Category Archives: Substance Use
Factors influencing tobacco smoking and cessation among people living with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Tobacco smoking is highly prevalent among people living with HIV (PLWH), yet there is a lack of data on smoking behaviours and effective treatments in this population. Understanding factors influencing...
Prevention of viral hepatitis and HIV infection among people who inject drugs: A systematic review and meta-analysis
This study aimed to explore the current evidence on preventing blood-borne virus infections among people who inject drugs (PWID). We conducted a comprehensive search across three databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane...
Patient-reported outcome measures in adult HIV care: A rapid scoping review of targeted outcomes and instruments used
Objective There is international interest in the integration of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) into routine HIV care, but little work has synthesized the content of published initiatives. We conducted a...
Effectiveness and acceptance of group therapy as a mental health intervention for people living with HIV in Africa—A scoping literature review
Mental health problems are highly prevalent among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), yet mental health care in African countries is scarce. There is growing interest in understanding the effect of...
Pre-exposure prophylaxis adherence among men who have sex with men: A systematic review and meta-analysis
OBJECTIVES: The effectiveness and efficiency of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in reducing the transmission of HIV among men who have sex with men (MSM) relies on how widely it is adopted...
Pharmacological and behavioral interventions to mitigate premature aging in patients with HIV
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: We sought to review pharmacological and behavioral interventions that have been publicly presented, published, or are currently ongoing to prevent or mitigate the effect of premature HIV-associated...
Odds of HIV among incarcerated drug users: A systematic review and meta-analysis of Asian countries
Background: HIV makes up a large portion of infectious diseases globally. People injecting drugs in prisons are at high risk for contracting HIV infection. Prisons house ~10.2 million people globally,...
HIV, hepatitis B & C in people who inject drugs in India: A systematic review of regional heterogeneity & overview of opioid substitution treatment
BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES: This systematic review evaluates the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) burden among people who inject drugs (PWIDs) in India. In...
Risky sexual behaviour among HIV-infected adults in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Risky sexual behaviour raises serious public health concerns. The pooled prevalence of risky sexual behaviours among adults living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa was unknown. This systematic review determined...
Brief interventions for alcohol misuse among people living with HIV: A meta-analysis
Background: One-third of people living with HIV (PLHIV) have alcohol misuse or alcohol use disorders which negatively affect course and outcome of HIV. Objectives: The meta-analysis sought to evaluate the effectiveness of...
