AIDS patient care and STDs最新文献

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective HIV prevention tool available in several modalities (e.g., daily oral, injectable, implants, rectal douching). The Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative, a national initiative that began in 2019 as a partnership among the Department of Health and Human Services and other federal agencies (e.g., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute of Health), seeks to increase PrEP engagement for groups experiencing HIV inequities, including Latino sexual minority men (LSMM). Given the limited research on PrEP modality preferences among LSMM, this study aimed to explore and characterize these preferences. LSMM (n = 214) not using PrEP and living in South Florida participated in the DÍMELO study, which examined PrEP engagement among LSMM in South Florida. Authors employed latent class analysis (LCA) to identify groups of LSMM based on their PrEP modality preferences and examined predictors of class membership. LCA results led to a three-class solution with participants who were: (1) reluctant to use most PrEP modalities (30.5%), (2) PrEP willing, with constraints (36.0%), and (3) enthusiastically accepting of all PrEP modalities (33.5%). LSMM in the reluctant class (Class 1) showed minimal interest in most PrEP modalities. The constrained class (Class 2) displayed interest in daily oral, on-demand, and quarterly injectable PrEP while the enthusiastic class (Class 3) demonstrated high interest in all modalities except rectal douching. Key predictors of PrEP modality preferences were altruism, community normalization of PrEP, and migration history. Understanding LSMM's PrEP modality preferences can enhance the reach of PrEP to LSMM, a group the EHE initiative prioritizes. The current findings suggest the need to tailor PrEP outreach efforts to promote various PrEP modalities based on LSMM's preferences.

People who inject drugs (PWID) face a heightened risk of acquiring/transmitting HIV, enhanced by stigma and limited health care access. In Mexico, studies on PWID have focused on the north of the country. This study aimed to delineate characteristics of PWID living with HIV in Mexico City, identify profiles based on the substance injected, and evaluate variables associated with forming transmission clusters. A cross-sectional study was conducted with data from 2019 to 2023. Participants completed a questionnaire on sociodemographic, clinical, and behavioral variables. Bivariate and multi-variate logistic regression analyses were made. Among PWID, 96.3% were male (n = 437), of which 90.1% were men who have sex with men, 1.5% were cisgender females (n = 7), and 2.2% were transgender females (n = 10). PWID were more likely to use drugs during sex (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3.3, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.7-6.4, p < 0.001), have more sexually transmitted diseases (aOR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1-2.9, p = 0.035), and have less condom use (aOR = 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3-0.8, p = 0.002). The most frequently injected substance was crystal meth, and those who injected it were more likely to have syphilis (aOR = 2.9, 95% CI: 1.2-7.1, p = 0.021), use Grindr (aOR = 3.6, 95% CI: 1.5-8.9, p < 0.001), and engage in high-risk practices (aOR = 6.9, 95% CI: 2.1-22.7, p < 0.001) in the last 3 months. Those under 25 years (p = 0.002), recently infected (p < 0.001), and who practiced insertive anal sex (p < 0.001) were more likely to be part of a cluster. These findings, and the increasing use of crystal meth, underscore the critical need to implement targeted risk-reduction strategies for PWID living with HIV and to design interventions responsive to specific profiles associated with different substances, taking into account not only their risk practices but also protective behaviors such as HIV testing.

Personal and structural barriers to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care result in its underutilization and premature discontinuation. A home-based PrEP program comprised of telemedicine visits and/or self-administered lab testing may address some of these barriers. Our objective was to assess the acceptability and feasibility of a home-based PrEP program among stakeholders at an urban HIV and primary care clinic. We used the consolidated framework for implementation research to evaluate determinants of successful implementation of the program. We surveyed and interviewed PrEP patients and their health care team. In a baseline survey of PrEP users (n = 112) administered between May 2021 and August 2022, 65% expressed interest in switching to the home-based PrEP program. Seventeen patients over the course of follow-up through December 2023 started home-based PrEP, including 12 patients who completed both a telemedicine visit and a self-administered lab kit, and 5 patients who completed only a telemedicine visit. Of these, over 80% had positive feedback on the telemedicine visits. Survey results demonstrated excellent acceptability and feasibility of the lab kits. Patients indicated in interviews that the home-based PrEP program provided the strong advantage of convenience. Despite mixed feelings from PrEP providers on telemedicine visits (n = 5), most felt that the program made PrEP care delivery easier for patients and would encourage their patients to use the program if it were a good fit. Barriers to program success included shipping delays and staff turnover during program implementation. In conclusion, uptake of the home-based program was low but program participants expressed high acceptability.

This study evaluates the impact of an expanded HIV testing initiative, launched in June 2018 in Luzhou, Sichuan, China, on antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation rates among people living with HIV (PLWH). Using an uncontrolled interrupted time-series design, we analyzed data from 11,040 PLWH between June 2016 and December 2022, extracted from 108 health facilities via the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's ART database. The primary outcome measures were ART initiation rates within 7 and 30 days of HIV diagnosis. Results showed a significant improvement in the 30-day ART initiation rate following expanded testing, increasing from 46.1% to 90.9% by the study's end. The 7-day initiation rate also improved but remained below 30%. The study found that expanded testing enhanced the role of primary health care institutions in ART initiation. However, the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning January 2020, negatively impacted ART initiation rates, with a slight effect on 30-day rates but a persistent negative impact on 7-day rates. Despite these challenges and an increased HIV burden, Luzhou's ART initiation rates surpassed the national average. This study emphasizes the effectiveness of expanded HIV testing in ensuring timely ART access, crucial for HIV epidemic control, and improved patient outcomes. It also reveals challenges in maintaining HIV services during public health crises, offering insights into health care system resilience. Future research should focus on evaluating long-term treatment outcomes and strategies to support ending the AIDS epidemic.

