AIDS and Behavior最新文献

{"title":"Initial and Subsequent Engagement of Recently Diagnosed Persons Living with HIV in Contact Tracing Interviews Conducted by Public Health Practitioners","authors":"John Fulton,&nbsp;Thomas Bertrand,&nbsp;Aditya Khanna,&nbsp;Jon Steingrimsson,&nbsp;Joseph Hogan,&nbsp;Meghan MacAskill,&nbsp;Lila Bhattarai,&nbsp;Vladimir Novitsky,&nbsp;Fizza Gillani,&nbsp;August Guang,&nbsp;Joel Hague,&nbsp;Casey Dunn,&nbsp;Utpala Bandy,&nbsp;Rami Kantor","doi":"10.1007/s10461-025-04796-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10461-025-04796-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Contact tracing is effective in disrupting HIV transmission, but may be limited by the reluctance or inability of recently HIV-diagnosed persons (RDPs) to engage collaboratively with public health. Leveraging an ongoing study endeavoring to increase the yield of standard-of-care contact tracing by re-interviewing a subset of RDPs, we assessed RDP engagement during first and second interviews and compared the two. We used Likert scale scores to develop and employ a 35-point index tool, to assess engagement during first interviews (standard of care) and second interviews (executed in a parent study to inform RDPs of clustering in an attempt to identify additional contacts). Cronbach’s Alpha was used to assess the internal consistency of the index, and differences between the index scores of paired (first vs. second) interviews were assessed using paired Student’s t-tests. Between January/2021 and December/2022, first interviews were performed with 120 RDPs, and second interviews with 20 of the 120 RDPs. The index was simple to use and internally consistent (Alpha = 0.93). Higher engagement was observed in first interviews (~ 30/35, soon after diagnosis) and lower engagement in second interviews (~ 22/35, usually several weeks later) (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.01). Using a novel engagement tool, we observed diminished engagement between first and second contact tracing interviews, suggesting the limits of RDPs’ collaboration with public health praxis. The simple, reliable, and informative engagement index we developed and tested may be used in the future to explore interactions between RDPs and public health practitioners.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7543,"journal":{"name":"AIDS and Behavior","volume":"29 11","pages":"3526 - 3533"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144309422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Health-Related Quality of Life Among People Living with HIV in Vietnam, a Three-Year Longitudinal Analysis","authors":"Hao T. Duong,&nbsp;Cuong D. Do,&nbsp;Donn J. Colby,&nbsp;Todd M. Pollack","doi":"10.1007/s10461-025-04788-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10461-025-04788-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study examined changes in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among people living with HIV in Vietnam over three years following antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation. We analyzed data from a randomized trial of 639 ART-naïve patients in which HRQOL was measured using the SF-8 instrument. Mixed effects logistic regression was used to assess changes in HRQOL over time and identify associated factors. At baseline, 57.5% reported low HRQOL. HRQOL improved rapidly after ART initiation, with 89.0% reporting good HRQOL at 3 months and 96.4% at 36 months. Compared with men, women had slower improvement in HRQOL over time. Factors positively associated with HRQOL included higher BMI and alcohol use, while food insecurity, history of tuberculosis, advanced clinical stages, and TDF-based regimens were negatively associated. Older age was linked to poorer HRQOL outcomes. These findings highlight the effectiveness of ART in improving HRQOL while also revealing disparities in HRQOL improvements.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7543,"journal":{"name":"AIDS and Behavior","volume":"29 11","pages":"3420 - 3431"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144301005","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Associations Between Healthcare Providers’ Stigmatizing Attitudes Toward People Living with HIV and People Who Use Drugs: A Canonical Correlation Analysis","authors":"Rabab F. M. Ahmed,&nbsp;Mary Hawk,&nbsp;Emma Sophia Kay,&nbsp;Robert W. S. Coulter,&nbsp;Mackey Reuel Friedman,&nbsp;Lan Yu","doi":"10.1007/s10461-025-04794-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10461-025-04794-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>While extant literature demonstrates that healthcare providers’ stigmatizing attitudes negatively impact care for people who use drugs (PWUD) and people with HIV (PWH), limited research has explored how these stigmas are interrelated. This study examines the relationships between multiple dimensions of stigma—including cognitive, affective, and role-based attitudes—toward PWUD and PWH. We operationalized these dimensions using two