Category Archives: Biomedical interventions
Efficacy and biological safety of lopinavir/ritonavir based anti-retroviral therapy in HIV-1-infected patients: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) is the first ritonavir-boosted protease-inhibitor used in second-line anti-retroviral treatment (ART) in resource-limited regions. To evaluate the efficacy and safety outcomes of LPV/r in treatment-naive and -experienced HIV-infected...
Assessment of the impact of cotrimoxazole prophylaxis on key outcomes among HIV-infected adults in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Cotrimoxazole (CTX) prophylaxis is among the key interventions provided to HIV-infected individuals in resource-limited settings. We conducted a systematic review of the available evidence. METHODS: MEDLINE, Embase, Global Health,...
Efficacy of inactivated hepatitis a vaccine in HIV-infected patients: A hierarchical Bayesian meta-analysis
Patients with human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV) have elevated risk for hepatitis A virus (HAV) coinfection. Sequelae from coinfection include increased risk of liver-related morbidity and mortality. This study synthesizes the...
Disclosure of HIV serostatus among pregnant and postpartum women in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review
Disclosure of one’s HIV status can help to improve uptake and retention in prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV services; yet, it remains a challenge for many women. This systematic...
Voluntary medical male circumcision for HIV prevention and early resumption of sexual activity: A literature review
A number of programs have focused on scale-up and implementation research regarding voluntary medical male circumcision; however, there is limited research with regard to factors and strategies related to abstinence...
Adherence to HIV postexposure prophylaxis: A systematic review and meta-analysis
INTRODUCTION: We evaluated variations in completion rates for HIV postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) according to the exposure type (occupational, nonoccupational, and sexual assault), patient, and programme characteristics. METHODS: Four major databases...
A systematic review of the inclusion (or exclusion) of women in HIV research: From clinical studies of antiretrovirals and vaccines to cure strategies
INTRODUCTION: The effect of clinical interventions can differ due to sex/gender. Studies have shown that women are often underrepresented in medical research. The aim of this systematic literature review was...
Factors associated with parental non-adoption of infant male circumcision for HIV prevention in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and thematic synthesis
Infant male circumcision (IMC) may be more effective at preventing HIV than adult male circumcision as the procedure is carried out before the individual becomes sexually active. Successful scale-up will...
A meta-analysis of the performance of the Pima CD4 for point of care testing
BACKGROUND: The Alere point-of-care (POC) Pima CD4 analyzer allows for decentralized testing and expansion to testing antiretroviral therapy (ART) eligibility. A consortium conducted a pooled multi-data technical performance analysis of...
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...
Spending of HIV resources in Asia and Eastern Europe: Systematic review reveals the need to shift funding allocations towards priority populations
INTRODUCTION: It is increasingly important to prioritize the most cost-effective HIV interventions. We sought to summarize the evidence on which types of interventions provide the best value for money in...
Nonoxynol-9 for preventing vaginal acquisition of HIV infection by women from men
BACKGROUND: There is a need for female-controlled methods of HIV prevention. Vaginal microbicides, substances inserted into the vagina to prevent women acquiring HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) from men,...