Evidence-based HIV programming focused on populations at risk of HIV is critical for sustainable disease prevention. In response to the Tennessee Department of Health decision to reject federal HIV guidance, the present study examines the potential impact of Southern US states adopting policies that direct HIV prevention and testing efforts away from populations "disproportionately affected" (DA) by HIV toward populations "non-disproportionately affected" (NDA). Descriptive and projection analyses with publicly available data explored the influence of policies emphasizing NDA populations on HIV cases. Across the Southern US, DA populations (cisgender women, men who have sex with men, transgender persons, and people who inject drugs) represent the absolute majority (90%) of diagnosed HIV cases, whereas NDA populations (pregnant women, infants, first responders, and human trafficking victims) represent only a small proportion (2%) of diagnosed HIV cases. Estimated projections show avoidable HIV cases among DA populations in the Southern US alone could aggregate to over 32,000 by 2030 if prevention efforts exclusively concentrate on NDA populations, which approximates the current national annual incidence of 36,000 HIV cases. Prevention efforts aimed at DA populations compared with NDA populations could reduce new infections across the Southern US by 47% versus 1%, respectively, by 2030. Policies disregarding epidemiological data may hinder efforts to end the HIV epidemic, both regionally and nationally.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has significantly improved mortality rates for individuals living with HIV, but kidney disease remains prevalent, especially among older adults. Our study analyzed the burden of kidney disease in individuals aged 65 and older at The Miriam Hospital Immunology Center in Rhode Island. We calculated estimated glomerular filtration rates using the last creatinine values from 2019 and identified chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages. Results showed a 19% prevalence of moderate or severe CKD among adults living with HIV, rising to 39% for those aged 75 and older. Particularly striking was the increased prevalence among African American adults aged 65+, at 30.4%, rising to 50% for those over 75. In comparison, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases reports that CKD stage 3 affects 20.1% of adults aged 65+, compared with just 1.2% in those younger than 65. Gender and racial disparities are evident; CKD stage 3 is more prevalent in females (5.8%) than males (4.4%). Our findings indicate that 32% of HIV-positive females have moderate-to-severe kidney disease, compared with 14% of males. Importantly, we did not account for hypertension, diabetes, and hepatitis C virus infection, which may influence renal outcomes. Our study shows that ART has reduced mortality, as more people with HIV now live longer, while also revealing the disproportionate burden of kidney disease among older adults and racial minorities, as well as a concerning trend among women; therefore, emphasizing the need for targeted health care strategies for high-risk groups.

Although literature regarding HIV prevention among transgender and nonbinary (TNB) people has grown considerably, important gaps remain, particularly in relation to the HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care cascade. Additional research is needed to understand when and why TNB people exit the PrEP care cascade to inform interventions to better support these populations. Moreover, most studies have focused on transgender women, though transgender men and nonbinary people also experience a disproportionate prevalence of HIV relative to cisgender populations. This study addresses these gaps by exploring engagement in the PrEP care cascade among a statewide convenience sample of 659 transgender women, transgender men, and nonbinary people, and analyzing how gender identity impacts participant likelihood to continue along the cascade. Data come from the 2018 Michigan Trans Health Study and include self-report data on demographics, sexual behavior, and PrEP awareness, information receipt, referral, initiation, and retention. Participants who self-reported vaginal/front hole or anal sex and did not use barriers (n = 318) were considered eligible for PrEP. Only 21.13% of those eligible for PrEP received information about PrEP, 8.18% were referred to PrEP, and 1.57% initiated PrEP use. A significantly greater proportion of transfeminine and participants who identified with multiple/other genders reported receiving PrEP information than those who identified as transmasculine or nonbinary [χ² (3, n = 311) =11.34, p = .01]. No other significant gender differences were observed. Providers serving TNB individuals must recognize the diversity of individuals who qualify for information on PrEP, provide trans-affirming care when offering PrEP prescriptions, and consider situating PrEP opportunities in TNB serving spaces to reduce access barriers.

Anal squamous cell carcinoma disproportionally affects people with HIV (PWH); however, engagement in anal cancer screening is low in many settings. This study was conducted to assess knowledge and perceptions of anal cancer screening to identify factors in the engagement and retention in prevention services among PWH. Semistructured interviews were conducted among adult PWH eligible for anal cancer screening in our Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program clinic. Descriptive statistics were tabulated; thematic analyses were performed to identify emerging motivators, facilitators, and barriers. Among 26 PWH, 9 had not been screened, 8 had undergone Papanicolaou (Pap) testing alone, and 9 had undergone anoscopy. The median age of the cohort was 55.2 years; 54% identified as men who have sex with men, and 54% identified as Black. In the unscreened cohort, participants were motivated by investing in their health and positive attitudes toward cancer prevention however were deterred by a lack of referral and low awareness about screening. Among those who had Pap testing, trust in healthcare providers and abnormal testing results were motivators to engagement, whereas lack of perceived risk of anal cancer and worry about pain of an anoscopy were prominent barriers. Among those who had anoscopy, perceived risk, positive experience with the procedure, and use of anxiolytics prior to anoscopy were motivators, whereas anxiety around a new cancer diagnosis and negative experience with anoscopy were barriers. Clinics seeking to build or strengthen their anal cancer screening programs can address the barriers described in this study to promote access to anal cancer screening among PWH.