Category Archives: Nonmedicinal drugs
How does hard-to-reach status affect antiretroviral therapy adherence in the HIV-infected population? Results from a meta-analysis of observational studies
BACKGROUND: Socially disadvantaged groups, such as drug users, sex workers and homeless individuals, are labelled as “hard-to-reach” (HTR) in public health and medical research. HIV disproportionately impacts these populations, but...
Integrated care of severe infectious diseases to people with substance use disorders; a systematic review
BACKGROUND: Various integrated care models have been used to improve treatment completion of medications for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV), chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB), and Human...
Alcohol misuse and illicit drug use among occupational groups at high risk of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review
Key occupational groups in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are at increased risk of HIV, and may be at increased risk of substance use. In January 2018, we systematically searched for studies...
Suboptimal recent and regular HIV testing among Black men who have sex with men in the United States: Implications from a meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: The continuum of HIV care among black men who have sex with men (BMSM) continues to be the least favorable in the United States. BMSM are disproportionally HIV-infected-but-unaware, despite...
Preventing sexually transmitted and blood borne infections (STBBIs) among sex workers: A critical review of the evidence on determinants and interventions in high-income countries
BACKGROUND: Across diverse regions globally, sex workers continue to face a disproportionate burden of HIV and other sexually transmitted and blood borne infections (STBBIs). Evidence suggests that behavioural and biomedical...
Health literacy and health outcomes in persons living with HIV disease: A systematic review
Low health literacy is associated with challenges for those living with HIV including medication non-adherence and poorer health outcomes. The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature...
Substance use screening in HIV care settings: A review and critique of the literature
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: People living with human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS (PLWHA) experience high prevalence of substance use disorders (SUD). HIV care settings represent a unique opportunity to identify possible SUD, to...
Chemsex behaviours among men who have sex with men: A systematic review of the literature
BACKGROUND: ‘Chemsex’ is the use of drugs before or during planned sexual events to facilitate, enhance, prolong and sustain the experience. Drugs associated with chemsex are methamphetamine, GHB/GBL, mephedrone, cocaine...
Estimating the prevalence of HIV and sexual behaviors among the US transgender population: A review and meta-analysis, 2006-2017
BACKGROUND: Transgender women (transwomen) in the United States have been shown to have high HIV risk with Black and Hispanic transwomen being particularly vulnerable. Growing research on transgender men (transmen)...
