Category Archives: Women
Global epidemiologic characteristics of sexually transmitted infections among individuals using preexposure prophylaxis for the prevention of HIV infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Importance: Despite a global increase in sexually transmitted infections (STIs), there is limited focus and investment in STI management within HIV programs, in which risks for STIs are likely to...
Exclusive breastfeeding policy, practice and influences in South Africa, 1980 to 2018: A mixed-methods systematic review
BACKGROUND: In 2011, South Africa committed to promoting exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for six months for all mothers, regardless of HIV status, in line with World Health Organization recommendations. This was...
Recent levels and trends in HIV incidence rates among adolescent girls and young women in ten high-prevalence African countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: The roll-out of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has changed contexts of HIV risk, but the influence on HIV incidence among young women is not clear. We aimed to summarise direct...
Review of the missed opportunities for the prevention of vertical transmission of HIV in Brazil
OBJECTIVE: The present literature review aims to highlight gaps in the treatment of preventative mother-to-child HIV transmission and the risk factors in Brazil. METHODS: Among the 425 articles identified in...
What will it take for the global plan priority countries in sub-Saharan Africa to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV?
BACKGROUND: The 2016 ‘Start Free, Stay Free, AIDS Free’ global agenda, builds on the 2011-2015 ‘Global Plan’. It prioritises 22 countries where 90% of the world’s HIV-positive pregnant women live...
Human immunodeficiency virus and risk of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia in pregnant women: A meta-analysis on cohort studies
Maternal HIV infection is related to several perinatal adverse outcomes. This study is aimed at establishing whether maternal HIV infection is associated with the development of pre-eclampsia (PE) and eclampsia....
Combined antiretroviral therapy for HIV and the risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: A systematic review
OBJECTIVE: To assess if there is a relationship between use of combined antiretroviral therapy among pregnant women living with HIV and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). DESIGN: Due to the...
Infant feeding practices of HIV positive mothers and its association with counseling and HIV disclosure status in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Introduction: Breastfeeding is the ideal food source for all newborns globally. However, in the era of Human Immune Deficiency Virus (HIV) infection, feeding practice is a challenge due to mother-to-child...
Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV: A review of the achievements and challenges in Burkina-Faso
Background: Burkina-Faso’s HIV/AIDS program is one of the most successful in Africa, with a declining HIV prevalence and treatment outcomes that rival those of developed countries. Prevention of mother-to-child transmission...
Epidemiology of Chlamydia trachomatis in the Middle East and North Africa: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression
BACKGROUND: The epidemiology of Chlamydia trachomatis in the Middle East and north Africa is poorly understood. We aimed to provide a comprehensive epidemiological assessment of C trachomatis infection in the...
Effects of malaria/helminthic coinfections on cervical cancer progression among sub Saharan African women on highly active antiretroviral therapy: A scoping review
In Africa, the HIV prevalence in rural areas has begun to reach levels estimated within urban settings, where women are also more at risk for both malaria and intestinal parasitic...