Background: Males have accounted for a significant share of new HIV infections among young people in the recent years. This study aimed to identify the factors associated with risky sexual behaviors, including early sexual debut, multiple sexual partnership and condomless sex, among sexually active male college students and provide implications for tailored health interventions.
Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2020 to December 2021 in 16 colleges that were located in Sichuan Province, one of the high-risk areas in China. Overall 1640 male college students who reported sexually experienced were analyzed in this study. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was applied to determine factors associated with early sexual debut, multiple sexual partnership and condomless sex.
Results: The average age of included male students was 19.95 ± 1.56. Of them, 27.74% initiated sexual behavior early, 48.60% reported multiple sexual partnership, and 16.52% did not use condoms at the latest sexual intercourse. Students who were younger (age ≤ 19, AOR = 7.60, 95%CI: 4.84-11.93; age20-21, AOR = 3.26, 95%CI: 2.04-5.21) and self-identified as sexual minorities (AOR = 2.38, 95%CI: 1.69-3.36) were more likely to have early sexual debut. The odds of having multiple sexual partners were higher among those who were ethnic minorities (AOR = 1.79, 95%CI: 1.33-2.41) and accepted extramarital sex (AOR = 1.33, 95%CI: 1.03-1.71). The likelihood of engaging in condomless sex at the latest sexual intercourse was lower among those who had sufficient knowledgeable about HIV (AOR = 0.63, 95%CI: 0.44-0.89), were very confident in condom use efficacy (AOR = 0.26, 95%CI: 0.16-0.43) and confident (AOR = 0.48, 95%CI: 0.34-0.69). Early sexual debut was positively associated with multiple sexual partnership (AOR = 3.64, 95%CI: 2.82-4.71) and condomless sex at the latest intercourse (AOR = 1.53, 95%CI: 1.07-2.20), respectively.
Conclusion: Early sexual debut, multiple sexual partnership and condomless sex were of considerable concern among male college students. Comprehensive sex education curricula were advised by developing customized information on HIV prevention, sexuality and empowering students with assertiveness and negotiation skills with regard to condom use during and before college.
Background: The rapid start of antiretroviral therapy (RSA) model initiates antiretroviral therapy (ART) as soon as possible after a new or preliminary diagnosis of HIV, in advance of HIV-1 RNA and other baseline laboratory testing. This observational study aims to determine if RSA with a single tablet regimen of bictegravir, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide (B/F/TAF) is an effective regimen for achieving viral suppression and accepted by patients at the time of diagnosis.
Methods: Adults newly or preliminarily diagnosed with HIV were enrolled from October 2018 through September 2021. Real world advantage, measured in days between clinical milestones and time to virologic suppression, associated with B/F/TAF RSA was compared to historical controls.
Results: All Study RSA participants (n = 45) accepted treatment at their first visit and 43(95.6%) achieved virologic suppression by week 48. Study RSA participants had a significantly shorter time (median 32 days) from diagnosis to ART initiation and virologic suppression, in comparison to historical controls (median 181 days) (n = 42). Qualitative feedback from study RSA participants showed high acceptance positive response to RSA.
Conclusions: RSA is feasible and well accepted by patients in a real-world community-based clinic setting. Promoting RSA in community-based clinics is an important tool in ending the HIV epidemic.
Background: Tuberculosis preventive therapy is vital in caring for HIV-positive individuals, as it prevents the progression from latent tuberculosis infection to tuberculosis disease. The aim of the study is to assess the completion of tuberculosis preventive therapy and associated factors among clients receiving antiretroviral therapy in Debre Berhan town, Ethiopia, in 2022.
Method: Institutional based cross sectional study was conducted. Random sampling methods were used to select both study participants and health facilities. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. P-values less than 0.05 were statistically significant.
Result: The study found that, 83% of participants were completed tuberculosis preventive therapy. Completed tuberculosis preventive therapy was associated with no adverse drug events, taking first-line ART, and good ART adherence.
Conclusion: According to the Ethiopian ART guidelines, the study found a low completion rate of tuberculosis preventive therapy among HIV-positive clients on antiretroviral therapy. Factors like no adverse drug events, first-line antiretroviral regimen, and good adherence were significantly associated with completing tuberculosis preventive therapy.
Background: Despite remarkable progress, HIV's influence on global health remains firm, demanding continued attention. Understanding the effectiveness of third-line antiretroviral therapy in individuals who do not respond to second-line drugs is crucial for improving treatment strategies. The virological outcomes of third-line antiretroviral therapy vary from study to study, highlighting the need for robust global estimates.
Methods: A comprehensive search of databases including PubMed, MEDLINE, International Scientific Indexing, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, was conducted. STATA version 17 statistical software was used for analysis. A random-effects model was applied to compute the pooled estimates. Subgroup analysis, heterogeneity, publication bias, and sensitivity analysis were also performed. The prediction interval is computed to estimate the interval in which a future study will fall. The GRADE tool was also used to determine the quality of the evidence.
