Category Archives: Testing
Risk of window period hepatitis-C infection in high infectious risk donors: Systematic review and meta-analysis
The OPTN classifies high infectious risk donors (HRDs) based on criteria originally intended to identify people at risk for HIV infection. These donors are sometimes referred to as ‘CDC high...
Priority interventions to reduce HIV transmission in sex work settings in sub-Saharan Africa and delivery of these services
INTRODUCTION: Virtually no African country provides HIV prevention services in sex work settings with an adequate scale and intensity. Uncertainty remains about the optimal set of interventions and mode of...
Determinants of male involvement in maternal and child health services in sub-Saharan Africa: A review
INTRODUCTION: Male participation is a crucial component in the optimization of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) services. This is especially so where prevention strategies to decrease Mother-to-Child Transmission (MTCT) of...
The utility of voluntary counselling and testing data as a source of information on HIV prevalence: A systematic review
We explored the utility of routine HIV testing data from clinical services for estimating HIV prevalence. A systematic review identified 28 eligible publications, covering concentrated epidemics (16 of 28) and...
Screening for HIV: Systematic review to update the 2005 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation
BACKGROUND: A 2005 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) review found good evidence that HIV screening is accurate and that antiretroviral therapy (ART) for immunologically advanced disease is associated with...
Cost-effectiveness of counseling and testing to prevent sexual transmission of HIV in the United States
In this paper we review the cost-effectiveness of HIV counseling and testing in various settings and populations in preventing the sexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus, and we discuss how...
Head-to-head comparison of accuracy of a rapid point-of-care HIV test with oral versus whole-blood specimens: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: The focus on prevention strategies aimed at curbing the HIV epidemic is growing, and therefore screening for HIV has again taken centre stage. Our aim was to establish whether...
Factors that affect HIV testing and counseling services among heterosexuals in Canada and the United Kingdom: An integrated review
OBJECTIVE: To examine factors that affect the utilization of HIV testing and counseling (HTC) services among heterosexual populations in Canada and the U.K. METHODS: We conducted an integrated review of...
Unit costs for delivery of antiretroviral treatment and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV: A systematic review for low- and middle-income countries
As antiretroviral treatment (ART) for HIV/AIDS is scaled up globally, information on per-person costs is critical to improve efficiency in service delivery and to maximize coverage and health impact. The...
HIV/STI risk among venue-based female sex workers across the globe: A look back and the way forward
Female sex workers (FSWs) continue to represent a high-risk population in need of targeted HIV prevention interventions. Targeting environmental risk factors should result in more sustainable behavior change than individual-level...
Effect of preventive treatment for tuberculosis in adults infected with HIV: Systematic review of randomised placebo controlled trials
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether preventive treatment for tuberculosis in adults infected with HIV reduces the frequency of tuberculosis and overall mortality. DESIGN: Systematic review and data synthesis of randomised placebo...
