Category Archives: Biomedical interventions
Global policy review of antiretroviral therapy eligibility criteria for treatment and prevention of HIV and tuberculosis in adults, pregnant women, and serodiscordant couples
OBJECTIVE: This article reviews the antiretroviral therapy (ART)initiation criteria from national treatment guidelines for 70 countries and determines the extent of consistency with the current World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations....
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) for treating HIV infection in ART-eligible pregnant women
BACKGROUND: This systematic review focuses on antiretroviral therapy (ART) for treating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in ART-eligible pregnant women. Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) is the primary means by which children...
Non-occupational postexposure prophylaxis for HIV: A systematic review
OBJECTIVES: To review the evidence on the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of non-occupational postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV. DATA SOURCES: Eleven electronic databases were searched from inception to December 2007....
Universal voluntary HIV testing in antenatal care settings: A review of the contribution of provider-initiated testing & counselling
Objective To assess the contribution of provider-initiated testing and counselling (PITC) to achieving universal testing of pregnant women and, from available data on components of PITC, assess whether PITC adoption...
Experiences integrating delivery of maternal and child health services with childhood immunization programs: Systematic review update
BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund promote integration of maternal and child health (MCH) and immunization services as a strategy to strengthen immunization programs. We...
The uptake of integrated perinatal prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission programs in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: The objective of this review was to assess the uptake of WHO recommended integrated perinatal prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV interventions in low- and middle-income countries. METHODS...
The evolving design and methods for trials evaluating the safety of candidate vaginal microbicides: A systematic review
Vaginal preexposure prophylaxis is a promising biomedical tool for HIV prevention. Although guidelines for the clinical assessment of microbicides are available, validated markers for product safety are lacking. To inform...
Hormonal contraceptive use and female-to-male HIV transmission: A systematic review of the epidemiologic evidence
OBJECTIVE: To systematically review epidemiologic evidence assessing whether hormonal contraception alters the risk of HIV transmission from an HIV-positive woman to an HIV-negative male partner. DESIGN: Systematic review. METHODS: We...
Probiotics: Potential to prevent HIV and sexually transmitted infections in women
Women are at significant risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infection (STI) acquisition with the genital mucosa serving as the main portal of infection. Exogenously supplied lactobacillus...
Efficacy and safety of cesarean delivery for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1
BACKGROUND: Cesarean section before labor and before ruptured membranes (“elective cesarean section”, or ECS) has been introduced as an intervention for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV-1. The...
