Category Archives: Epidemiology and Determinants of Health
The HIV care cascade in sub-Saharan Africa: Systematic review of published criteria and definitions
INTRODUCTION: The HIV care cascade examines the attrition of people living with HIV from diagnosis to the use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and suppression of viral replication. We reviewed the...
Association between education level and HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis
In the era of antiretroviral treatment, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) is common in HIV-positive (HIV+) patients, with an incidence of 30-50%. The relationship between education level and...
A systematic review up to 2018 of HIV and associated factors among criminal justice-involved (CJI) Black sexual and gender minority populations in the United States (US)
Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) and Black transgender women (BTW) are impacted by dual epidemics of HIV and incarceration. We advanced understanding of the relationship between criminal...
Structural determinants of HIV/STI prevalence, HIV/STI/sexual and reproductive health access, and condom use among immigrant sex workers globally
OBJECTIVE: Given stark health inequities among precarious and criminalized workers, we aimed to apply a structural determinants framework to systematically review evidence on HIV/sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevalence, access to...
Effectiveness of HIV stigma interventions for men who have sex with men (MSM) with and without HIV in the United States: A systematic review and meta-analyses
Stigma may contribute to HIV disparities for men who have sex with men (MSM). This systematic review quantified the effects of HIV stigma interventions for MSM on stigma and sex...
Human immunodeficiency virus-positive women’s perspectives on breastfeeding with antiretrovirals: A qualitative evidence synthesis
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive women can breastfeed with minimal risk of mother-to-child transmission if taking antiretrovirals. Guidelines surrounding infant feeding for HIV-positive women have evolved several times over the last...
Effectiveness of spatially targeted interventions for control of HIV, tuberculosis, leprosy and malaria: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: As infectious diseases approach global elimination targets, spatial targeting is increasingly important to identify community hotspots of transmission and effectively target interventions. We aimed to synthesise relevant evidence to...
How women’s experiences and perceptions of care influence uptake of postnatal care across sub-Saharan Africa: A qualitative systematic review
BACKGROUND: The burden of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality is a global health concern with the highest burden documented after childbirth in women and babies living in sub-Saharan Africa....
Health system adaptations and considerations to facilitate optimal oral pre-exposure prophylaxis scale-up in sub-Saharan Africa
Following WHO’s 2015 recommendation, countries in sub-Saharan Africa have progressively scaled up oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as part of combination HIV prevention. PrEP has potential to significantly reduce new HIV...
Women living with HIV in high income countries and the deeper meaning of breastfeeding avoidance: A metasynthesis
BACKGROUND: Recommendations to avoid breastfeeding for women living with HIV in high income countries has resulted in a gap in the literature on how healthcare professionals can provide the highest...
Prevalence and burden of HBV co-infection among people living with HIV: A global systematic review and meta-analysis
Globally, in 2017 35 million people were living with HIV (PLHIV) and 257 million had chronic HBV infection (HBsAg positive). The extent of HIV-HBsAg co-infection is unknown. We undertook a...