Assessment of HIV risk behaviors, practices and knowledge among people living with HIV in Bhutan, 2011

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Jit B. Darnal ◽  
Pawinee Doung-ngern ◽  
Lungten Z. Wangchuk ◽  
Mongal S. Gurung ◽  
Witaya Swaddiwudhipong
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Behavior ◽  
Sexual Practices ◽  
Consistent Condom ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Hiv Diagnosis ◽  
Transmitted Infection ◽  
Exchange Sex ◽  
Persons Living With Hiv ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Living With Hiv

Introduction: A total of 217 HIV positive cases have been reported in Bhutan as of 2010. A descriptive study toassess the knowledge and behavioral practices among 116 of those persons living with HIV (PLHIV) was conducted in 2011. Methods: Data on demographic characteristics, sexual behavior, alcohol consumption: mobility and HIVknowledge both before and after testing positive for HIV were collected. Responses regarding behavior before and after HIV diagnosis were compared. Results: Of 116 participants, 52.6% were males; a majority of male PLHIV (72.1%) belonged to salaried group of people while housewife represented 47.3% among female respondents. Fortythree percent of male and 5.5% of female participants reported having exchange sex and 52.5% of male and 41.8% of female participants reported having non-exchange sex partners before HIV diagnosis. The consistent condom use had significantly increased after HIV diagnosis among males with exchange (12% vs. 60%, p=.04) and non-exchange (13% vs. 100%, p<.001) partners. Eighty-four percent of male and 61.8% of female participants reported consuming alcohol before HIV diagnosis. Only one male respondent reported injection drug use before HIV. There was a decrease in incidence of sexually transmitted infection (56.9% vs. 31.9%) after HIV diagnosis. Forty-three percent of males had traveled abroad before HIV diagnosis; among those, 30.8% reported having exchange sex while abroad. Conclusions: Our findings indicated that high-risk sexual behavior was common before HIV diagnosis and that sexual practices changed after diagnosis. Educational campaigns aimed at increasing HIV knowledge and safe sex, are critical to reduce HIV infections in Bhutan.

Distinct Lipidomic Signatures in People Living With HIV: Combined Analysis of ACTG 5260s and MACS/WIHS

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Jao ◽  
Lauren C Balmert ◽  
Shan Sun ◽  
Grace A McComsey ◽  
Todd T Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antiretroviral Therapy ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Model Assessment ◽  
Metabolic Complications ◽  
Persons Living With Hiv ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Homeostatic Model Assessment ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Living With Hiv

Abstract Context Disentangling contributions of HIV from antiretroviral therapy (ART) and understanding the effects of different ART on metabolic complications in persons living with HIV (PLHIV) has been challenging. Objective We assessed the effect of untreated HIV infection as well as different antiretroviral therapy (ART) on the metabolome/lipidome. Methods Widely targeted plasma metabolomic and lipidomic profiling was performed on HIV-seronegative individuals and people living with HIV (PLHIV) before and after initiating ART (tenofovir/emtricitabine plus atazanavir/ritonavir [ATV/r] or darunavir/ritonavir [DRV/r] or raltegravir [RAL]). Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis was used to assess metabolites/lipid subspecies that discriminated between groups. Graphical lasso estimated group-specific metabolite/lipid subspecies networks associated with the Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR). Correlations between inflammatory markers and metabolites/lipid subspecies were visualized using heat maps. Results Of 435 participants, 218 were PLHIV. Compared to HIV-seronegative individuals, ART-naive PLHIV exhibited higher levels of saturated triacylglycerols/triglycerides (TAGs) and 3-hydroxy-kynurenine, lower levels of unsaturated TAGs and N-acetyl-tryptophan, and a sparser and less heterogeneous network of metabolites/lipid subspecies associated with HOMA-IR. PLHIV on RAL vs ATV/r or DRV/r had lower saturated and unsaturated TAGs. Positive correlations were found between medium-long chain acylcarnitines (C14-C6 ACs), palmitate, and HOMA-IR for RAL but not ATV/r or DRV/r. Stronger correlations were seen for TAGs with interleukin 6 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein after RAL vs ATV/r or DRV/r initiation; these correlations were absent in ART-naive PLHIV. Conclusion Alterations in the metabolome/lipidome suggest increased lipogenesis for ART-naive PLHIV vs HIV-seronegative individuals, increased TAG turnover for RAL vs ATV/r or DRV/r, and increased inflammation associated with this altered metabolome/lipidome after initiating ART. Future studies are needed to understand cardiometabolic consequences of lipogenesis and inflammation in PLHIV.

