Category Archives: Biomedical interventions
Interventions for preventing late postnatal mother-to-child transmission of HIV
BACKGROUND: Worldwide, mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) represents the most common means by which children acquire HIV infection. Efficacious and effective interventions to prevent in...
Systematic review of the safety of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for prophylaxis in HIV-infected pregnant women: Implications for resource-limited settings
Daily prophylaxis with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMZ) significantly decreases morbidity and mortality among people living with HIV. Some clinicians are reluctant to use TMP-SMZ in pregnant and breastfeeding HIV-infected women because of...
Considerations for implementing oral preexposure prophylaxis: A literature review
Oral preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is in its infancy as an approved biomedical intervention; therefore, research is needed to understand the issues surrounding its implementation. The purpose of this literature review...
Risks and benefits of lifelong antiretroviral treatment for pregnant and breastfeeding women: A review of the evidence for the Option B+ approach
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Considerable debate has emerged on whether Option B+ (B+), initiation of lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) for all pregnant and breastfeeding women, is the best approach to achieving...
Economic costs of HIV/AIDS prevention activities in sub-Saharan Africa
This paper reviews the existing evidence base of the costs of prevention activities in sub-Saharan Africa, considers the degree of comparability between different cost estimates and highlights factors that are important in attempting...
Family planning counseling for women living with HIV: A systematic review of the evidence of effectiveness on contraceptive uptake and pregnancy incidence, 1990 to 2011
BACKGROUND: Family planning is an important public health intervention with numerous potential health benefits for all women. One of those key benefits is the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV,...
Efficacy of HIV Prevention Interventions in Latin American and Caribbean Nations, 1995-2008: A Meta-Analysis
This meta-analysis synthesized 37 HIV prevention interventions (from 28 studies) that were evaluated in Latin American and Caribbean nations. These studies were obtained through systematic searches of English, Spanish, and...
HIV vaccine preparedness studies in the non-organization for economic co-operation and development (non-OECD) countries
HIV vaccine development remains an urgent priority. Vaccine preparedness studies to assess feasibility are an important precursor to HIV vaccine trials. Studies such as these have taken place in many...
Interventions for previously untreated patients with AIDS-associated Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is known to be associated with an increased risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). The majority of lymphomas (>80%) occurring during immunosuppression are aggressive B-cell...
Vaginal disinfection for preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV infection
BACKGROUND: Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV infection is one of the most tragic consequences of the HIV epidemic, especially in resource-limited countries, resulting in about 650 000 new paediatric HIV...
