Category Archives: Prevention, Engagement and Care Cascade
Do quality improvement initiatives improve outcomes for patients in antiretroviral programs in low- and middle-income countries? A systematic review
Background: There have been a range of quality improvement (QI) and quality assurance initiatives in low- and middle-income countries to improve antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment outcomes for people living with HIV....
Associations between human leukocyte antigen polymorphisms and hypersensitivity to antiretroviral therapy in patients with human immunodeficiency virus: A meta-analysis
Background Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles are implicated in drug-induced hypersensitivity, including by nevirapine and abacavir. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the relationship between HLA polymorphisms and...
Performance of cepheid GeneXpert HIV-1 viral load plasma assay to accurately detect treatment failure: A clinical meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Coverage of viral load testing remains low with only half of the patients in need having adequate access. Alternative technologies to high throughput centralized machines can be used to...
Integration of HIV testing services into family planning services: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Despite significant interest in integrating sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services into HIV services, less attention has been paid to linkages in the other direction. Where women and girls...
Causal effects of education on sexual and reproductive health in low and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background: Despite strong theoretical grounding, important gaps in knowledge remain regarding the degree to which there is a causal relationship between education and sexual and reproductive health, as many claims have...
Pre-exposure prophylaxis use and medication adherence among men who have sex with men: A systematic review of the literature
The appropriate use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) by men who have sex with men (MSM) can be highly effective at reducing HIV transmission. Our review examined prevalence estimates, sexual behaviors,...
Systematic review and meta-analysis of treatment interruptions in HIV-1 infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy: Implications for future HIV cure trials
BACKGROUND: Safety and tolerability of analytical treatment interruptions (ATIs) as a vital part of HIV-1 cure studies are discussed. We analyzed current evidence for occurrence of adverse events (AEs) during...
How does hard-to-reach status affect antiretroviral therapy adherence in the HIV-infected population? Results from a meta-analysis of observational studies
BACKGROUND: Socially disadvantaged groups, such as drug users, sex workers and homeless individuals, are labelled as “hard-to-reach” (HTR) in public health and medical research. HIV disproportionately impacts these populations, but...
A realist review of infant feeding counselling to increase exclusive breastfeeding by HIV-positive women in sub Saharan-Africa: What works for whom and in what contexts
BACKGROUND: The most recent World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and infant feeding promotes exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in resource limited settings for the prevention of mother...
The impact of location on implementation of HIV/STI prevention interventions among LGBTQ communities
Key take-home messages The characteristics of a location, including segregation, community-level stigma, and infrastructural resources, may influence HIV service utilization and the HIV continuum of care among men who have...