Financial situation of people living with HIV in Europe

2002 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 698-701 ◽  
Author(s):  
W Schrooten ◽  
C Dreezen ◽  
J Borleffs ◽  
M Dijkgraaf ◽  
M Borchert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Hiv Diagnosis ◽  
Financial Situation ◽  
Highly Active ◽  
Financial Difficulties ◽  
Lower Education Level ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
Persons Living With Hiv ◽  
Living With Hiv

The objective was to investigate the financial situation of people living with HIV in Europe. Two surveys using an anonymous questionnaire were organized in Europe among people living with HIV, the first in 1996-97 and the second in 1998-99. One thousand one hundred and sixty-one people from the 1996-97 survey and 899 from the 1998-99 survey were included. Four hundred and fifty-seven (42%) of the 1996-97 participants reported that their income had decreased since HIV diagnosis. The latter participants reported significantly more often difficulties in paying for housing (27% vs 20%), food (18% vs 12%) and transport (17% vs 12%) compared to 1998-99 participants. In multiple regression analysis, severity of HIV disease, not being on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), younger age, lower education level and living in the South of Europe were associated with having financial difficulties. We concluded that since the introduction of HAART, the financial situation of persons living with HIV in Europe has improved, but a relatively large percentage of them still have financial difficulties.

scholarly journals Pre-cART Immune Parameters in People Living With HIV Might Help Predict CD8+ T-Cell Characteristics, Inflammation Levels, and Reservoir Composition After Effective cART

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 60-89
Author(s):  
Jimena Salido ◽  
Alejandro Czernikier ◽  
Cesar Trifone ◽  
María Laura Polo ◽  
María Ines Figueroa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Viral Reservoir ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Specific Response ◽  
Immune Parameters ◽  
Cart Initiation ◽  
Persons Living With Hiv ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Living With Hiv

Background: Combined antiretroviral treatment (cART) for HIV infection is highly effective in controlling viral replication. However, it cannot achieve a sterilizing cure.  Several strategies have been proposed to achieve a functional cure, some of them based on immune-mediated clearing of persistently infected cells. Here, we aimed at identifying factors related to CD8TC and CD4TC quality before cART initiation that associate with the persistence of CD8TC antiviral response after cART, inflammation levels, and the size of the viral reservoir. Methods: Samples from 25 persons living with HIV were obtained before and after (15 months) cART initiation. Phenotype and functionality of bulk and HIV-specific T cells were assayed by flow cytometry ex vivo or after expansion in pre-cART or post-cART samples, respectively. Cell-Associated (CA) HIV DNA (total and integrated) and RNA (unspliced [US] and multiple spliced [MS]) were quantitated by real-time PCR on post-cART samples. Post-cART plasma levels of CXCL10 (IP-10), soluble CD14 (sCD14) and soluble CD163 (sCD163) were measured by ELISA.  Results: Pre-cART phenotype of CD8TCs and magnitude and phenotype of HIV-specific response correlated with the phenotype and functionality of CD8TCs post-cART. Moreover, the phenotype of the CD8TCs pre-cART correlated with markers of HIV persistence and inflammation post-cART. Finally, exhaustion and differentiation of CD4TCs pre-cART were associated with the composition of the HIV reservoir post-cART and the level of inflammation. Conclusions: Overall, this work provides data to help understand and identify parameters that could be used as markers in the development of immune-based functional HIV cure strategies.

Comparison of Clinical Outcomes of Persons Living With HIV by Enrollment Status in Washington, DC: Evaluation of a Large Longitudinal HIV Cohort Study (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenevieve Opoku ◽  
Rupali K Doshi ◽  
Amanda D Castel ◽  
Ian Sorensen ◽  
Michael Horberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Adjusted Odds Ratio ◽  
Hiv Care ◽  
Disease Stage ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Hiv Disease ◽  
Persons Living With Hiv ◽  
Living With Hiv

