Category Archives: People who use drugs
Barriers and facilitators to primary care engagement for people who inject drugs: A systematic review
INTRODUCTION: People who inject drugs (PWID) have a greater burden of multimorbid chronic diseases than the general population. However, little attention has been paid to the engagement in primary care...
Inferring the multiplicity of founder variants initiating HIV-1 infection: A systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis
Background: HIV-1 infections initiated by multiple founder variants are characterised by a higher viral load and a worse clinical prognosis than those initiated with single founder variants, yet little is known...
Chemsex and chemsex associated substance use among men who have sex with men in Asia: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: The prevalence of chemsex has been reported by multiple systematic reviews among men who have sex with men (MSM) focussing predominantly on the Global North. An Asian perspective with...
A review of factors associated with methadone maintenance treatment adherence and retention in Vietnam
BACKGROUND: Starting in 2008, Vietnam’s national MMT program expanded quickly, but it is struggling with increasing attrition rates and poor adherence among patients. Several studies have reported on MMT retention...
Associations between the prevalence of chronic hepatitis B among people who inject drugs and country-level characteristics: An ecological analysis
Introduction: Globally, hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a leading cause of liver disease. People who inject drugs (PWID) are at greater risk than the general population of contracting HBV. This risk...
Prevalence of sexualized drug use and risk of HIV among sexually active MSM in East and South Asian countries: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Introduction: Sexualized drug use (SDU), the use of psychoactive drugs in the context of sexual intercourse, has been identified as a risk factor for HIV among men who have sex with...
Web-based service provision of HIV, viral hepatitis, and sexually transmitted infection prevention, testing, linkage, and treatment for key populations: Systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Despite the growth of web-based interventions for HIV, viral hepatitis (VH), and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) for key populations, the evidence for the effectiveness of these interventions has not...
The HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis continuum of care among women who inject drugs: A systematic review
INTRODUCTION: People who inject drugs have a substantial risk for HIV infection, especially women who inject drugs (WWID). HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a highly-effective HIV prevention drug, is uncommonly studied...
Measuring and addressing stigma within HIV interventions for people who use drugs: A scoping review of recent research
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Persistent stigma remains a crucial barrier to HIV prevention and treatment services among people who use drugs (PWUD), particularly for those living with or at-risk for HIV....
HIV voluntary counseling and testing (VCT-HIV) effectiveness for sexual risk-reduction among key populations: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background: HIV disproportionately affects people who inject drugs, transgender people, sex workers, men who have sex with men, and incarcerated people. Recognized as key populations (KP), these groups face increased impact...
Interventions to prevent HIV and Hepatitis C among people who inject drugs: Latest evidence of effectiveness from a systematic review (2011 to 2020)
BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV remain prevalent among people who inject drugs (PWID) and transmission is usually associated with injecting risk behaviour (IRB). We update a 2011 review...
