International Journal of STD &AIDS, Ahead of Print. BackgroundAfghanistan adopted a “test and treat” strategy for all people living with HIV (PLWH) in 2016. In this study, we presented demographic and clinical characteristics of all people diagnosed between 2013 and 2019 and evaluated progress towards 90-90-90 UNAIDS targets and identified program gaps among PLWH in Afghanistan diagnosed in 2018.MethodsWe used clinical, behavioral, and demographic data from national HIV surveillance for 1394 patients diagnosed from 2013 through 2019. We also tracked 184 patients diagnosed with HIV in 2018 ..read more

International Journal of STD &AIDS, Ahead of Print. BackgroundPeople with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 face challenges with treatment adherence for various reasons, including consideration of neuropsychiatric disorders and neuropsychiatric adverse reactions associated with antiretroviral therapy (ART).MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted using administrative claims data from the IBM MarketScan® Multi-State Medicaid Database (1/1/2014–12/31/2017). Adults (≥18 years) diagnosed with HIV-1 and newly initiated on antiretroviral therapy with continuous health plan enrol ..read more

International Journal of STD &AIDS, Ahead of Print. BackgroundUnderstanding care patterns of persons living with HIV prior to diagnosis can inform prevention opportunities, earlier diagnosis, and engagement strategies. We examined healthcare utilization among HIV-positive individuals and compared them to HIV-negative controls.MethodsData were from a retrospective cohort from Manitoba, Canada. Participants included individuals living with HIV presenting to care between 2007 and 2011, and HIV-negative controls, matched (1:5) by age, sex, and region. Data from population-based administrative ..read more

International Journal of STD &AIDS, Ahead of Print. Text messaging has been used to notify patients of results after sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing. This study aimed to characterise the population who refused notification of results by short message services (SMS) and to explore their reasons for refusing. From January to August 2018, 1180 patients coming for STI testing in a Parisian sexual health centre were offered SMS notification of their results, completed a self-administered questionnaire and were included in the study. Factors associated with refusal of SMS notificati ..read more

International Journal of STD &AIDS, Ahead of Print. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) be considered for all patients diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Emergency departments (EDs) are an important site for diagnosis and treatment of STIs for under-served populations. Consequently, we identified 377 patients diagnosed with a bacterial sexually transmitted infection (gonorrhea, chlamydia, and/or syphilis) at a major New York City emergency department between 1/1/2014 and 7/30/2017 to examine a ..read more

International Journal of STD &AIDS, Ahead of Print ..read more

International Journal of STD &AIDS, Ahead of Print. IntroductionWe assessed reproductive intentions and associated characteristics among men enrolled in the Sustainable Health Center Implementation pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) Pilot (SHIPP) Study.MethodsWe analyzed baseline data from 1275 men who self-identified as gay or bisexual and participated in the SHIPP study. SHIPP was a cohort study of PrEP implementation in five community health centers in Chicago, Jackson, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. conducted from 2014 to 2016. Participants completed audio computer-assisted self-inter ..read more

International Journal of STD &AIDS, Ahead of Print. BackgroundHIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have disproportionately affected communities of men who have sex with men (MSM). We describe HIV and STI prevalence and testing patterns among urban Vietnamese MSM.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional community-based study of MSM in Hanoi, Vietnam in 2016. Participants self-reported experiences of social stigma in healthcare settings and previous HIV and STI testing. STI testing included HIV, herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2), syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia.Results205 MSM pa ..read more

International Journal of STD &AIDS, Ahead of Print. BackgroundDespite relatively simple prevention and treatment, syphilis remains a major social and public health concern worldwide, particularly in developing nations.ObjectiveTo estimate the prevalence and to determine the sociodemographic factors associated with syphilis infection among antenatal-care (ANC) attendees in Meghalaya, India.Materials and MethodA facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted utilizing National HIV Sentinel Surveillance of Meghalaya, January–March 2017. Pregnant women aged 15–49 years (n = 3015) were ..read more

International Journal of STD &AIDS, Ahead of Print. AimsThe national PrEP programme launched in Ireland in November 2019 with tenofovir/emtricitabine free to those meeting eligibility criteria. We assessed the impact of the first year of the PrEP programme on new HIV diagnoses in the largest sexual health and HIV service in Ireland.MethodsA free PrEP service was established in November 2019. We reviewed the number of new diagnoses of HIV between November 2018–2019, before the introduction of the national PrEP programme and compared this with the number of new HIV diagnosis between November ..read more