Category Archives: Epidemiology and Determinants of Health
Prevalence and characteristics of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and fibrosis in people living with HIV monoinfection: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background and Aims Liver disease remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among people living with HIV (PLWH). Emerging data have shown that PLWH are at high risk for...
The prevalence of HIV-infected patients with virological suppression but a CD4+ T-cell count of ≤ 200 cells/mm3 after highly active antiretroviral therapy initiation: A meta-analysis
Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) strongly inhibits HIV replication. However, many patients show suboptimal immune recovery (SIR), as defined by virological suppression (i.e. low viral load) with a CD4+ T-cell count...
A systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the time from HIV infection to diagnosis for people with HIV
Timely HIV diagnosis is critical to minimizing transmission events. We sought to estimate the meantime from HIV infection to diagnosis and its temporal trend among people with HIV. Following Preferred...
So many harms, so little benefit: A global review of the history and harms of HIV criminalisation
Since the early years of HIV, many jurisdictions have criminalised HIV non-disclosure, potential or perceived exposure, and transmission. Many of these laws and prosecutions are without a scientific basis and...
Perinatal outcomes associated with combination antiretroviral therapy compared with monotherapy
Objectives: Increasing numbers of women living with HIV (WLHIV) worldwide receive combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) during pregnancy. We aimed to assess the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes in pregnant WLHIV receiving...
Toxoplasma gondii infection in immunocompromised patients in Iran (2013–2022): A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Toxoplasma gondii infection (toxoplasmosis) has the potential to cause a serious disease in immunocompromised patients and can be fatal in this population. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis...
Determining the screening frequency for sexually transmitted infections for people who use HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background: Although the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends ‘frequent’ screening of sexually transmitted infections (STI) for people who use pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV, there is no evidence for optimal frequency....
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HIV healthcare service engagement, treatment adherence, and viral suppression in the United States: A systematic literature review
The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated adaptations in how healthcare services are rendered. However, it is unclear how these adaptations have impacted HIV healthcare services across the United States. We conducted...
HIV risk behavior and associated factors among people living with HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: HIV risk behavior among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) is a major public health concern as it increases HIV transmission. In Ethiopia, findings regarding HIV risk behavior have been...
Assessing stigma in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review of scales used with children and adolescents
INTRODUCTION: Stigmatization contributes to health inequalities, impacting the wellbeing of children and adolescents negatively. Addressing stigmatization requires adequate measurement. Our systematic review synthesizes the content of scales used with children...
