Category Archives: Epidemiology and Determinants of Health
The impact of needle and syringe exchange programs on HIV-related risk behaviors in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis examining individual- versus community-level effects
We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the impact of needle and syringe exchange programs (NSP) on both individual- and community-level needle-sharing behaviors and other HIV-related outcomes in low-...
Mapping the effectiveness of integrating mental health in HIV programs: A scoping review
INTRODUCTION: Mental health and substance abuse issues are increasing among HIV-positive people, and it negatively impacts health outcomes like engagement, retention in HIV care, and adherence to ART. Thus, national...
PrEP for women in Europe: A systematic literature review
BACKGROUND: Prevention of HIV transmission is fundamental to ending the HIV epidemic. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with oral tenofovir-emtricitabine (TDF-FTC) is an established HIV-prevention method; however, most PrEP services in Europe...
Progress of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries towards achieving the 95-95-95 UNAIDS targets: A review
BACKGROUND: In 2014, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and partners launched the 90-90-90 targets. These were further updated to correspond to 95-95-95 by the year 2025. We...
Immunogenicity and reactogenicity of COVID-19 Pfizer-BioNTech (Bnt162b2) mRNA vaccination in immunocompromised adolescents and young adults: A systematic review and meta-analyses
Background: This study aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the BNT162b2 vaccine in immunocompromised adolescents and young adults. Research design and methods: The study conducted a meta-analysis of post-marketing studies...
Barriers and facilitators to HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) in Specialist Sexual Health Services in the United Kingdom: A systematic review using the PrEP Care Continuum
Objectives HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) delivery in the UK is inequitable; over 95% of PrEP users were men who have sex with men (MSM) despite making up less than 50%...
Humoral immune response to two doses of COVID-19 mRNA-based vaccines in people living with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis
People living with HIV (PLWH) are susceptible to severe COVID-19 infection and hence this fragile population has prioritised vaccination. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the humoral immune...
Human papillomavirus infection among pregnant women living with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: In the general population, human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence is reportedly increased during pregnancy, and emerging evidence suggests that it may be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Women living with...
Performance of cardiovascular risk prediction models among people living with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Importance Extant data on the performance of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk score models in people living with HIV have not been synthesized. Objective To synthesize available data on the performance of the...
What factors are associated with willingness to use HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among U.S. men who have sex with nen not on PrEP? A systematic review and meta-analysis
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), an antiretroviral medication to prevent HIV, is becoming more widely available in the United States since the Federal Drug Administration approved it in 2012. However, PrEP use...
Public health services and intersectional stigma: A social sciences perspective with implications for HIV service design and delivery
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Understanding stigma is important for improving HIV care services and gaps in HIV service delivery have been attributed to stigma. This review article synthesizes recent evidence on...
