Category Archives: Determinants of Health
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the HIV care continuum and associated factors in middle-income countries: A mixed-methods systematic review
INTRODUCTION: The HIV care continuum during the COVID-19 era faced specific challenges. The pandemic, affecting the delivery of HIV care, exacerbated existing healthcare inequities and vulnerabilities in middle-income countries with...
Non-pharmaceutical interventions for people living with HIV with cognitive impairment: A scoping review
BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment (CI) in HIV is often of multifactorial causation, and remains a prominent issue in the age of effective combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), affecting approximately 14% of people...
The impact of undernutrition and anemia on HIV-related mortality among children on ART in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Although there have been significant advancements in providing HIV-infected children with access to antiretroviral therapy (ART), the mortality rates have remained unacceptably high. Inadequate nutrient intake or absorption is...
Men who have sex with men perceiving that sex with women carries the greatest risk of HIV acquisition: Results from a mixed-methods systematic review in sub-Saharan Africa
INTRODUCTION: In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), men who have sex with men (MSM) often have female sexual partners. Their overall risk of acquiring HIV is higher with male partners. Risk perception...
Uptake and acceptability of HIV self-testing among pregnant and postpartum women and their male partners in sub-Saharan Africa: Benefits, challenges, and delivery strategies
BACKGROUND: HIV self-testing (HIVST) offers a novel solution for increasing HIV testing among pregnant and postpartum women and their male partners, especially in low-resource settings. These groups often face barriers...
Is racism a barrier to HIV care continuum engagement among Black People in the United States? A scoping review to assess the state of the science and inform a research agenda
People living with HIV can achieve viral suppression through timely HIV care continuum (HCC) engagement (ie, diagnosis, linkage to HIV care, retention in care, and adherence to prescribed treatment regimens)....
HBV, HCV and HIV among inmates in Latin America and the Caribbean: A systematic review and meta-analysis
OBJECTIVES: Hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) affect 340 million people worldwide and have a high impact on vulnerable populations. The aim of...
“It’s like it’s the old boys club”—The age-related experiences of diverse older women living with HIV: A scoping review and consultative exercise
Objectives HIV is often under-recognized in older individuals, particularly women, despite a significant number of new cases being diagnosed in those aged >50 years. This review aimed to understand the age-related...
Acceptability and feasibility of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in Southeast Asia: A scoping review
BACKGROUND: The availability of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in Southeast Asia remains limited compared to regions like Western Europe or North America. Additionally, little is known about how key populations...
Pre-exposure prophylaxis access, uptake and usage by young people: A systematic review of barriers and facilitators
BACKGROUND: Young people’s sexual health decision-making, including decisions to access and adhere to HIV prevention strategies such as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), are influenced by a range of internal and external...
Opportunistic infections among schoolchildren who were on antiretroviral therapy in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis
INTRODUCTION: The most common and severe cause of morbidity and mortality among HIV- positive children is opportunistic infections (OIs). All HIV-infected children are at risk of developing a variety of...
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HIV healthcare delivery for females in sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review
Throughout sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), females are disproportionately impacted by HIV and face generalized but also gendered social and economic barriers to accessing HIV healthcare and services. At the outset of...
