Category Archives: Epidemiology and Determinants of Health
Vaginal ring acceptability: A systematic review and meta-analysis of vaginal ring experiences from around the world
OBJECTIVE: The vaginal ring (ring) is a female-initiated, long-acting drug delivery system for different indications, including HIV prevention. Our aim was to provide evidence for acceptability of the vaginal ring...
Musculoskeletal conditions in persons living with HIV/AIDS: A scoping review
OBJECTIVE: Globally 37.9 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, and with mortality rates declining, there is an increasing focus on comorbidities including musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders. Therefore, the aim of this...
A systematic review of linkage-to-care and antiretroviral initiation implementation strategies in low- and middle-income countries across sub-Saharan Africa
Linkage to care (LTC) and initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) are key components in the longitudinal care cascade for people living with HIV. Many strategies to optimize these stages of...
Increased prevalence of transfusion-transmitted diseases among people with tattoos: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Whether having a tattoo increases the risk of transfusion-transmitted diseases (TTDs) is controversial. Although a few studies have suggested a strong association between having tattoos and TTDs, other studies have...
The prevalence, risk factors and outcomes of anaemia in South African pregnant women: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background: Anaemia is associated with maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. The pooled prevalence of anaemia in the South African (SA) pregnant population was ascertained by systematically reviewing available literature....
Population sizes, HIV prevalence, and HIV prevention among men who paid for sex in sub-Saharan Africa (2000–2020): A meta-analysis of 87 population-based surveys
BACKGROUND: Key populations, including sex workers, are at high risk of HIV acquisition and transmission. Men who pay for sex can contribute to HIV transmission through sexual relationships with both...
Acceptability of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in China: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Using pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for the prevention of HIV infection is a popular, contemporary research topic. We retrieved PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, Wanfang, CNKI, and Sinomed databases, and related...
Characterizing the role of intersecting stigmas and sustained inequities in driving HIV syndemics across low-to-middle-income settings
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: In 2020, key populations around the world still have disproportionate risks for HIV acquisition and experiencing HIV-related syndemics. This review presents current data around HIV-related syndemics among...
Syndemics of HIV with mental illness and other noncommunicable diseases: A research agenda to address the gap between syndemic theory and current research practice
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The aim of this article is to summarize the status of syndemic research on HIV and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) to identify opportunities for improving research to benefit...
Adolescents and young adults with early acquired HIV infection in the United States: Unique challenges in treatment and secondary prevention
INTRODUCTION: Worldwide, children who acquired human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) at an early age, either perinatally or through blood transfusion, are reaching adolescence and adulthood due to successful antiretroviral treatment (ART)....
