AIDS Research and Treatment最新文献

{"title":"HIV Late Presenters in Asia: Management and Public Health Challenges.","authors":"Chen Seong Wong,&nbsp;Lyu Wei,&nbsp;Yeon-Sook Kim","doi":"10.1155/2023/9488051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/9488051","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Many individuals are diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection at an advanced stage of illness and are considered late presenters. We define late presentation as a CD4 cell count below 350 cells/mm³ at the time of HIV diagnosis, or presenting with an AIDS-defining illness regardless of CD4 count. Across Asia, an estimated 34-72% of people diagnosed with HIV are late presenters. HIV late presenters generally have a higher disease burden and higher comorbidity such as opportunistic infections than those who are diagnosed earlier. They also have a higher mortality rate and generally exhibit poorer immune recovery following combined antiretroviral therapy (cART). As such, late HIV presentation leads to increased resource burden and costs to healthcare systems. HIV late presentation also poses an increased risk of community transmission since the transmission rate from people unaware of their HIV status is approximately 3.5 times higher than that of early presenters. There are several factors which contribute to HIV late presentation. Fear of stigmatisation and discrimination are significant barriers to both testing and accessing treatment. A lack of perceived risk and a lack of knowledge by individuals also contribute to late presentation. Lack of referral for testing by healthcare providers is another identified barrier in China and may extend to other regions across Asia. Effective strategies are still needed to reduce the incidence of late presentation across Asia. Key areas of focus should be increasing community awareness of the risk of HIV, reducing stigma and discrimination in testing, and educating healthcare professionals on the need for early testing and on the most effective ways to engage with people living with HIV. Recent initiatives such as intensified patient adherence support programs and HIV self-testing also have the potential to improve access to testing and reduce late diagnosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":46303,"journal":{"name":"AIDS Research and Treatment","volume":"2023 ","pages":"9488051"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10284655/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10089683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, and Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy among People Living with HIV in Nepal.","authors":"Sweta Shrestha,&nbsp;Subodh Chataut,&nbsp;Badri Kc,&nbsp;Khagendra Acharya,&nbsp;Sait Kumar Pradhan,&nbsp;Sunil Shrestha","doi":"10.1155/2023/7292115","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/7292115","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Patient's knowledge and attitude towards their treatment avert stereotypical misconceptions about the disease and its treatment, as well as aid in attaining optimal adherence. This study investigated the knowledge, attitude, practice, and adherence of antiretroviral therapy (ART) clients in Nepal.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted among 165 ART clients visiting five ART sites in the far western region and the capital city of Nepal. The convenience sampling method was employed, and the data were collected through interviews with ART clients using a validated questionnaire. Binary logistic regression was used to identify associated factors.</p><p><strong>Result: </strong>Approximately 80.7% had adequate knowledge and 55% had a positive attitude towards ART. Stigmatization was associated with ARV by only 4.2%. Half of the participants (50.3%) revealed that they had surreptitiously stored their ART medication, diverging from the recommended storage guidelines. A significant proportion of respondents (33.3%) chose to repackage the medication as a strategy to prevent unintended disclosure of their HIV status. Many (59.3%) believed that ART does not prolong life. Nevertheless, they advocated the regular use of ART rather than taking it only when the health deteriorates (81.8%). The majority (97.6%) were found to be adherent to their ART. There was a significant association of age with a level of knowledge and attitude (<i>p</i> < 0.05). A significant association was also found between knowledge and attitude towards ART (<i>p</i> < 0.05). None of the variables had a significant association with adherence (<i>p</i> > 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Overall, adequate knowledge was demonstrated, whereas efforts are still needed to improve the attitude of ART clients towards ART. A need for counseling regarding the storage practices of ART is needed. A focus on ensuring the perfect translation of adequate knowledge and a positive attitude to the practice of ART clients is essential. Whether adequate ART knowledge and attitude scores will lead to near-perfect ART adherence needs further investigation.