Category Archives: Stigma/discrimination
Experience of persistent psychological symptoms and perceived stigma among people with HIV on antiretroviral therapy (ART): A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Advances in HIV care have resulted in increasing numbers of HIV patients receiving antiretroviral therapy and achieving viral control. This has led to a focus on the biomedical aspects...
Discussing the effects of poor health literacy on patients facing HIV: A narrative literature review
BACKGROUND: Scholars describe poor health literacy as a “silent epidemic,” which is challenging the functioning of healthcare systems all over the world. Health literacy is mainly meant as an individual...
A community empowerment approach to the HIV response among sex workers: Effectiveness, challenges, and considerations for implementation and scale-up
A community empowerment-based response to HIV is a process by which sex workers take collective ownership of programmes to achieve the most effective HIV outcomes and address social and structural...
A systematic review of individual and contextual factors affecting ART initiation, adherence, and retention for HIV-infected pregnant and postpartum women
BACKGROUND: Despite progress reducing maternal mortality, HIV-related maternal deaths remain high, accounting, for example, for up to 24 percent of all pregnancy-related deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is...
Contemporary issues on the epidemiology and antiretroviral adherence of HIV-infected adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa: A narrative review
INTRODUCTION: Adolescents are a unique and sometimes neglected group in the planning of healthcare services. This is the case in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, where more than eight out...
Transactional sex and the HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men (MSM): Results from a systematic review and meta-analysis
Engagement in transactional sex has been hypothesized to increase risk of HIV among MSM, however conflicting evidence exists. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing HIV prevalence among MSM...
The effectiveness of home-based HIV counseling and testing on reducing stigma and risky sexual behavior among adults and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analyses
BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus counselling and testing is a critical and essential gateway to Human immunodeficiency virus prevention, treatment, care and support services. Though some primary studies indicate that home-based...
Socio-cultural factors influencing the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Nigeria: A synthesis of the literature
BACKGROUND: Currently, Nigeria alone accounts for 30% of the burden of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. This review explores the socio-cultural factors influencing prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) service...
Disclosure of HIV serostatus among pregnant and postpartum women in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review
Disclosure of one’s HIV status can help to improve uptake and retention in prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV services; yet, it remains a challenge for many women. This systematic...
Advancing the sexual and reproductive health and human rights of women living with HIV: A review of UN, regional and national human rights norms and standards
INTRODUCTION: The right to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is an essential part of the right to health and is dependent upon substantive equality, including freedom from multiple and intersecting...
