Category Archives: Determinants of Health
Equity and efficiency in scaling up access to HIV-related interventions in resource-limited settings
Purpose of review: The present review focuses on empirical studies examining equity and efficiency in scaling up access to HIV treatment in resource-limited settings. Key themes from reviewed papers are...
Educational attainment and HIV-1 infection in developing countries: A systematic review
OBJECTIVES: To assess whether educational status is associated with HIV-1 infection in developing countries by conducting a systematic review of published literature. METHODS: Articles were identified through electronic databases and...
Vaginal practices as women’s agency in Sub-Saharan Africa: A synthesis of meaning and motivation through meta-ethnography
This paper reports on a systematic review of qualitative research about vaginal practices in Sub-Saharan Africa, which used meta-ethnographic methods to understand their origins, their meanings for the women who...
Social network-based interventions to promote condom use: A systematic review
Effective sexually transmitted infection (STIs)/HIV prevention programs are urgently needed, but translating evidence-based methods of STI/HIV prevention into sustainable programs has been difficult. Social influences are critical for establishing condom...
Effects of postnatal interventions for the reduction of vertical HIV transmission on infant growth and non-HIV infections: A systematic review
INTRODUCTION: Guidelines in resource-poor settings have progressively included interventions to reduce postnatal HIV transmission through breast milk. In addition to HIV-free survival, infant growth and non-HIV infections should be considered....
Influence of mhealth interventions on gender relations in developing countries: A systematic literature review
INTRODUCTION: Research has shown that mHealth initiatives, or health programs enhanced by mobile phone technologies, can foster women’s empowerment. Yet, there is growing concern that mobile-based programs geared towards women...
Literature review of HIV among female sex workers in the Central Asian Republics, Afghanistan, and Mongolia: Contexts and convergence with drug use
BACKGROUND: Central Asia is culturally and demographically diverse, both between and within its respective countries. That diversity is represented in the range of individual, network, community, and structural risks for...
Human immunodeficiency disease: How should it affect surgical decision making?
BACKGROUND: The ever-increasing prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and the continued improvement in clinical management has increased the likelihood of surgery being performed on patients with this infection....
No relationship between TNF-alpha genetic variants and combination antiretroviral therapy-related lipodystrophy syndrome in HIV type 1-infected patients: A case-control study and a meta-analysis
Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) is thought to be involved in the pathogenic and metabolic events associated with HIV-1 infection. We assessed whether carriage of the TNF-alpha gene promoter single...
Stigma in the HIV/AIDS epidemic: A review of the literature and recommendations for the way forward
Although stigma is considered a major barrier to effective responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, stigma reduction efforts are relegated to the bottom of AIDS programme priorities. The complexity of HIV/AIDS-related...
