Category Archives: Testing
The association between marijuana use and HIV continuum of care outcomes: A systematic review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Approximately 77% of HIV-infected adults report lifetime marijuana use. Given the high rates and social acceptability of marijuana use among HIV-infected individuals, it is important to gain...
Peer-facilitated community-based interventions for adolescent health in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Adolescents aged 10-19 represent one sixth of the world’s population and have a high burden of morbidity, particularly in low-resource settings. We know little about the potential of community-based...
Attrition of HIV-exposed infants from early infant diagnosis services in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis
INTRODUCTION: Identification and retention of HIV-exposed infants in early infant diagnosis (EID) services helps to ensure optimal health outcomes. This systematic review and meta-analysis examines the magnitude of attrition from...
Integration of neonatal and child health interventions with pediatric HIV interventions in global health
Background/Objectives: In the last decade, many strategies have called for integration of HIV and child survival platforms to reduce missed opportunities and improve child health outcomes. Countries with generalized HIV...
Effectiveness of text messaging interventions on prevention, detection, treatment, and knowledge outcomes for sexually transmitted infections (STIs)/HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Rates of STIs continue to rise worldwide, and novel evidence-based interventions such as text messaging aimed at improving client services are needed. We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate text...
Socio-structural factors influencing the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in the democratic republic of the Congo: A systematic review
Introduction The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) had the second-highest mother-to-child HIV transmission rate in Sub-Saharan Africa at 29% in 2013, however the uptake of preventive services for mother-to-child...
Screening for HIV and linkage to care in adolescents: Insights from a systematic review of recent interventions in high- versus low- and middle-income settings
Introduction: Compared to adults, adolescents and young adults have a higher incidence of HIV infection, yet lower rates of HIV testing. Few evidence-based interventions effectively diagnose new HIV infections among...
The willingness to participate in biomedical research involving human beings in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review
OBJECTIVES: To systematically review reasons for the willingness to participate in biomedical human subjects research in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). METHODS: Five databases were systematically searched for articles published...
STI health disparities: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of preventive interventions in educational settings
The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to address disparities related to sexual health among students by examining the effectiveness of sexually transmitted infection (STI) preventive interventions in...