that the chatbot was easy to use because of its simple, straightforward design and quick, friendly responses (effort expectancy). Moreover, 93% (13/14) of the participants rated the overall chatbot quality as high, and all participants perceived the chatbot as a helpful tool and would refer it to others. Approximately 79% (11/14) of the participants agreed they would continue using the chatbot. They suggested adding a local language (ie, Bahasa Malaysia) to customize the chatbot to the Malaysian context (facilitating condition) and suggested that the chatbot should also incorporate more information on mental health, HIV risk assessment, and consequences of HIV. In terms of social influence, all participants perceived the chatbot as helpful in avoiding stigma-inducing interactions and thus could increase the frequency of HIV testing and PrEP uptake among MSM. CONCLUSIONS The current AI chatbot is feasible and acceptable to promote the uptake of HIV testing and PrEP. To ensure the successful implementation and dissemination of AI chatbots in Malaysia, they should be customized to communicate in Bahasa Malaysia and upgraded to provide other HIV-related information to improve usability, such as mental health support, risk assessment for sexually transmitted infections, AIDS treatment, and the consequences of contracting HIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Hui Cheah
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Yan Nee Gan
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Frederick L Altice
- Section of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Division of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA), Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
- Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS (CERiA), Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Jeffrey A Wickersham
- Section of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA), Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
- Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS (CERiA), Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Roman Shrestha
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA), Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
- Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS (CERiA), Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Nur Afiqah Mohd Salleh
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Kee Seong Ng
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Iskandar Azwa
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS (CERiA), Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Vimala Balakrishnan
- Department of Information Systems, Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | | | - Zhao Ni
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA), Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
- School of Nursing, Yale University, Orange, CT, United States
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41
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Addison J, Caves K, Melvin P, Fitzgerald S, Woods ER, Walsh KE. Factors Associated With HIV Testing in Adolescent and Young Adult Females With a History of STI. Clin Pediatr (Phila) 2024:99228241226503. [PMID: 38258812 DOI: 10.1177/00099228241226503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
To determine the percentage of female adolescent patients (13-26 years old) who had HIV testing ordered within 90 days of incident sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnosis during an outpatient clinic visit. This was a retrospective chart review study evaluating 830 visits among 589 female patients 13 to 26 years who had an incident STI diagnosed in outpatient Adolescent Medicine or Pediatric Practices in an urban, nonprofit, academic, free-standing children's hospital at the main campus and a community site in the Northeast United States. Odds of HIV screening was greater at the community-based adolescent medicine practice (odds ratio [OR] = 3.17; 95% confidence interval [CI]: [1.92, 5.24]) and when seen by an adolescent medicine provider (OR = 1.44; 95% CI: [1.02, 2.03]). Only 33.5% (n = 283) of 844 clinical encounters had HIV screening obtained within 90 days of incident STI diagnosis. Overall, HIV screening rates within 90 days of STI diagnosis was low, and there is much room for improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Addison
- Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kyzwana Caves
- Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, Norfolk, VA, USA
| | - Patrice Melvin
- Office of Health Equity and Inclusion, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Susan Fitzgerald
- Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elizabeth R Woods
- Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kathleen E Walsh
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of General Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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Mustanski B, Queiroz A, Merle JL, Zamantakis A, Zapata JP, Li DH, Benbow N, Pyra M, Smith JD. A Systematic Review of Implementation Research on Determinants and Strategies of Effective HIV Interventions for Men Who Have Sex with Men in the United States. Annu Rev Psychol 2024; 75:55-85. [PMID: 37722749 PMCID: PMC10872355 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-032620-035725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV, accounting for two-thirds of HIV cases in the United States despite representing ∼5% of the adult population. Delivery and use of existing and highly effective HIV prevention and treatment strategies remain suboptimal among MSM. To summarize the state of the science, we systematically review implementation determinants and strategies of HIV-related health interventions using implementation science frameworks. Research on implementation barriers has focused predominantly on characteristics of individual recipients (e.g., ethnicity, age, drug use) and less so on deliverers (e.g., nurses, physicians), with little focus on system-level factors. Similarly, most strategies target recipients to influence their uptake and adherence, rather than improving and supporting implementation systems. HIV implementation research is burgeoning; future research is needed to broaden the examination of barriers at the provider and system levels, as well as expand knowledge on how to match strategies to barriers-particularly to address stigma. Collaboration and coordination among federal, state, and local public health agencies; community-based organizations; health care providers; and scientists are important for successful implementation of HIV-related health innovations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Mustanski
- Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA;
- Third Coast Center for AIDS Research, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Artur Queiroz
- Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA;
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - James L Merle
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Alithia Zamantakis
- Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA;
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Juan Pablo Zapata
- Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA;
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Dennis H Li
- Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA;
- Third Coast Center for AIDS Research, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Nanette Benbow
- Third Coast Center for AIDS Research, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Maria Pyra
- Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA;
| | - Justin D Smith
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
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Al-Kassab-Córdova A, Mendez-Guerra C, Robles-Valcarcel P, Bendezu-Quispe G, Benites-Zapata VA. Access to HIV/STI testing among male and female Venezuelan migrants in Peru: evidence from a nationwide survey. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:210. [PMID: 38233806 PMCID: PMC10795413 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-17655-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are major global public health issues. Migrants represent a vulnerable group that faces multiple barriers to access to healthcare services, including HIV/STI testing. This study aimed to assess the factors associated with access to HIV/STI testing in male and female Venezuelan migrants in Peru. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study involving secondary data analysis of the 2022 Venezuelan Population Residing in Peru Survey. The study was conducted in the eight most populated cities inhabited by Venezuelan migrants and refugees. For each city, the sampling design was probabilistic, stratified, and independent. The outcome variable was whether participants had access to HIV or other STI testing during their stay in Peru. Statistical analysis was stratified by sex owing to potential effect modification. Crude and adjusted prevalence ratios were calculated using generalized linear models Poisson family with log link function. Confidence intervals were calculated to 95%. RESULTS A total of 3,723 male and 3,984 female migrants were included. Access to HIV/STI testing among male and female migrants was 19.85% and 25.16%, respectively. Among male migrants, being LGBTI, health insured, and married or cohabiting were associated with increased access to HIV/STI testing. Among females, those aged 18-44 years, those who were married or cohabiting and were health insured, and those residing for more than 1 year in Peru were significantly more likely to have access to HIV/STI testing. Moreover, physical/mental disability and unemployed status were associated with a lower probability of HIV/STI testing in females. CONCLUSIONS Only two in ten Venezuelan migrants and refugees in Peru were screened for HIV/STI, with fewer males than females. Sex-specific sociodemographic, health-related, and migration-related variables were independently associated with access to HIV/STI testing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Vicente A Benites-Zapata
- Unidad de Investigación para la Generación y Síntesis de Evidencias en Salud, Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, Lima, Peru.
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Joseph F, Jean Simon D, Kondo Tokpovi VC, Kiragu A, Toudeka MRAS, Nazaire R. Trends and factors associated with recent HIV testing among women in Haiti: a cross-sectional study using data from nationally representative surveys. BMC Infect Dis 2024; 24:74. [PMID: 38212702 PMCID: PMC10782569 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-023-08936-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In the Latin America and Caribbean region, Haiti is one of the countries with the highest rates of HIV. Therefore, this study examined the factors associated with HIV testing among women in Haiti and trends in HIV testing in 2006, 2012, and 2016/17. METHODS Data from the last three Haitian Demographic and Health Surveys (2006, 2012, and 2016/17) were used. The analysis was restricted to women aged of 15-49 years who made their sexual debut. STATA/SE 16.0 was employed to analyze the data by computing descriptive statistics, Chi‑square, and multilevel regression model to describe the trends and identify factors associated with HIV testing in Haiti. P-value less than 0.05 was taken as a significant association. RESULTS HIV testing prevalence increased more than twofold from 2006 (8.8%) to 2017 (21.3%); however, it decreased by 11.6% between 2012 and 2016/17. Additionally, the results indicated that age, place of residence, region, education level, wealth index, mass media exposure, marital status, health insurance, age at first sex and number of sexual partners were significantly associated with HIV testing. CONCLUSIONS To significantly increase HIV testing prevalence among women, the Haitian government must invest much more in their health education while targeting vulnerable groups (youth, women in union, and women with low economic status).