</p>","PeriodicalId":46303,"journal":{"name":"AIDS Research and Treatment","volume":"2023 ","pages":"7292115"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10365915/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9866029","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Healthcare Provider Perspectives on HIV Cure Research in Ghana.","authors":"Helena Lamptey,&nbsp;Benjamin Newcomb,&nbsp;Evelyn Y Bonney,&nbsp;James O Aboagye,&nbsp;Peter Puplampu,&nbsp;Vincent J Ganu,&nbsp;Gloria Ansa,&nbsp;Joseph Oliver-Commey,&nbsp;George B Kyei","doi":"10.1155/2023/8158439","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/8158439","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has reduced mortality and improved life expectancy among HIV patients but does not provide a cure. Patients must remain on lifelong medications and deal with drug resistance and side effects. This underscores the need for HIV cure research. However, participation in HIV cure research has risks without guaranteed benefits. We determined what HIV healthcare providers know about HIV cure research trials, the risks involved, and what kind of cure interventions they are likely to recommend for their patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with 39 HIV care providers consisting of 12 physicians, 8 counsellors, 14 nurses, 2 pharmacists, 2 laboratory scientists, and 1 community advocate from three hospitals. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded, and thematic analysis was performed independently by two investigators.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Participants were happy about the success of current treatments and hopeful that an HIV cure will be found in the near future, just as ART was discovered through research. They described cure as total eradication of the virus from the body and inability to test positive for HIV or transmit the virus. In terms of risk tolerance, respondents would recommend to their patients' studies with mild to moderate risks like what patients on antiretroviral therapy experience. Participants were reluctant to recommend treatment interruption to patients as part of a cure study and wished trials could be performed without stopping treatment. Healthcare providers categorically rejected death or permanent disability as an acceptable risk. The possibility of finding a cure that will benefit the individual or future generations was strong motivations for providers to recommend cure trials to their patients, as was transparency and adequate information on proposed trials. Overall, the participants were not actively seeking knowledge on cure research and lacked information on the various cure modalities under investigation.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>While hopeful for an HIV cure, healthcare providers in Ghana expect a cure to be definitive and pose minimal risk to their patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":46303,"journal":{"name":"AIDS Research and Treatment","volume":"2023 ","pages":"8158439"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10247315/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9608627","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Metabolic Syndrome and Combination Antiretroviral Therapy in HIV Patients in Periurban Hospital in Ghana: A Case-Control Study.","authors":"Bartholomew Dzudzor,&nbsp;Samuel Essel,&nbsp;Latif Musah,&nbsp;Jennifer Adjepong Agyekum,&nbsp;Kwame Yeboah","doi":"10.1155/2023/1566001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/1566001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>There is an increasing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and risk factors in HIV patients as the levels of AIDS-related mortality and morbidity decrease. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is the accumulation of various CVD risk factors that predict the occurrence of CVDs. We investigated the prevalence of MetS and associated risk factors in HIV patients treated with combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), cART-naïve HIV patients, and non-HIV controls.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In a case-control design, 158 cART-treated HIV patients, 150 cART-naïve HIV patients, and 156 non-HIV controls were recruited from a periurban hospital in Ghana. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on demography, lifestyle, and medication. Anthropometric indices and blood pressure were measured. Fasting blood samples were collected to measure the plasma levels of glucose, lipid profile, and CD4+ cells. The presence of MetS was defined using the joint scientific statement criteria.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The prevalence of MetS was higher in cART-treated HIV patients compared with cART-naïve HIV patients and non-HIV controls (57.3% vs. 23.6% vs. 19.2% and <i>p</i> < 0.001, respectively). MetS was associated with cART-treated HIV patients (odds ratio (95% CI) = 7.24 (3.41-15.39) and <i>p</i> < 0.001), cART-naïve HIV patients (2.04 (1.01-4.15), <i>p</i>=0.048), and female gender (2.42 (1.39-4.23) and <i>p</i>=0.002). In cART-treated HIV patients, those on zidovudine (AZT)-based regimens were associated with increased likelihood (3.95 (1.49-10.43) and <i>p</i> < 0.006), while those on tenofovir (TDF)-based had decreased likelihood (0.32 (0.13-0.8) and <i>p</i>=0.015) of having MetS.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In our study population, there was a high prevalence of MetS in cART-treated HIV patients compared to cART-naïve HIV patients and non-HIV controls. HIV patients on AZT-based regimens had an increased likelihood of having MetS, while those on TDF-based regimens had a reduced likelihood of having MetS.