Results: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, 15 studies involving 1768 HIV patients receiving third-line antiretroviral therapy were included. The pooled viral suppression of third-line antiretroviral therapy was 76.6% (95% CI: 71.5- 81.7%). The viral suppression rates at 6 and 12 months were 75.5% and 78.6%, respectively. Furthermore, third-line therapy effectively suppressed viral RNA copy numbers to ≤ 50 copies/mL, ≤ 200 copies/mL, and ≤ 400 copies/mL with rates of 70.7%, 85.4%, and 85.7%, respectively.
Conclusion: More than three-fourths of patients on third-line antiretroviral therapy achieve viral suppression. Consequently, improving access to and timely initiation of third-line therapy may positively impact the quality of life for those with second-line treatment failure.
Background: Ethiopia's viral suppression rate was less than 90% by 2020, and more than 10% of adult clients on ART in Woliso Town were unsuppressed at the end of March 2022. This study aims to identify determinants of virologic failure among adult clients on ART at health facilities in Oromia region of Ethiopia.
Methods: A facility-based unmatched case-control study was conducted at health facilities in Oromia region from August 1 to September 1, 2022. The study cases were clients with virologic-confirmed first-line ART failure, while controls were clients on first-line ART with a suppressed viral load. A total of 135 cases and 268 control participants were selected using simple random sampling techniques, and data were collected by reviewing the client's document. Epi-Info7 was used for data entry and SPSS version 20 for data analysis. Variables having a P-value of less than 0.25 in the bi-variable analysis were included in multivariable logistic regression. Determinants of virologic failure were determined based on an adjusted odds ratio using 95% CI and a P-value of < 0.05.
Result: In this study, clients with an age ≥ 35 years (AOR = 3.4, 95% CI: 1.6, 7.0), clients with a baseline regimen of AZT + 3TC + NVP (AOR = 3.5, 95% CI: 1.4, 8.8), clients with a base-line CD4 count < 350 mm3 (AOR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.1, 4.5), being single marital status (AOR = 3.7, 95% CI: 1.4, 10.5), TB-HIV coinfection (AOR = 2.58, 95% CI: 1.3, 5.1), and having opportunistic infection other than TB in the last six months (AOR = 3.06, 95% CI: 1.5, 6.3) were factors significantly associated with virologic failure while clients within the appointment spacing model (AOR = 0.05, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.10) is inversely associated with virologic failure.
Conclusion: This study showed that age ≥ 35 years, being single, baseline ART regimen with (AZT + 3TC + NVP), baseline CD4 cell count < 350 mm3, Tb-co infection, and opportunistic infection in the last 6 months were factors associated with virologic failure. Involvement in the appointment spacing model was found to be protective.
Introduction: The World Health Organisation has implemented multiple HIV prevention policies and strived to achieve the 90-90-90 goal by 2020, achieving the 95-95-95 goal by 2030, which refers to 95% of patients living with HIV knowing their HIV status, 95% of patients living with HIV receiving continual care and medication, and 95% of patients living with HIV exhibiting viral suppression. However, how to measure the status of viral suppression varies, and it is hard to indicate the quality of HIV care. The study aimed to examine the long-term viral load suppression in these cases and explore potential factors affecting the control of long-term viral load.
Methods: This study analyzed viral load testing data from HIV patients who are still alive during the period from notification up to 2019-2020. Three indicators were calculated, including durable viral suppression, Viremia copy-years, and Viral load > 1,500 copies/ml, to assess the differences between them.
Results: Among the 27,706 cases included in the study, the proportion of persistent viral load suppression was 87%, with 4% having viral loads exceeding 1,500 copies/ml. The average duration from notification to viral load suppression was 154 days, and the geometric mean of annual viral replication was 90 copies*years/ml. Regarding the last available viral load measurement, 96% of cases had an undetectable viral load. However, we observed that 9.3% of cases, while having an undetectable viral load for their last measurement, did not show consistent long-term viral load suppression. An analysis of factors associated with non-persistent viral load suppression revealed higher risk in younger age groups, individuals with an educational level of high school or below, injection drug users, cases from the eastern region, those seeking care at regional hospitals, cases with drug resistance data, individuals with lower healthcare continuity, and those with an initial CD4 count below 350 during the study period.
Conclusions: The recommendation is to combine it with the indicator of sustained viral load suppression for a more accurate assessment of the risk of HIV transmission within the infected community.
Background: Scholars recommend providing migrants living with HIV (MLWH) with free treatment, rapidly, once linked to care to optimize their HIV-related experiences and health outcomes. Quantitative evaluations of patient-reported measures for MLWH in such models are necessary to explore the viability of these recommendations.
Methods: Within a 96-week prospective cohort study at a multidisciplinary HIV clinic, participants received bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (B/F/TAF) for free and rapidly following care linkage. Eight patient-reported measures were administered at weeks 4, 24, and 48: (1) mMOS-SS to measure perceived social support; (2) IA-RSS to measure internalized stigma; (3) K6 to measure psychological distress; (4) PROMIS to measure self-efficacy with treatment taking; (5) G-MISS to measure perceived compliance with clinicians' treatment plans; (6) HIVTSQ to measure treatment satisfaction; (7) CARE to measure perceived provider empathy; and (8) PRPCC to measure perceived clinician cultural competence. Linear mixed modelling with bootstrapping was conducted to identify significant differences by sociodemographics and time.