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanor Joseph
- Doctoral School of Social and Human Sciences, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
- Bureau d'Etudes Et de Recherche en Statistiques Appliquées, Suivi Et Evaluation (BERSA-SE), Port-au-Prince, Haiti
| | - David Jean Simon
- Bureau d'Etudes Et de Recherche en Statistiques Appliquées, Suivi Et Evaluation (BERSA-SE), Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
| | | | - Ann Kiragu
- Department of Law and Political and Social Sciences, University of Sorbonne Paris Nord, Paris, France
| | | | - Roodjmie Nazaire
- Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie (FMP), Université d'Etat d'Haïti (UEH), Port-Au-Prince, Haiti
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Dadzie LK, Gebremedhin AF, Salihu T, Ahinkorah BO, Yaya S. Socioeconomic inequalities in uptake of HIV testing during antenatal care: evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa. Int J Equity Health 2024; 23:4. [PMID: 38191394 PMCID: PMC10775499 DOI: 10.1186/s12939-023-02068-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Measuring socioeconomic inequalities in healthcare usage represents a critical step towards promoting health equity, in alignment with the principles of universal health coverage and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. In this study, we assessed the socioeconomic inequalities in HIV testing during antenatal care (ANC) in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS Sub-Saharan Africa was the focus of this study. Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe were the countries included in the study. This study used current Demographic and Health Surveys data spanning from 2015 to 2022. A total of 70,028 women who tested for HIV as part of antenatal contacts formed the sample for analysis. We utilized the standard concentration index and curve to understand the socioeconomic inequalities in HIV testing during antenatal care among women. Additionally, a decomposition analysis of the concentration index was ran to ascertain the contributions of each factor to the inequality. RESULTS Overall, 73.9% of women in sub-Saharan Africa tested for HIV during ANC. The countries with the highest proportions were Malawi, Rwanda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Mali Benin, Guinea, Mali, and Mauritania were the countries with the lowest proportions of HIV testing. Being among the richer [AOR 1.10, 95% CI: 1.02,1.18] and richest [AOR 1.41, 95% CI:1.30, 1.54] wealth quintiles increased the odds of HIV testing during ANC. The concentration value of 0.03 and the curve show that HIV testing is more concentrated among women in the highest wealth quintile. Hence, wealthy women are advantaged in terms of HIV testing. As the model's residual value is negative (-0.057), the model overestimates the level of inequality in the outcome variable (HIV during ANC), which means that the model's explanatory factors can account for higher concentration than is the case. CONCLUSION We found that there is substantial wealth index-related inequalities in HIV testing, with women of the poorest wealth index disadvantaged in relation to the HIV testing. This emphasizes the necessity for sub-Saharan Africa public health programs to think about concentrating their limited resources on focused initiatives to grasp women from these socioeconomic circumstances. To increase women's access to HIV testing, maternal and child health programs in sub-Saharan Africa should attempt to minimize female illiteracy and poverty. Consequently, health education may be required to provide women with comprehensive HIV knowledge and decrease the number of lost opportunities for women to get tested for HIV. Given the link between knowledge of HIV and HIV testing, it is important to focus on community education and sensitization about HIV and the need to know one's status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Kobina Dadzie
- Department of Population and Health, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
- Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | | | - Tarif Salihu
- Department of Population and Health, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Bright Opoku Ahinkorah
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Sanni Yaya
- School of International Development and Global Studies, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, K1N 6N5, Canada.