validated instruments. The Drug and Drug Problems Perception Questionnaire (DDPPQ) assessed five role-based dimensions of provider attitudes toward PWUD: role adequacy, role support, job satisfaction, role-related self-esteem, and role legitimacy. The HIV/AIDS Provider Stigma Scale (HPASS) measured three dimensions of HIV-related stigma: cognitive (stereotypes), affective (prejudice), and behavioral (discrimination). Canonical correlation analysis was used to examine multivariate associations between these subscales. The analysis included 128 healthcare providers from HIV clinics in Birmingham, AL, and Pittsburgh, PA. Participants were predominantly White (52.4%), cisgender women (70.3%), aged 36–47, with less than five years of experience working with PWH (35.8%) and PWUD (29.6%). The overall CCA model was statistically significant (Wilks’s λ = 0.579, F [15, 281.97] = 4.103, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.0001), explaining 42.1% of the shared variance. Function 1 (rc = 0.615) accounted for 37.8% of the variance. Role-related self-esteem had the highest loading among DDPPQ subscales (β = 1.024), while prejudice (β = 0.778) and stereotypes (β = 0.546) were the strongest contributors from HPASS. Findings highlight the interconnection between stigmatizing attitudes toward PWUD and PWH. Subscale-level analyses suggests that providers with lower role-related self-esteem are more likely to hold prejudicial and stereotypical attitudes, reinforcing intersectional stigma. Addressing one form of stigma may help reduce the other, supporting more effective and targeted interventions in HIV care settings.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7543,"journal":{"name":"AIDS and Behavior","volume":"29 11","pages":"3498 - 3513"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144301004","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Social Determinants of Mental Health Outcomes Among Refugee Adolescents and Youth Living with HIV in Refugee Settlements in Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Analysis","authors":"Nhial T. Tutlam,&nbsp;Samuel Kizito,&nbsp;Proscovia Nabunya,&nbsp;Mitra Naseh,&nbsp;Imelda Nabbosa,&nbsp;Isaac Kwesiga,&nbsp;Phionah Namatovu,&nbsp;Ozge Sensoy Bahar,&nbsp;Noeline Nakasujja,&nbsp;Fred M. Ssewamala","doi":"10.1007/s10461-025-04789-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10461-025-04789-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Although the prevalence of mental disorders is high among conflict-affected populations, the extent to which social determinants impact the mental health of conflict-affected youth living with HIV is not well studied. The goal of this study was to investigate how social determinants impact the mental health of refugee adolescents and youth living with HIV in Uganda (RAYLHIV). We analyzed baseline data from a two-year cluster randomized clinical trial (RCT) among RAYLHIV (ages 13–30). The participants were recruited between July and December 2023 from 20 health centers in three refugee settlements. To examine the association between selected social determinants of mental health (SDoMH) and the mental health outcomes, we fitted a separate mixed-effects linear regression model for each outcome including depression, hopelessness, and PTSD. HIV-related stigma (β = 0.04, 0.01–0.07; <i>p</i> = 0.012) and PTSD (β = 0.29, 0.16–0.43; p = &lt; 0.001) were associated with increased depressive symptoms. Similarly, unemployment (β = 2.39, 0.65–4.13; p 0.007), HIV-related stigma (β = 0.20, 0.09–0.31; 0.001) and PTSD (β = 1.55, 0.84–2.26; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) were associated with hopelessness. Good physical health (β = −0.53, −1.00–0.06; <i>p</i> = 0.028) and school enrollment (β = −0.94, −1.3–0.50; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) were associated with lower PTSD symptoms. This study found that social determinants including school enrollment, double orphanhood, HIV-related stigma, poor physical health, and poverty related factors like unemployment are important predictors of poor mental health among RAYLHIV, underscoring the need for multilevel approaches to address these challenges.</p><p>Trial registration: NCT01790373.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7543,"journal":{"name":"AIDS and Behavior","volume":"29 11","pages":"3432 - 3443"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144301007","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preparing for the Next Physician’s Visit: Usability and Validity of a Mobile Health App for People Living with HIV","authors":"Joanna Cano-Smith,&nbsp;Ana Delgado-Hierro,&nbsp;Luis Ramos-Ruperto,&nbsp;Carmen Busca,&nbsp;Rafael Mican,&nbsp;Maria Luisa Montes,&nbsp;Luz Martin-Carbonero,&nbsp;Maria del Mar Arcos,&nbsp;Rosa de Miguel,&nbsp;Rocio Montejano,&nbsp;Eulalia Valencia,&nbsp;Marta de Miguel,&nbsp;Francisco Javier Perez-Sadaba,&nbsp;Clara Perez-Rambla,&nbsp;Jose Arribas,&nbsp;Juan Gonzalez-Garcia,&nbsp;José