Category Archives: Engagement and Care Cascade
Unintended pregnancy in women living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
In 2014, about 1.5 million pregnancies occurred among HIV-positive women in low and middle-income countries. To pool magnitude and factors associated with unintended pregnancy in women living with HIV in...
Physical activity and HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review of correlates and levels
Background: Self-management strategies such as physical activity (PA) can address disability and optimize mental, physical, social and economic outcomes for persons living with HIV (PLWH). Understanding factors that influence PA...
Risk of sexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus with antiretroviral therapy, suppressed viral load and condom use: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: The Public Health Agency of Canada reviewed sexual transmission of HIV between serodiscordant partners to support examination of the criminal justice system response to HIV nondisclosure by the Department...
Attrition of HIV-exposed infants from early infant diagnosis services in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis
INTRODUCTION: Identification and retention of HIV-exposed infants in early infant diagnosis (EID) services helps to ensure optimal health outcomes. This systematic review and meta-analysis examines the magnitude of attrition from...
Integration of neonatal and child health interventions with pediatric HIV interventions in global health
Background/Objectives: In the last decade, many strategies have called for integration of HIV and child survival platforms to reduce missed opportunities and improve child health outcomes. Countries with generalized HIV...
Antiretroviral resistance testing in HIV-positive people
BACKGROUND: Resistance to antiretroviral therapy (ART) among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) compromises treatment effectiveness, often leading to virological failure and mortality. Antiretroviral drug resistance tests may be...
The effect of demand-side financial incentives for increasing linkage into HIV treatment and voluntary medical male circumcision: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials in low- and middle-income countries
INTRODUCTION: Linkage to HIV treatment is a vital step in the cascade of HIV services and is critical to slowing down HIV transmission in countries with high HIV prevalence. Equally,...
Socio-structural factors influencing the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in the democratic republic of the Congo: A systematic review
Introduction The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) had the second-highest mother-to-child HIV transmission rate in Sub-Saharan Africa at 29% in 2013, however the uptake of preventive services for mother-to-child...
Being HIV positive and staying on antiretroviral therapy in Africa: A qualitative systematic review and theoretical model
BACKGROUND: Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and long-term uninterrupted engagement in HIV care is difficult for HIV-positive people, and randomized trials of specific techniques to promote adherence often show small...
HIV, sexually transmitted infection, and substance use continuum of care interventions among criminal justice-involved black men who have sex with men: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Because Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) experience high rates of both HIV and incarceration relative to other groups, the various stages of criminal justice involvement may...
Screening for HIV and linkage to care in adolescents: Insights from a systematic review of recent interventions in high- versus low- and middle-income settings
Introduction: Compared to adults, adolescents and young adults have a higher incidence of HIV infection, yet lower rates of HIV testing. Few evidence-based interventions effectively diagnose new HIV infections among...
Effectiveness of text messaging interventions on prevention, detection, treatment, and knowledge outcomes for sexually transmitted infections (STIs)/HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Rates of STIs continue to rise worldwide, and novel evidence-based interventions such as text messaging aimed at improving client services are needed. We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate text...
