Category Archives: Prevention, Engagement and Care Cascade
Interventions to significantly improve service uptake and retention of HIV-positive pregnant women and HIV-exposed infants along the prevention of mother-to-child transmission continuum of care: Systematic review
OBJECTIVES: Despite the success of Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) programmes, low uptake of services and poor retention pose a formidable challenge to achieving the elimination of vertical...
HIV risk inside U.S. prisons: A systematic review of risk reduction interventions conducted in U.S. prisons
HIV prevalence in correctional populations is approximately five times that of the general adult population. This systematic review examines the broad question of HIV prevention and interventions to reduce inmate...
CD4 count and tuberculosis risk in HIV-positive adults not on ART: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background: CD4 cell count in adults with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (PLHIV) not receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) influences tuberculosis (TB) risk. Despite widespread use in models informing resource allocation,...
Reduced bone mineral density in human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals: A meta-analysis of its prevalence and risk factors
A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of osteopenia/osteoporosis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals. The prevalence of osteopenia/osteoporosis in HIV-infected and antiretroviral therapy (ART)-treated individuals was significantly higher...
Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate safety for women and their infants during pregnancy and breastfeeding
OBJECTIVES: Pregnant/lactating women in some sub-Saharan Africa settings are at substantial risk of HIV acquisition and could benefit from preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), but safety data...
Renal manifestations of HIV during the antiretroviral era in South Africa: A systematic scoping review
BACKGROUND: It is estimated that 650,000 patients may develop human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related renal disease in South Africa. South Africa has recently adopted WHO policy, stipulating that all HIV-infected patients...
Antiretroviral therapy for pregnant women living with HIV or hepatitis B: A systematic review and meta-analysis
OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of various antiretroviral/antiviral regimens in pregnant women living with HIV or hepatitis B virus (HBV). DESIGN: We performed random effects meta-analysis for HIV-related outcomes and...
Prevalence and factors associated with depression in people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Depression, one of the most common psychiatric disorders, is two- to three-times more prevalent in people living with HIV (PLHIV) than in the general population in many settings as shown...
Association between male circumcision and women’s biomedical health outcomes: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Male circumcision reduces men’s risk of acquiring HIV and some sexually transmitted infections from heterosexual exposure, and is essential for HIV prevention in sub-Saharan Africa. Studies have also investigated...
Vitamin A supplements for reducing mother-to-child HIV transmission
BACKGROUND: Strategies to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) include lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV-positive women, exclusive breastfeeding from birth for six weeks...
Association between medication regimen complexity and pharmacotherapy adherence: A systematic review
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to systematically review evidence regarding the association between regimen complexity and adherence. METHODS: Articles were searched in MEDLINE, LILACS, Cochrane, CINAHL, PsycINFO and...
Zidovudine/lamivudine vs. abacavir/lamivudine vs. tenofovir/emtricitabine in fixed-dose combinations as initial treatment for HIV patients: A systematic review and network meta-analysis
INTRODUCTION: Initial treatment of the HIV is based on the use of three drugs, two of which are nucleoside analog reverse-transcriptase inhibitors. There are three combinations of these drugs which...