I. Bernardino","doi":"10.1007/s10461-025-04755-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10461-025-04755-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Person-reported outcomes (PROs) are valuable in clinical practice but can be time-consuming. Our goal was to understand how people living with HIV (PLHIV) and healthcare professionals (HCPs) perceive and interact with a mHealth app, “Prepara Tu Consulta” (PTC), designed to provide essential information, requiring less effort than completing multiple validated PROs, and to evaluate its performance compared with these PROs. Data from 393 PLHIV on antiretroviral treatment for ≥ 1 year were collected (June 2022–June 2023). Participants completed PTC, EuroQoL-5D-5L (generalized), and specific PROs, including WHOQOL-HIV BREF, HADS, HIV Symptoms Index (HSI), EACS depression scale, and SMAQ. PLHIV and HCPs rated PTC positively for usability, satisfaction, and usefulness (77% and 56%, respectively, scoring ≥ 70%). PTC items correlated well with both generalized and specific PROs (e.g., 86% with EuroQoL-5D-5L). PTC is a user-friendly, effective alternative to standard PROs, offering valuable insights into quality of life, symptoms, and emotional well-being for PLHIV.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7543,"journal":{"name":"AIDS and Behavior","volume":"29 10","pages":"3045 - 3053"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144301006","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"HIV-related Stigma among People with HIV in Denmark and its Association with Psychosocial and Sexual Health: a cross-sectional Nationwide Study","authors":"Ditte Scofield,&nbsp;Nina Weis,&nbsp;Alessandra Meddis,&nbsp;Merete Storgaard,&nbsp;Gitte Pedersen,&nbsp;Isik S. Johansen,&nbsp;Terese L. Katzenstein,&nbsp;Christian Graugaard,&nbsp;Lars H. Omland,&nbsp;Morten Frisch,&nbsp;Ellen Moseholm","doi":"10.1007/s10461-025-04806-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10461-025-04806-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>HIV-related stigma remains a major barrier to improving the lives of people with HIV (PWH) and curbing the epidemic globally. This cross-sectional study assessed HIV-related stigma, based on The HIV Stigma Framework, among PWH in Denmark, and examined its potential associations with sociodemographic characteristics, as well as with HIV-related, psychosocial and sexual health measures. Data from 630 participants (486 men and 144 women) in the SHARE study—a nationwide survey on psychosocial and sexual health among PWH in Denmark conducted from 2021 to 2022—were analysed using sex-stratified linear and logistic regression models adjusted for relevant confounders. Results showed that anticipated stigma was the most commonly reported stigma mechanism, with 68% of men and 77% of women expressing high levels of concern about HIV status sharing. In contrast, enacted stigma was reported by 9% of men and 22% of women. The multivariate regression analyses revealed that higher stigma levels were associated with originating from low- or middle-income countries and with a history of mental health problems, whereas non-heterosexual identity and a longer time since HIV diagnosis were linked to lower stigma. In both men and women, stigma was significantly associated with fewer close friends, loneliness, anxiety and reduced sexual desire. Among men, stigma was also significantly associated with sharing one’s HIV status with fewer people, depression, suicidal tendencies and erectile dysfunction. In conclusion, HIV-related stigma, notably stigma related to anticipated stigma, remains prevalent among PWH in Denmark and it is significantly associated with a range of psychosocial and sexual challenges.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7543,"journal":{"name":"AIDS and Behavior","volume":"29 11","pages":"3646 - 3660"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10461-025-04806-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144293168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Masibambane (Let Us Work Together), Ladies Chat: Pilot Evaluation of an Online, Gender-Enhanced, Group-Interactive Workshop to Promote Oral PrEP to Young South African Women","authors":"Susie Hoffman,&nbsp;Jill Hanass-Hancock,&nbsp;Abigail D. Harrison,&nbsp;Nonhlonipho Bhengu,&nbsp;Curtis Dolezal,&nbsp;Theresa M. Exner,&nbsp;Lori Miller,&nbsp;Tarylee Ready,&nbsp;Jiying Han,&nbsp;Cheng-Shiun Leu","doi":"10.1007/s10461-025-04747-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10461-025-04747-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been available to adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in the South African public sector since 2019, yet uptake has lagged below targets. In this pilot trial focused on early PrEP cascade steps, a WhatsApp^®-based small-group interactive intervention with a gender-empowerment component— “gender enhanced” (GE)—was compared to a control condition providing website links to PrEP information/motivation that women accessed individually (“individual access”, IA). PrEP was not offered