</p>","PeriodicalId":46303,"journal":{"name":"AIDS Research and Treatment","volume":"2023 ","pages":"1566001"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9957619/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9358021","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatial Clustering of Tuberculosis-HIV Coinfection in Ethiopia at Districts Level.","authors":"Leta Lencha Gemechu,&nbsp;Legesse Kassa Debusho","doi":"10.1155/2023/5191252","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/5191252","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Tuberculosis (TB) is a preventable and treatable disease but it is the leading cause of death among people living with HIV (PLHIV). In addition, the emergence of the HIV pandemic has also had a major impact on TB incidence rates. There are studies in spatial patterns of TB and HIV separately in Ethiopia; there is, however, no information on spatial patterns of TB-HIV coinfection in the country at the districts level at least using yearly data. This paper, therefore, aimed at determining the spatial clustering of TB-HIV coinfection prevalence rates in the country at the districts level on an annual basis over a four-year period, 2015-2018.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>District-level aggregated data on the number of TB-HIV infections were obtained from the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health for 2015 to 2018. The univariate and bivariate global Moran's index, Getis-Ord <i>G</i> _<i>i</i> ^<i>∗</i> local statistic, a chi-square test, and a modified <i>t</i>-test statistic for Spearman's correlation coefficient were used to evaluate the spatial clustering and spatial heterogeneity of TB among PLHIV and HIV among TB patients prevalence rates.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The district-level prevalence rate of HIV among TB patients was positively and significantly spatially autocorrelated with global Moran's <i>I</i> values range between 0.021 and 0.134 (<i>p</i> value <0.001); however, the prevalence of TB among PLHIV was significant only for 2015 and 2017 (<i>p</i> value <0.001). Spearman's correlation also shows there was a strong positive association between the two prevalence rates over the study period. The local indicators of spatial analysis using the Getis-Ord statistic revealed that hot-spots for TB among PLHIV and HIV among TB patients have appeared in districts of various regions and the two city administrations in the country over the study period; however, the geographical distribution of hotspots varies over the study period. Similar trends were also observed for the cold-spots except for 2017 and 2018 where there were no cold-spots for TB among PLHIV.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The study presents detailed knowledge about the spatial clustering of TB-HIV coinfection in Ethiopia at the districts level, and the results could provide information for planning coordinated district-specific interventions to jointly control both diseases in Ethiopia.</p>","PeriodicalId":46303,"journal":{"name":"AIDS Research and Treatment","volume":"2023 ","pages":"5191252"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9859700/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10585893","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mortality and Its Predictors among Adult Human Immune-Deficiency Virus-Infected Patients Attending Their Antiretroviral Treatment at Health Centers, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study.","authors":"Selam Tesfayohannes,&nbsp;Sisay Shine,&nbsp;Abinet Mekuria,&nbsp;Sisay Moges","doi":"10.1155/2022/6128718","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/6128718","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction In resource-limited settings such as Ethiopia, where the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is high, a number of factors, including economic, demographic, behavioral risk, and health factors, affect how long people with AIDS are treated with antiretroviral therapy. Since several aspects of the clinical setup may have an impact on ART patients' survival, this study was conducted in health centers. Determining the mortality rate and survival factors among adult HIV-infected patients receiving ART at health centers in Addis Abeba's Kirkos subcity is the primary goal of this study. Methods A retrospective cohort study was carried out at the health center in Addis Abeba's Kirkos subcity. The source population consisted of all adult HIV-positive patients who were being followed up between December 1, 2014, and October 30, 2019. A total of 665 samples were collected using a computer-generated simple random sampling method in each of the three health centers that were chosen by a lottery system depending on the number of patients in the follow-up. Trained data collectors took the information out of the patient card and the electronic database. Regressions using the Kaplan‐Meier and Cox proportional hazards were employed. Results The incidence of death rate in adult HIV-positive patients was 55 (8.5%) fatalities, translating to a death rate of 3.25 per 100 person-years. The majority of deaths occurred within 6 months of ART initiation. Predictors of mortality were: age above 50 years (AHR = 4.90, 95% CI: 2.00, 11.98), tuberculosis comorbidity (AHR = 3.46, 95% CI: 1.23, 3.33), lack of drug adherence (AHR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.23, 3.33), co-trimoxazole therapy (AHR = 2.59, 95% CI: 1.37, 4.90), and CD4 cell count less than 200/dl (AHR = 2.77, 95% CI: 1.30, 5.92). Conclusion and Recommendation. Adult HIV-positive individuals had an incidence of the death rate of 55 (8.5%), which equates to 3.25 deaths per 100 person-years. Age category over 50, TB comorbidity, WHO stage IV, lack of medication adherence, co-trimoxazole therapy, body mass index under 18.5 kg/m2, and CD4 cell count under 200/dl were predictors of mortality. Therefore, it is important to focus on prevention, early identification, and treatment of HIV/AIDS for these predictors at all levels of