BACKGROUND HIV cohort studies have been used to assess health outcomes and inform the care and treatment of people living with HIV disease. However, there may be similarities and differences between cohort participants and the general population from which they are drawn. OBJECTIVE The objective of this analysis was to compare people living with HIV who have and have not been enrolled in the DC Cohort study and assess whether participants are a representative citywide sample of people living with HIV in the District of Columbia (DC). METHODS Data from the DC Health (DCDOH) HIV surveillance system and the DC Cohort study were matched to identify people living with HIV who were DC residents and had consented for the study by the end of 2016. Analysis was performed to identify differences between DC Cohort and noncohort participants by demographics and comorbid conditions. HIV disease stage, receipt of care, and viral suppression were evaluated. Adjusted logistic regression assessed correlates of health outcomes between the two groups. RESULTS There were 12,964 known people living with HIV in DC at the end of 2016, of which 40.1% were DC Cohort participants. Compared with nonparticipants, participants were less likely to be male (68.0% vs 74.9%, <i>P</i>&lt;.001) but more likely to be black (82.3% vs 69.5%, <i>P</i>&lt;.001) and have a heterosexual contact HIV transmission risk (30.3% vs 25.9%, <i>P</i>&lt;.001). DC Cohort participants were also more likely to have ever been diagnosed with stage 3 HIV disease (59.6% vs 47.0%, <i>P</i>&lt;.001), have a CD4 &lt;200 cells/µL in 2017 (6.2% vs 4.6%, <i>P</i>&lt;.001), be retained in any HIV care in 2017 (72.9% vs 59.4%, <i>P</i>&lt;.001), and be virally suppressed in 2017. After adjusting for demographics, DC Cohort participants were significantly more likely to have received care in 2017 (adjusted odds ratio 1.8, 95% CI 1.70-2.00) and to have ever been virally suppressed (adjusted odds ratio 1.3, 95% CI 1.20-1.40). CONCLUSIONS These data have important implications when assessing the representativeness of patients enrolled in clinic-based cohorts compared with the DC-area general HIV population. As participants continue to enroll in the DC Cohort study, ongoing assessment of representativeness will be required.

scholarly journals Stigma mastery in people living with HIV: gender similarities and theory

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Patrick Namisi ◽  
John C. Munene ◽  
Rhoda K. Wanyenze ◽  
Anne R. Katahoire ◽  
Rosalinda M. Parkes-Ratanshi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Women ◽  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Hiv Diagnosis ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Related Stigma ◽  
Living With Hiv

Abstract Aims This study aimed to determine the prevalence of, factors associated with, and to build a theoretical framework for understanding Internalsed HIV-related Stigma Mastery (IHSM). Methods A cross-sectional study nested within a 2014 Stigma Reduction Cohort in Uganda was used. The PLHIV Stigma Index version 2008, was used to collect data from a random sample of 666 people living with HIV (PLHIV) stratified by gender and age. SPSS24 with Amos27 softwares were used to build a sequential-mediation model. Results The majority of participants were women (65%), aged ≥ 40 years (57%). Overall, IHSM was 45.5% among PLHIV, that increased with age. Specifically, higher IHSM correlated with men and older women “masculine identities” self-disclosure of HIV-diagnosis to family, sharing experiences with peers. However, lower IHSM correlated with feminine gender, the experience of social exclusion stress, fear of future rejection, and fear of social intimacy. Thus, IHSM social exclusion with its negative effects and age-related cognition are integrated into a multidimensional IHSM theoretical framework with a good model-to-data fit. Conclusion Internalised HIV-related Stigma Mastery is common among men and older women. Specificially, “masculine identities” self-disclose their own HIV-positive diagnosis to their family, share experiences with peers to create good relationships for actualising or empowerment in stigma mastery. However, social exclusion exacerbates series of negative effects that finally undermine stigma mastery by young feminine identities. Thus, stigma mastery is best explained by an integrated empowerment framework, that has implications for future practice, policy, and stigma-related research that we discuss.

scholarly journals Consequences of COVID-19 crisis for persons with HIV: the impact of social determinants of health

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristie C. Waterfield ◽  
Gulzar H. Shah ◽  
Gina D. Etheredge ◽  
Osaremhen Ikhile
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Hiv Infections ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Persons Who Inject Drugs ◽  
Persons Living With Hiv ◽  
Living With Hiv ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background With the indiscriminate spread of COVID-19 globally, many populations are experiencing negative consequences such as job loss, food insecurity, and inability to manage existing medical conditions and maintain preventive measures such as social distancing and personal preventative equipment. Some of the most disadvantaged in the COVID-19 era are people living with HIV/AIDS and other autoimmune diseases. Discussion As the number of new HIV infections decrease globally, many subpopulations remain at high risk of infection due to lack of or limited access to prevention services, as well as clinical care and treatment. For persons living with HIV or at higher risk of contracting HIV, including persons who inject drugs or men that have sex with men, the risk of COVID-19 infection increases if they have certain comorbidities, are older than 60 years of age, and are homeless, orphaned, or vulnerable children. The risk of COVID-19 is also more significant for those that live in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, rural, and/or poverty-stricken areas. An additional concern for those living the HIV is the double stigma that may arise if they also test positive for COVID-19. As public health and health care workers try to tackle the needs of the populations that they serve, they are beginning to realize the need for a change in the infrastructure that will include more efficient partnerships between public health, health care, and HIV programs. Conclusion Persons living with HIV that also have other underlying comorbidities are a great disadvantage from the negative consequences of COVID-19. For those that may test positive for both HIV and COVID-19, the increased psychosocial burdens stemming from stress and isolation, as well as, experiencing additional barriers that inhibit access to care, may cause them to become more disenfranchised. Thus, it becomes very important during the current pandemic for these challenges and barriers to be addressed so that these persons living with HIV can maintain continuity of care, as well as, their social and mental support systems.