Results: Across weeks 4, 24, and 48, results suggest that MLWH enrolled in this study experienced moderate levels of social support; elevated levels of HIV-related stigma; moderate levels of distress; high self-efficacy with daily medication self-management; great compliance with clinicians' treatment plans; high treatment satisfaction; high perceived empathy; and high perceived cultural competence. Experience of social support (i.e., mMOS-SS scores) differed significantly by birth region. Experience of HIV-related stigma (i.e., IA-RSS scores) differed significantly by birth region, age, and language. Experience of distress (i.e., K6 scores) differed significantly by sexual orientation. Experience of treatment satisfaction (i.e., HIVTSQ scores) differed significantly by birth region and age. No significant differences were identified by time for any measure.
Conclusion: Overall, participants expressed positive experiences around treatment and care, alongside comparably lower perceptions of social support, internalized stigma, and distress, potentially underscoring a need to embed targeted, well-funded, and accessible mental health support within HIV care models.
Background: Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a major public health challenge in Ethiopia. The objective of this review was to assess the pooled magnitude of MTCT of HIV and its risk factors among mother-infant pairs who initiated antiretroviral therapy (ART) after Option B+ in Ethiopia.
Methods: A systematic search of literature from PubMed, Hinari, African Journals Online (AJOL), Science Direct, and Google Scholar databases was conducted from June 11, 2013 to August 1, 2023. The authors used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines to guide the article selection process and reporting. Observational studies that reported the magnitude and/or risk factors on MTCT of HIV among mother-infant pairs who initiated ART after the implementation of Option B+ in Ethiopia were included. We applied a random-effect model meta-analysis to estimate the overall pooled magnitude and risk factors of MTCT of HIV. A funnel plot and Egger's regression test were employed to check publication bias, and heterogeneity was assessed using I2 statistics. The protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database with registration ID number CRD42022325938.
Result: Eighteen published articles on the magnitude of MTCT and 16 published articles on its risk factors were included in this review. The pooled magnitude of MTCT of HIV after the Option B+ program in Ethiopia was 4.05% (95% CI 3.09, 5.01). Mothers who delivered their infants at home [OR: 9.74; (95% CI: 6.89-13.77)], had not been on ART intervention [OR: 19.39; (95% CI: 3.91-96.18)], had poor adherence to ART [OR: 7.47; (95% CI: 3.40-16.45)], initiated ART during pregnancy [OR: 5.09; (95% CI: 1.73-14.97)], had WHO clinical stage 2 and above [OR: 4.95; (95% CI: 1.65-14.88]], had a CD4 count below 350 at enrolment [OR: 5.78; (95% CI: 1.97-16.98], had no or low male partner involvement [OR: 5.92; (95% CI: 3.61-9.71]] and whose partner was not on ART [OR: 8.08; (95% CI: 3.27-19.93]] had higher odds of transmitting HIV to their infants than their counterparts.
Conclusion: This review showed that the pooled magnitude of MTCT of HIV among mother-infant pairs who initiated ART after the Option B + program in Ethiopia is at the desired target of the WHO, which is less than 5% in breastfeeding women. Home delivery, lack of male partner involvement, advanced HIV-related disease, lack of PMTCT intervention, and poor ARV adherence were significant risk factors for MTCT of HIV in Ethiopia.
Background: People with HIV/AIDS (PWHA) have 7-36 times greater risk for completed suicide associated with depression symptoms compared to general population. However, no study has sufficiently analyzed the mediating or moderating variables of the relationship between depression and suicidal ideation in Rwanda.
Objectives: This study aimed to examine how complicated grief mediates and substance abuse moderates the effects of depression symptoms on suicidal ideation.
Methods: Data were collected from a convenient sample of 140 participants (M-age = 38.79 years, SD = 10.218) receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) at Remera Health Center in a cross-sectional study. Multiple linear regression and Sobel test were used to examine the relationships between depression symptoms, complicated grief, suicidal ideation, and substance abuse.
Results: The results indicated that 29% of the sample had clinically significant symptoms of depression and 18% had suicidal ideation. The interaction between substance abuse and depression symptoms (β = .468, t = 8.02, p = 0.000) was a significant predictor, explaining the 55.7% of variance in suicidal ideation. Furthermore, the Sobel test demonstrated that complicated grief mediated the effects of depression symptoms (t = 4.67, SE = 0.0101, p ≤ 0.001) on suicidal ideation.
Conclusion: The results suggest that depression symptoms are associated with an increased risk of suicidal ideation, and this risk significantly amplified in the presence of complicated grief and substance abuse. These findings highlight the importance of integrating mental health services, particularly those addressing depression, complicated grief, and substance abuse, into HIV care programs to mitigate the risk of suicidal ideation among PWHA.