Category Archives: Determinants of Health
A systematic review of interventions to reduce HIV-related stigma and discrimination from 2002 to 2013: How far have we come?
Introduction: HIV-related stigma and discrimination continue to hamper efforts to prevent new infections and engage people in HIV treatment, care and support programmes. The identification of effective interventions to reduce...
Neurodevelopment in children born to HIV-infected mothers by infection and treatment status
BACKGROUND: We reviewed the impact of HIV, HIV exposure, and antiretroviral therapy/prophylaxis on neurodevelopmental outcomes of HIV-infected and HIV-exposed-uninfected infants and children. METHODS: A literature search of Medline, Embase, PsychINFO,...
Meta-analysis: Implications of interleukin-28B polymorphisms in spontaneous and treatment-related clearance for patients with hepatitis C
BACKGROUND: Since 2009, several studies have identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) near the gene encoding for interleukin (IL)-28 (IL28B) that are strongly associated with spontaneous and treatment-induced hepatitis C virus (HCV)...
Emergence of drug resistance in HIV type 1-infected patients after receipt of first-line highly active antiretroviral therapy: A systematic review of clinical trials
Background. Resistance to antiretroviral combination therapy is associated with increased mortality. Understanding the relative risks of emerging resistance to first-line therapy is of importance for both resource-rich and resource-poor settings....
Contraception for the HIV-positive woman: A review of interactions between hormonal contraception and antiretroviral therapy
Background. Preventing unintended pregnancy in HIV-positive women can significantly reduce maternal-to-child HIV transmission as well as improve the woman’s overall health. Hormonal contraceptives are safe and effective means to avoid...
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...
Social support and HIV-related risk behaviors: A systematic review of the global literature
Existing empirical evidence has well documented the role of social support in both physical and psychological well-being among various populations. In the context of HIV prevention, the rapid increase of...
Does palliative care improve outcomes for patients with HIV/AIDS? A systematic review of the evidence
BACKGROUND: The need for palliative care in HIV management is underlined by the high prevalence of pain and symptoms, the toxicity, side effects, and virological failure associated with antiretroviral therapy,...
Effects of physician-nurse substitution on clinical parameters: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Physicians’ shortage in many countries and demands of high-quality and affordable care make physician-nurse substitution an appealing workforce strategy. The objective of this study is to conduct a systematic...
Use of hormonal contraceptives and HIV acquisition in women: A systematic review of the epidemiological evidence
Whether or not the use of hormonal contraception affects risk of HIV acquisition is an important question for public health. We did a systematic review, searching PubMed and Embase, aiming...
Partner notification uptake for sexually transmitted infections in China: A systematic literature review
Objective: China’s sexually transmitted infection (STI) epidemic requires comprehensive control programmes. Partner services are traditional pillars of STI control but have not been widely implemented in China. This study was...
