Category Archives: Biomedical interventions
Does this adult patient have early HIV infection?: The Rational Clinical Examination systematic review
IMPORTANCE: Timely identification of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in adults can contribute to reduced mortality and likelihood of further HIV transmission. During the first 6 months after infection, known...
Pre-exposure prophylaxis for the prevention of HIV infection in high risk populations: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
BACKGROUND: Nearly ten randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) have been completed or are ongoing worldwide to evaluate the effectiveness of PrEP in HIV transmission among HIV-uninfected high...
Circumcision status and risk of HIV acquisition during heterosexual intercourse for both males and females: A meta-analysis
In this study, we evaluated if male circumcision was associated with lower HIV acquisition for HIV (-) males and HIV (-) females during normal sexual behavior. We performed a systematic...
Systemic preexposure prophylaxis for HIV: Translating clinical data to clinical practice
OBJECTIVE: To assess the real-world implications of oral tenofovir-emtricitabine (TDF-FTC) for HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in clinical practice and highlight important considerations for its implementation. DATA SOURCES: A search of...
Prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission cascade in China: A systematic review and meta-analysis
INTRODUCTION: The Chinese government has invested US$140 million annually on prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV. This study evaluates the programme by examining the improvements in programme coverage HIV...
Socio-cultural factors influencing the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Nigeria: A synthesis of the literature
BACKGROUND: Currently, Nigeria alone accounts for 30% of the burden of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. This review explores the socio-cultural factors influencing prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) service...
Influence of maternal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection on vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV): A meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Maternal co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been implicated as a potentially important co-factor for enhanced vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV). In previous reports, however, methodological...
Nonoccupational postexposure prophylaxis following sexual assault in industrialized low-HIV-prevalence countries: A review
Although available for over a decade, use of nonoccupational postexposure prophylaxis (nPEP) remains controversial in the United States. There are concerns over sexual assault survivors’ adherence, or lack thereof, leading...
Integrating prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission programs to improve uptake: A systematic review
Background: We performed a systematic review to assess the effect of integrated perinatal prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV interventions compared to non- or partially integrated services on the uptake...
Impact of viral load and the duration of primary infection on HIV transmission: Systematic review and meta-analysis
OBJECTIVES: HIV ‘treatment as prevention’ (TasP) describes early treatment of HIV-infected patients intended to reduce viral load and transmission. Crucial assumptions for estimating TasP’s effectiveness are the underlying estimates of...
Mannose-binding lectin and the risk of HIV transmission and disease progression in children: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) can activate the complement system by binding to carbohydrates, such as those presented on the HIV virion surface. It is unclear whether genetically determined MBL deficiency...
