Category Archives: Epidemiology and Determinants of Health
Adherence to antiretroviral therapy and its associated factors among children living with HIV in Eastern and Southern Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background: Children living with HIV in low-income settings, such as in Eastern and Southern Africa, are at a high risk for poor adherence to antiretroviral therapy. However, various primary studies presented...
Transitions in treatment: A systematic review and meta-aggregation of preferences and barriers in switching from oral to long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy among people living with HIV and stakeholders
INTRODUCTION: Antiretroviral treatment (ART) has significantly enhanced health outcomes for people living with HIV (PLWH). With the evolution of treatment options, there is an increasing interest in the development of...
Neuropsychiatric outcomes in children and adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV: A systematic review and meta analysis
Objective: The objective of this study is to define the neuropsychiatric challenges including developmental delay, cognitive impairment, and psychiatric illness faced by children with perinatally acquired HIV. Data sources: Nine databases were...
Application of the COM-B model to facilitators and barriers to HIV and STI testing among people from Black African and Black Caribbean communities in the UK: A scoping review
OBJECTIVE: Individuals from Black African and Black Caribbean communities (black communities) in the UK bear a disproportionate burden of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), while exhibiting lower testing rates....
Barriers to PrEP use and adherence among adolescent girls and young women in Eastern, Southern, and Western Africa: A scoping review
BACKGROUND: Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) are disproportionately affected by HIV. Globally, in 2022, an estimated 4000 AGYW 15–24 were newly infected with HIV weekly, and nearly 78% of...
Prevalence, predictors, and outcomes of HIV care in HIV-positive clients entering HIV care with advanced HIV disease in sub-Saharan Africa 2010–2022: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Background and aims: Sub-Saharan Africa drives global HIV-related mortality, and patients continuously present with advanced HIV disease (AHD) at diagnosis. We describe prevalence, predictors, and treatment outcomes in HIV clients with...
Understanding human papillomavirus vaccine response and efficacy in people living with HIV: A systematic mixed studies review and meta-analysis
Coinfection with human papillomavirus (HPV) and HIV compounds the risks of developing cervical, anal, and HPV-associated oral neoplasia. Safe prophylactic vaccines are available to prevent HPV infections in people with...
Caring for a young child who is HIV exposed and whose HIV status is not yet known: A scoping review of mothers’ experiences
Living with HIV can affect mothers’ wellbeing, functioning, and experiences of caregiving. Most research about caregiving in the context of HIV comes from studies of dyads where both mother and...
Barriers and facilitators of HIV partner status notification in low- and lower-middle-income countries: A mixed-methods systematic review
BACKGROUND: The uptake of HIV partner status notification remains limited in low- and lower-middle-income countries. This mixed-methods systematic reviewAÿaims to summarize the barriers and facilitators of HIV partner status notification...
Depressive symptoms and HIV viral suppression: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Previous research suggests that depression impacts HIV outcomes, including viral suppression. This meta-analysis quantifies the association between depression and HIV viral suppression. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed,...
Evaluating equity reporting within systematic reviews of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
BACKGROUND: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a medicine that can reduce HIV transmission. Given the disproportionate impact of HIV on minority communities, health equity is an important consideration in PrEP research....
Breaking the silence—Systematic review of the socio-cultural underpinnings of men’s sexual and reproductive health in Middle East and North Africa (MENA): A handful of taboos?
BACKGROUND: Sociocultural aspects can impact sexual and reproductive health (SRH). Despite this, no study appraised the socio-cultural underpinnings impacting men’s SRH in MENA (Middle East and North Africa). The current...