- The George Institute for Global Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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Ingala D, Bakebua W, Banzadio F, Tshishi D, Loando A, Mboyo A, Gill MM. Optimizing HIV case identification among children and understanding remaining gaps in pediatric HIV testing in Kinshasa, DRC. BMC Pediatr 2024; 24:10. [PMID: 38178038 PMCID: PMC10765655 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-023-04485-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is critical to identify children living with HIV and initiate lifesaving antiretroviral treatment (ART) early. The Pediatric Accelerated Case Finding Effort focused on contact elicitation and HIV testing of ART clients' biological children. We describe HIV testing and seropositivity rates following the initiative and gaps along the index testing cascade to inform pediatric HIV case finding optimization. METHODS This mixed-methods study involved collecting monthly data on index testing outcomes, including elicitation (identifying biological children < 15 years), HIV testing and linkage to treatment from March 2020 to July 2021 in 35 facilities in Kinshasa. Data were summarized and presented for the first month (as a baseline proxy) and the entire study period. Qualitative data were collected from 14 healthcare workers participating in in-depth interviews and 33 community health workers in four focus group discussions. Audio recordings were transcribed and translated from Lingala or French into English and coded using MAXQDA software. Data were thematically analyzed according pediatric case finding barriers and strategies. RESULTS At baseline (March 2020), among 3337 eligible female index clients, 1634 (49.0%) underwent elicitation to identify children with unknown HIV status. By July 2021, all eligible clients (n = 11,734) had contacts identified. Of the contacts, 9871/11,848 (83.3%) were HIV-tested. Of contacts tested, 662 (6.7%) were diagnosed as HIV-positive, with 535 (80.8%) age 5-14 years; 99.5% initiated treatment. Providers attributed gaps in HIV testing primarily to testing refusals for children due to non-disclosure among parents and logistical or financial obstacles to transportation for tracing. COVID-19 movement restrictions and exposure fears also limited provider interactions for testing. Provider-implemented strategies included transport reimbursement, extensive counseling and alternative approaches to child testing for parents in sero-discordant relationships. CONCLUSIONS Following intensified efforts around pediatric case finding, we found a high HIV positivity yield of 6.7% among previously undiagnosed children, with 81% of them aged ≥5 years. While elicitation improved over time, contact tracing for HIV testing remained the largest gap, missing opportunities to reach 17% of undiagnosed children. Ensuring adequate resources for tracing and HIV testing and supporting disclosure among couples, while emphasizing elicitation of ART clients' biological children can help to optimize pediatric case finding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique Ingala
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
| | - Winnie Bakebua
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Fideline Banzadio
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Dieudonne Tshishi
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Aime Loando
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Aimé Mboyo
- National AIDS Control Program, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Michelle M Gill
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Washington, DC, USA
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Mude W, Mwenyango H, Preston R, O'Mullan C, Vaughan G, Jones G. HIV Testing Disruptions and Service Adaptations During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Literature Review. AIDS Behav 2024; 28:186-200. [PMID: 37548796 PMCID: PMC10803448 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-023-04139-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Access to treatment and care in safe clinical settings improves people's lives with HIV. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted vital HIV programs and services, increasing the risk of adverse health outcomes for people with HIV and HIV transmission rates in the community. This systematic literature review provides a meta-analysis of HIV testing disruptions and a synthesis of HIV/AIDS services adapted during COVID-19. We searched scholarly databases from 01 January 2020 to 30 June 2022 using key terms on HIV testing rates and services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The process of how the included articles were identified, selected, appraised, and synthesised was reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We included 17 articles that reported changes in HIV testing during the COVID-19 pandemic and 22 that reported adaptations in HIV/AIDS services. We found that HIV testing decreased by 37% during the search period because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Service providers adopted novel strategies to support remote service delivery by expanding community antiretroviral therapy dispensing, setting up primary care outreach points, and instituting multi-month dispensing services to sustain client care. Therefore, service providers and policymakers should explore alternative strategies to increase HIV testing rates impacted by COVID-19 and leverage funding to continue providing the identified adapted services.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Mude
- School of Health Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, Cairns Campus, 42-52 Abbott Street & Shields Street, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia.
