Category Archives: Prevention, Engagement and Care Cascade
Perinatal outcomes among pregnant women living with HIV initiating antiretroviral therapy preconception and antenatally: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Objective: Increasingly, pregnant women with HIV (WHIV) initiate antiretroviral therapy (ART) before conception. We assessed the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes among pregnant WHIV initiating ART preconception or antenatally, compared with...
Transitions in treatment: A systematic review and meta-aggregation of preferences and barriers in switching from oral to long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy among people living with HIV and stakeholders
INTRODUCTION: Antiretroviral treatment (ART) has significantly enhanced health outcomes for people living with HIV (PLWH). With the evolution of treatment options, there is an increasing interest in the development of...
Neuropsychiatric outcomes in children and adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV: A systematic review and meta analysis
Objective: The objective of this study is to define the neuropsychiatric challenges including developmental delay, cognitive impairment, and psychiatric illness faced by children with perinatally acquired HIV. Data sources: Nine databases were...
Application of the COM-B model to facilitators and barriers to HIV and STI testing among people from Black African and Black Caribbean communities in the UK: A scoping review
OBJECTIVE: Individuals from Black African and Black Caribbean communities (black communities) in the UK bear a disproportionate burden of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), while exhibiting lower testing rates....
Comparative efficacy and safety of treatment regimens for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in people living with HIV: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
BACKGROUND: Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) is a serious opportunistic infection in people living with HIV (PWH) who have low CD4 counts. Despite its side effects, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) is currently considered...
Onset and predictors of first-line antiretroviral therapy treatment failure among children in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Introduction: The emergence of First-line Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) regimens fails; it necessitates the use of more costly and less tolerable second-line medications. Therefore, it is crucial to identify and address factors...
Evaluating equity reporting within systematic reviews of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
BACKGROUND: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a medicine that can reduce HIV transmission. Given the disproportionate impact of HIV on minority communities, health equity is an important consideration in PrEP research....
Breaking the silence—Systematic review of the socio-cultural underpinnings of men’s sexual and reproductive health in Middle East and North Africa (MENA): A handful of taboos?
BACKGROUND: Sociocultural aspects can impact sexual and reproductive health (SRH). Despite this, no study appraised the socio-cultural underpinnings impacting men’s SRH in MENA (Middle East and North Africa). The current...
Safety and efficacy of long-acting cabotegravir/rilpivirine versus standard oral antiretroviral therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background In 2023, there were 39.9 million people living with HIV (PLWH) worldwide and 630 000 deaths related to HIV. New strategies are needed, and long-acting antiretrovirals (LAAs) are now widely...
HIV interventions across the care continuum for adolescents in high-burden countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Adolescents (10-19 years old) have poor outcomes across the prevention-to-treatment HIV care continuum, leading to significant mortality and morbidity. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions that...
Systematic review and meta-analysis of retention and disengagement after initiation on antiretroviral therapy in low- and middle-income countries after the introduction of universal test and treat policies
BACKGROUND: We previously published a systematic review evaluating retention in care after antiretroviral therapy treatment initiation among adults in low- and middle-income countries. We estimated retention at 36 months to...