the HIV/AIDS chronic care package in order to increase survival.","PeriodicalId":46303,"journal":{"name":"AIDS Research and Treatment","volume":" ","pages":"6128718"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2022-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9512605/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40382123","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Qualitative Study Exploring Factors Associated with Retention in HIV Care among Women with HIV in a Large HIV Clinic in Lagos, Nigeria, after Implementing the Test and Treat Policy.","authors":"Omoladun O Odediran, Oluwakemi O Odukoya, Mobolanle R Balogun, Jonathan A Colasanti, Alani S Akanmu","doi":"10.1155/2022/9074844","DOIUrl":"10.1155/2022/9074844","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In Nigeria, various sociocultural and economic factors may prevent women from being retained in HIV care. This study explores the factors associated with retention in care among women with HIV in a large HIV clinic in Lagos, Nigeria, under the Test and Treat policy.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Women living with HIV/AIDS (<i>n</i> = 24) enrolled in an HIV study at the AIDS Prevention Initiative in Nigeria (APIN) clinic in Lagos, Nigeria, were interviewed from April 1 to October 31, 2021, using a semistructured interview guide. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim, and the themes were analyzed using the framework of Andersen and Newman's Behavioural Model for Healthcare Utilization.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean age of the respondents was 37.4 ± 9.27 years. The identified themes were as follows: being aware of the antiretroviral medications and their benefits, the household's awareness of the respondents' HIV status, and the presence of social support. Other themes were the presence of a dependable source of income and the ability to overcome the challenges encountered in obtaining income, ease of travel to and from the clinic (length of travel time and transportation costs), securing support from the clinic, challenges encountered in the process of accessing care at the clinic, and the ability to overcome these challenges. Also mentioned were self-perception of being HIV positive, motivation to remain in care, linkage to care, and intention to stay in care.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Several deterring factors to retention in HIV care, such as nondisclosure of status, absence of social support, and clinic barriers, persist under the Test and Treat policy. Therefore, to achieve the \"treatment as prevention\" for HIV/AIDS, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, it is essential to employ strategies that address these barriers and leverage the facilitators for better health outcomes among women with HIV/AIDS.</p>","PeriodicalId":46303,"journal":{"name":"AIDS Research and Treatment","volume":"2022 ","pages":"9074844"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2022-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9381265/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10575587","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Utilization of Voluntary Counseling and Testing Experience among Mizan-Tepi University Students in Southwestern Ethiopia.","authors":"Lema Abate Adulo,&nbsp;Sali Suleman Hassen,&nbsp;Admasu Markos Kontuab","doi":"10.1155/2022/7911385","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/7911385","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) is the primary gateway to HIV prevention, caution, and handling, where people learn whether they are infected. This study was aimed to assess the determinants of voluntary counseling and testing experience among students.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted between November and January, 2020. A simple random sampling procedure was used to select participants from the target group. The Chi-square test, descriptive analysis, and a binary logistic regression analysis were used to identify the factors associated with VCT experience among students.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Out of 398 participants, 42.5% experienced VCT services. From 59.5% of female participants in the study, only 22.9% experienced VCT services. The logistic regression results revealed that male participants less likely experienced VCT (AOR = 0.549; 95%CI: 0.330, 0.910; <i>p</i>=0.020) compared to female students. Students who had VCT service access in their surroundings (AOR = 2.348; 95%CI: 1.371, 4.020; <i>p</i>=0.002), a sexual partner (AOR = 3.795; 95%CI: 1.214, 11.868; <i>p</i>=0.022), and media access (AOR = 2.374; 95%CI: 1.059, 5.320; <i>p</i>=0.036) were more likely to utilize VCT services than their reference categories.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>VCT utilization among students remains limited. In this study, sex, age, region, the education of mother and father, having boy/girlfriend, the source of information, service access, media access, and attitude were the identified factors of VCT utilization. To enhance the usage of VCT services, the facilities should be publicized, and all information regarding VCT should be made available to teenagers.