scholarly journals Clinical characteristics and outcomes of people living with HIV hospitalized with COVID-19: a nationwide experience

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 435-443
Author(s):  
Maria Elena Ceballos ◽  
Patricio Ross ◽  
Martin Lasso ◽  
Isabel Dominguez ◽  
Marcela Puente ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Ventilation ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
General Population ◽  
Clinical Characteristics ◽  
Cd4 Count ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Hiv Diagnosis ◽  
Hiv Viral Load ◽  
Risk Of Death ◽  
Living With Hiv

In this prospective, multicentric, observational study, we describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of people living with HIV (PLHIV) requiring hospitalization due to COVID-19 in Chile and compare them with Chilean general population admitted with SARS-CoV-2. Consecutive PLHIV admitted with COVID-19 in 23 hospitals, between 16 April and 23 June 2020, were included. Data of a temporally matched-hospitalized general population were used to compare demography, comorbidities, COVID-19 symptoms, and major outcomes. In total, 36 PLHIV subjects were enrolled; 92% were male and mean age was 44 years. Most patients (83%) were on antiretroviral therapy; mean CD4 count was 557 cells/mm3. Suppressed HIV viremia was found in 68% and 56% had, at least, one comorbidity. Severe COVID-19 occurred in 44.4%, intensive care was required in 22.2%, and five patients died (13.9%). No differences were seen between recovered and deceased patients in CD4 count, HIV viral load, or time since HIV diagnosis. Hypertension and cardiovascular disease were associated with a higher risk of death ( p = 0.02 and 0.006, respectively). Compared with general population, the HIV cohort had significantly more men (OR 0.15; IC 95% 0.07–0.31) and younger age (OR 8.68; IC 95% 2.66–28.31). In PLHIV, we found more intensive care unit admission (OR 2.31; IC 95% 1.05–5.07) but no differences in the need for mechanical ventilation or death. In this cohort of PLHIV hospitalized with COVID-19, hypertension and cardiovascular comorbidities, but not current HIV viro-immunologic status, were the most important risk factors for mortality. No differences were found between PLHIV and general population in the need for mechanical ventilation and death.

scholarly journals Improving Adherence to Anti-retroviral Therapy among Persons Living with HIV/AIDS in Enugu State, South East Nigeria

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
C. P. Igweagu ◽  
O. H. Chime ◽  
C. N. Onwasigwe
Keyword(s):  
Health Education ◽  
Poor Adherence ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Study Group ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Persons Living With Hiv ◽  
Enugu State ◽  
Living With Hiv ◽  
Hiv Aids

HIV/AIDS continues to be a major global public health issue, having claimed more than 32 million lives so far. There were approximately 37.9 million people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) at the end of 2018. Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) has significantly reduced morbidity and mortality and improved quality of life among people with HIV infection. Aims: The study was conducted to improve the knowledge and adherence to anti-retroviral therapy among PLHIV in Enugu state, southeast Nigeria. Study Design: Interventional study. Place and Duration of Study: Anti-retroviral Therapy clinics within Enugu metropolis in Enugu state Nigeria between June to December 2018. Methodology: A health education intervention was carried out among 312 PLHIV receiving ART in Enugu metropolis to improve their perception and adherence to antiretroviral therapy. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 312 PLHIV (156 each in the study and control groups), who were selected by multistage sampling. Subsequently, health education was conducted among the study group. Three months after this intervention its effects were assessed through a survey using the same structured questionnaires employed in the baseline survey.  Results: The most frequently occurring reason given by the respondents for poor adherence to ART was forgetfulness (65.4% for study and 69.9% for control groups). Knowledge of the factors and consequences of poor adherence to treatment was significantly higher among the study group than the controls post-interventions p<0.001. Adherence to ART improved from 42.3% pre-intervention to 81.4% post-intervention. Conclusion: Intensive health education effectively improved adherence to ART among persons living with HIV/AIDS and this should be carried out regularly.

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