Category Archives: Women
Facilitators and barriers to cervical cancer screening among women living with HIV: A systematic review of qualitative studies
BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that 58% of new cervical cancer cases worldwide occur among women living with HIV. However, compared with HIV-negative women, this population has significantly poorer access to healthcare...
Maternal-to-child-transmission of human immunodeficiency virus in maternal preterm premature rupture of the membranes: A systematic review
Aim: Preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) in the context of maternal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection poses a significant clinical dilemma, as clinicians must balance the risks of prematurity with...
Perinatal outcomes associated with antiretroviral therapy for pregnant women living with HIV: An umbrella review
Background: The World Health Organization recommends antiretroviral therapy (ART) for pregnant women living with HIV (WLHIV), the vast majority of whom reside in sub-Saharan Africa. In recent years, many systematic reviews,...
Indirect treatment comparison of the efficacy of long-acting injectable cabotegravir compared with lenacapavir for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis
INTRODUCTION: Long-acting injectable cabotegravir (hereafter referred to as cabotegravir) is the first long-acting injectable approved for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) based on the HPTN 083 and 084 trials. Long-acting injectable lenacapavir...
Maternal, fetal, and neonatal outcomes of additional dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in intermittent preventive treatment for malaria in HIV-positive pregnancies: A systematic review and meta-analysis
PURPOSE: This systematic review evaluates the addition of Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine (DHA-PPQ) to Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) for Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPT) in HIV-positive pregnancies, focusing on its effects on malaria infection, maternal adverse...
Integrated service delivery models for triple elimination of mother to child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus, syphilis, and hepatitis B virus: A global systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Despite global commitment to the World Health Organization triple elimination initiative, evidence on integrated antenatal service delivery models that simultaneously address human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), syphilis, and...
Optimising post-delivery viral load monitoring and HIV care to eliminate breastfeeding-associated HIV transmission in sub-Saharan Africa: A review
Sustained maternal HIV viral-load (VL) suppression during breastfeeding is essential for eliminating vertical HIV transmission in Sub-Saharan Africa. Although vertical transmission prevention programmes have improved antiretroviral therapy coverage and peripartum...
Determinants of cardiovascular disease risk among LGBTQ+ populations: A systematic review of empirical evidence
BACKGROUND: Understanding the multifactorial drivers of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in LGBTQ+ populations is critical to advancing equitable cardiovascular care. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and synthesize empirical evidence on factors influencing...
Socio-cultural and systematic factors influencing fertility desire among women living with HIV: A systematic literature review
Women and girls in Sub-Saharan Africa remain disproportionately affected by HIV. HIV care strategies can significantly reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Women living with HIV (WLHIV) often...
Exclusive breastfeeding and associated factors among HIV-infected mothers in sub-Saharan African countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Introduction The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, along with maternal antiretroviral treatment, to reduce the risk of HIV transmission to infants and promote their...
Assessing the state of published HIV research concerning sexual minority women: A global English language scoping review
PURPOSE: We conducted a scoping review to map peer-reviewed literature on HIV research concerning sexual minority women (SMW). METHODS: Following guidance from Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and the Preferred Reporting...
HIV vulnerability among adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review of individual social and structural determinants
BACKGROUND: Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) aged 15 to 24 years continue to bear a disproportionate burden of HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa. Although substantial research has examined behavioral...
