Category Archives: Health Systems
Vulnerability and non-adherence to treatment in cisgender women living with HIV/AIDS: A scoping review (2000–2024)
Background Cisgender women are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS due to structural gender inequalities and intersecting social determinants, which generate vulnerability contexts that act as barriers to treatment adherence. Methods A...
Virologic suppression among HIV-positive pregnant and lactating women receiving antiretroviral therapy in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background The elimination of mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a key global public health priority. In Africa, virologic failure among people living with HIV continues to pose a...
Effects of digital health interventions to promote safer sex behaviors among youth: Systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis
Background Youth aged 15–24 years carry a disproportionate HIV/sexually transmitted infections (STIs) burden. In recent years, different modalities of digital health interventions (DHIs) have been explored to promote safer sex behaviors...
Interventions for thriving in HIV serodiscordant relationships in Sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review
Background HIV serodiscordant relationships, where one partner is HIV-positive and the other is HIV-negative, present unique challenges despite biomedical advances including U = U (Undetectable = Untransmittable). Effective interventions are crucial to support these...
Colliding wars: A systematic review on HIV responses in conflict-affected settings
BACKGROUND: Armed conflicts are an escalating threat to public health, often marked by violence, poverty, displacement and weakened health systems-conditions that mirror the drivers of HIV transmission. AIM: This review...
HIV and cardiovascular diseases: A systematic review and comparative risk assessment study
Background People living with HIV (PLWH) face a significantly elevated risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). This study aims to quantify temporal trends in HIV-attributable CVD burden at global, regional and...
Perceptions about the relationship between HIV, antiretroviral therapy (ART), and fecundity in sub-Saharan Africa: Findings from a systematic scoping review
Advances in antiretroviral therapy (ART) enable women living with HIV to safely conceive and give birth without vertical transmission. However, in sub-Saharan Africa, 1 in 6 people experience infertility and...
Analytical techniques for laboratory testing of HIV: A systematic review
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), remains a significant global public health threat. Effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) can reduce HIV viral loads to undetectable levels....
Obstetric nurses’ approach to evidence-based practice in breastfeeding within the context of HIV: A scoping review
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Human immunodeficiency virus remains a significant public health challenge, with breastfeeding contributing to the risk of mother-to-child transmission. Although antiretroviral therapy significantly reduces this risk, obstetric nurses face complex...
Machine learning in HIV care and antiretroviral therapy: Systematic review
BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence (AI) is expanding across various medical fields, with machine learning (ML) being increasingly used to enhance patient management in diagnosis, prevention, and therapeutic care. OBJECTIVE: This study...
Risk factors for HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment and frailty in aging people with HIV in Latin America: A systematic review
Background As people living with HIV (PWH) in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have longer life expectancy due to improved access to antiretroviral therapy (ART), complications such as HIV-associated...