| | - Hadijah Mwenyango
- School of Health & Social Care, Edinburgh Napier University, Sighthill Campus, Edinburgh, EH11 4BN, UK
| | - Robyn Preston
- School of Health Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, Townsville Campus, Townsville, Australia
| | - Catherine O'Mullan
- School of Health Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, Bundaberg Campus, Bundaberg, Australia
| | - Geraldine Vaughan
- School of Health Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, Sydney Campus, Sydney, Australia
| | - Gary Jones
- Cohort Doctoral Studies Program, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
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Yu S, Bavinton BR, Chan C, MacGibbon J, Mao L, Vujcich D, Broady TR, Holt M. Assessing HIV risk and the social and behavioural characteristics of gay and bisexual men who have recently migrated to Australia: an analysis of national, behavioural surveillance data 2019-2021. J Int AIDS Soc 2024; 27:e26204. [PMID: 38193629 PMCID: PMC10775631 DOI: 10.1002/jia2.26204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Overseas-born gay and bisexual men (GBM) are overrepresented in HIV diagnoses in Australia. We assessed social and sexual behaviours, and the use of HIV prevention and testing, by region of birth and length of residence in Australia. We sought to identify similarities and differences between recently arrived and non-recently arrived GBM from non-English-speaking countries to improve targeting and engagement with HIV testing and prevention. METHODS Data were collected in national repeated, behavioural surveillance surveys conducted across Australia during 2019-2021. Logistic regression was used to identify factors that differentiated between recently arrived (<2 years) and non-recently arrived (≥2 years in Australia) GBM from non-English-speaking countries. RESULTS Among 24,707 participants in 2019-21, 2811 (11.4%) were from high-income English-speaking countries, 714 (2.9%) were recently arrived overseas-born GBM and 3833 (15.5%) were non-recently arrived migrants. Recently arrived GBM were most likely to be born in Asia (36.1%) and Europe (21.1%). Compared with non-recently arrived GBM, recently arrived GBM from non-English-speaking countries were younger (aOR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.94-0.96, p<0.001), more likely to be students (aOR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.11-1.85, p = 0.005), less likely to be in full-time employment (aOR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.46-0.69, p <0.001), more likely to report consistent condom use (aOR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.01-1.66, p = 0.039), but had lower awareness (aOR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.48-0.80, p<0.001) and use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) (22.8%, vs. 32.3%, χ2 (1, 4185) = 23.78, p<0.001), and similar levels of casual sex with a risk of HIV acquisition or transmission (aOR = 1.29, 95% CI = 0.98-1.69, p = 0.066). Recently arrived GBM reported similar levels of lifetime HIV testing (aOR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.54-1.74, p = 0.915) and recent HIV testing (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.86-1.22, p = 0.779), but were much less likely to have tested at general practitioners (aOR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.41-0.68, p<0.001) and more likely to report testing at hospitals (aOR = 3.35, 95% CI = 2.53-4.43, p<0.001), at home (aOR = 2.85, 95% CI = 1.63-4.99, p<0.001), or community-based services (aOR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.01-1.84, p = 0.043). CONCLUSIONS Recently arrived GBM from non-English-speaking countries reported similar levels of risk of HIV acquisition to longer-term residents in Australia, but lower levels of PrEP awareness and use, and more reliance on HIV testing services which are free or low cost. It is necessary to enhance access to HIV testing and prevention among recently arrived GBM in Australia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simin Yu
- Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Benjamin R Bavinton
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Curtis Chan
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - James MacGibbon
- Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Limin Mao
- Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Daniel Vujcich
- School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Timothy R Broady
- Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Martin Holt
- Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Ibragimov U, Livingston MD, Young AM, Feinberg J, Korthuis PT, Akhtar WZ, Jenkins WD, Crane HM, Westergaard RP, Nance R, Miller WC, Bresett J, Khoury D, Hurt CB, Go VF, Nolte K, Cooper HLF. Correlates of Recent HIV Testing Among People Who Inject Drugs in Rural Areas: A Multi-site Cross-Sectional Study, 2018-2020. AIDS Behav 2024; 28:59-71. [PMID: 37515742 PMCID: PMC10823036 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-023-04140-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