</p>","PeriodicalId":46303,"journal":{"name":"AIDS Research and Treatment","volume":" ","pages":"7911385"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2022-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9314165/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40651061","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Redefining the Mode of HIV Transmission through Analysis of Risk Attribution among the Reported HIV Cases from 1993 to 2021 in Bhutan.","authors":"Lekey Khandu,&nbsp;Ngawang Choida,&nbsp;Jurmi Drukpa,&nbsp;Dolley Tsehring,&nbsp;Sonam Wangdi","doi":"10.1155/2022/2137164","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/2137164","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The detailed risk assessment of the diagnosed HIV cases in Bhutan is an opportunity to carry out the risk analysis to generate evidence of wherein, under what context, and in which population groups most new infections are occurring. The evidence collected will help to test the current assumption of Bhutan experiencing diffused and generalized HIV epidemic.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This is a cross-sectional study using a quantitative method to assess the risk behavior of the diagnosed HIV cases from 1993 to 2019. The study also included secondary data analysis of those cases already captured by the routine case-based surveillance from 2020 to 2021. The data collection was done from 1 to 30 January 2022 in all the twenty districts of Bhutan. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to analyze the characteristics of the study population, and relationships were established using the Chi-square Test. We have sought ethics approval and obtained participants' informed consent.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The risk attribution analysis showed that 81.94% of HIV infection among the reported HIV cases in Bhutan has occurred through high-risk heterosexuals and 8.88% through mother-to-child transmission, and parenteral transmission accounts for 1.58% and then 1.35% through homosexual. Of the 81.94% high-risk heterosexuals, 41.08% acquired through sex workers and clients of sex workers, 27.99% from HIV-infected persons, 12.64% from sex work, and 0.23% from injecting drug use.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study has shed some light on a gradual epidemic shift from the current perceived diffused and generalized to the concentrated epidemic among subpopulation groups like female sex workers and their clients.</p>","PeriodicalId":46303,"journal":{"name":"AIDS Research and Treatment","volume":" ","pages":"2137164"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2022-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9288338/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40522073","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Perceived Stigma and Its Association with Gender and Disclosure Status among People Living with HIV/AIDS and Attending Antiretroviral Therapy Clinics in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.","authors":"Chalachew Kassaw,&nbsp;Daniel Sisay,&nbsp;Ephrem Awulachew,&nbsp;Habtamu Endashaw Hareru","doi":"10.1155/2022/3246249","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/3246249","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The psychological experience of being rejected, blamed, and ashamed in relation to a recognized medical disease is known as perceived stigma. It has a close connection to psychological health and therapy afterward. To the best of our knowledge, there has not been any national systematic review and meta-analysis research on this topic. Therefore, we conducted this analysis to thoroughly evaluate the pooled prevalence of perceived stigma among HIV/AIDS patients in Ethiopia who are receiving antiretroviral therapy and its relationship to gender differences and disclosure status.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>We investigated the eight databases for quantitative Ethiopian studies published in English from 2008 to 2021 that looked at the relationship between felt stigma, gender, and disclosure status. To meet the statistical requirements of a systematic review and meta-analysis analysis, the random effect model for pooled prevalence of perceived stigma, log odds ratio for associated variables, <i>I</i>-squared statistics for heterogeneity, and Egger's test for publication bias were implemented. The Joanna Briggs Institute Meta-Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument's standard data extraction method was performed to collect the necessary data, and STATA-14 statistical software was used for analysis.</p><p><strong>Result: </strong>A total of 8 cross-sectional Ethiopian studies with 3,857 participants were integrated into this systematic review and meta-analysis study. The pooled prevalence of perceived stigma among people living with HIV/AIDS and attending antiretroviral therapy in Ethiopia was OR = 50.36% (95% CI: (40.71, 60.00), <i>I</i> ² = 97.3%, <i>p</i>=0.000 ). The pooled odds ratio of being male was 0.95 (95% CI: 0.53, 1.68, <i>I</i> ² = 86.7%, <i>p</i>=0.000) and disclosure status was 0.84 (95% CI: 0.09, 7.89, <i>I</i> ² = 97.9%, <i>p</i>=0.000).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In this study, half of the participants encountered stigma. There was no statistically significant correlation between gender difference, disclosure status, and the perception of stigma. To address the mental and psychological issues of people living with HIV/AIDS, it is necessary to look into other factors that influence perceived stigma. It is recommended to screen for and treat perceived stigma with prompt examination and follow-up.</p>","PeriodicalId":46303,"journal":{"name":"AIDS Research and Treatment","volume":" ","pages":"3246249"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2022-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9287106/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40514383","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}