The Rural Opioid Initiative surveyed 2693 people who inject drugs (PWID) in eight rural U.S. areas in 2018-2020 about self-reported HIV testing in the past 6 months. Correlates of interest included receipt of any drug-related services, incarceration history, and structural barriers to care (e.g., lack of insurance, proximity to syringe service programs [SSP]). Overall, 20% of participants reported receiving an HIV test within the past 6 months. Multivariable generalized estimating equations showed that attending substance use disorder (SUD) treatment (OR 2.11, 95%CI [1.58, 2.82]), having health insurance (OR 1.42, 95%CI [1.01, 2.00]) and recent incarceration (OR 1.49, 95%CI [1.08, 2.04]) were positively associated with HIV testing, while experiencing a resource barrier to healthcare (inability to pay, lack of transportation, inconvenient hours, or lack of child care) had inverse (OR 0.73, 95%CI [0.56, 0.94]) association with HIV testing. We found that the prevalence of HIV testing among rural PWID is low, indicating an unmet need for testing. While SUD treatment or incarceration may increase chances for HIV testing for rural PWID, other avenues for expanding HIV testing, such as SSP, need to be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Umedjon Ibragimov
- BSHES Department of Emory University School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Emory University, 1518 Clifton RD, GCR 558, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Melvin D Livingston
- BSHES Department of Emory University School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - April M Young
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
- Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Judith Feinberg
- Departments of Behavioral Medicine & Psychiatry and Medicine/Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - P Todd Korthuis
- Section of Addiction Medicine, Department of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Wajiha Z Akhtar
- Population Health Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Wiley D Jenkins
- Department of Population Science and Policy, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - Heidi M Crane
- Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ryan P Westergaard
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Robin Nance
- Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - William C Miller
- Division of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - John Bresett
- Department of Population Science and Policy, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL, USA
- Department of Public Health, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | | | - Christopher B Hurt
- Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Vivian F Go
- Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kerry Nolte
- Department of Nursing, College of Health and Human Services, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
| | - Hannah L F Cooper
- BSHES Department of Emory University School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
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50
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Ibitoye M, Bennett AS, Jarlais DCD, Bugaighis M, Chernick LS, Aronson ID. "I Didn't Know What They're Gonna Do to Me: So That's Why I Said No": Why Youth Decline HIV Testing in Emergency Departments. Behav Med 2024; 50:47-54. [PMID: 35904104 PMCID: PMC9884312 DOI: 10.1080/08964289.2022.2100864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Youth between the ages of 13 and 24 account for over 20% of new HIV diagnoses in the United States but are the least likely age group to be HIV tested in healthcare settings including the emergency department. This is in part due to the fact that almost 50% of youth decline testing when offered. We elucidated youth patients' perspectives on barriers to and facilitators of routine HIV testing of youth in an urban emergency department setting. Thirty-seven patients aged 13-24 years were recruited from the pediatric and adult emergency departments at a high-volume hospital in New York City from August 2019 to March 2020. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with all participants. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, and transcripts were coded using an inductive thematic analysis approach. Youths' main reasons for declining HIV testing when offered included low risk perception, privacy concerns, HIV-related stigma, and low levels of HIV-related knowledge. Participants' responses suggested that HIV educational materials provided when testing is offered may be insufficient. Participants recommended providing additional HIV education and better incorporating HIV testing into the emergency department routine to increase testing among youth. Efforts are needed to help youth recognize their own HIV risk and increase their HIV-related knowledge. This may be accomplished by providing youth with additional educational materials on HIV, possibly via tablet-based interventions or other methods that may enhance privacy, combined with discussions with healthcare providers. Such efforts may help increase HIV testing acceptance among youth seen in the emergency department.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mobolaji Ibitoye
- Digital Health Empowerment, Brooklyn, NY, USA
- Institute for Population Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Alex S. Bennett
- Digital Health Empowerment, Brooklyn, NY, USA
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Don C. Des Jarlais
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mona Bugaighis
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lauren S. Chernick
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ian D. Aronson
- Digital Health Empowerment, Brooklyn, NY, USA
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA
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