as part of the trial. Eligible participants were 18–25 years, heterosexually active in the past six months, but not pre-screened for PrEP eligibility. Primary outcome was undergoing individual PrEP counselling; secondary outcomes were HIV testing and self-reported PrEP initiation. Fifty women enrolled in each condition (<i>N</i> = 100). Retention, feasibility and acceptability were high. Fifty-six percent underwent PrEP counseling in each condition; PrEP was initiated by 8 women in GE and 5 in IA. Stage of change (readiness) for PrEP increased more in GE than IA women post-intervention (<i>b =</i> 0.68 [95%CI = 0.25, 1.11, <i>p</i> = 0.002]) and at 3-month follow-up (<i>b</i> = 0.73 [95%CI = 0.18, 1.27, <i>p</i> = 0.009]). GE women showed greater improvements in PrEP knowledge and positive PrEP beliefs, had less decline in perceived HIV risk, and greater reduction in perceived importance of family’s opinions about sexuality/reproductive health. In a setting where women were <i>not</i> given immediate access to PrEP, a large proportion took a behavioral step for initiation. Especially as other forms of PrEP become available, both the GE intervention and the IA control conditions merit further refinement and testing in a larger trial.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7543,"journal":{"name":"AIDS and Behavior","volume":"29 9","pages":"2932 - 2945"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144281964","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction: The Association between Use of Adherence Support Interventions and Adherence To HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis among Young South African and Zimbabwean Women in HPTN 082","authors":"Abubaker Ibrahim Elbur,&nbsp;Deborah Donnell,&nbsp;Sybil Hosek,&nbsp;Bonnie J Dye,&nbsp;Jennifer Velloza,&nbsp;Sinead Delany-Moretlwe,&nbsp;Connie Celum","doi":"10.1007/s10461-025-04807-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10461-025-04807-7","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":7543,"journal":{"name":"AIDS and Behavior","volume":"29 8","pages":"2495 - 2495"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10461-025-04807-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144281963","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Uptake and Persistence in Wartime Ukraine: Analysis of Data from a Scaled PrEP Program","authors":"Ellis G. Moon,&nbsp;Alyona P. Ihnatiuk,&nbsp;Anna P. Kazanzhy,&nbsp;Oksana V. Danylenko,&nbsp;Larisa I. Hetman,&nbsp;Lisa E. Manhart,&nbsp;Misti R. Mcdowell,&nbsp;Anna Y. Shapoval,&nbsp;Nancy H. Puttkammer","doi":"10.1007/s10461-025-04773-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10461-025-04773-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war have had devastating effects on health programs. This observational study assessed uptake and persistent use of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) during wartime. The study included newly-initiating daily PrEP users from 94 clinics who enrolled on PrEP from October 2022 through September 2023. PrEP persistence was defined as returning for a PrEP refill no later than 7 days after the expected refill date. We used Kaplan–Meier curves and sex-stratified Cox regression to explore PrEP discontinuation by sex, key population group, age group, and wartime location. 4537 clients initiated daily PrEP, with 31.9% being men who have sex with men (MSM), 29.7% based in a frontline location, and 16.7% aged 18–25. Six-month persistence was 37.3% overall. It was lower among MSM (28.6%), young adults aged 18–25 (17.2%), and frontline residents (15.6%), and higher among sex workers (SW) (81.5%). In adjusted analysis among women, SW had a lower risk of discontinuing PrEP compared with discordant couples (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 0.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.14–0.34). In both sexes, clients aged 18–25 had a higher risk of discontinuing PrEP (aHR: 1.43, 95% CI 1.25–1.65 for men; aHR: 1.60, 95% CI 1.16–2.20 for women), as did those based in frontline locations (aHR: 2.19, 95% CI 1.99–2.41 for men; aHR: 1.26, 95% CI 1.04–1.53 for women). The findings highlight the resilience of Ukraine’s PrEP program and the need to support PrEP persistence among younger and frontline populations.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7543,"journal":{"name":"AIDS and Behavior","volume":"29 10","pages":"3253 - 3263"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10461-025-04773-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144265078","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Effect of Sexual and Gender Minority Violence on Depression, Hazardous Drinking, Condom Use, and HIV Acquisition: An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis of the CohMSM, HPTN 075, and Anza Mapema Cohort Studies in Africa","authors":"James Stannah,&nbsp;Jesse Knight,&nbsp;Theo Sandfort,&nbsp;Christian Laurent,&nbsp;Fredrick O. Otieno,&nbsp;Joseph Larmarange,&nbsp;Pierre-Julien Coulaud,&nbsp;Victor Mudhune,&nbsp;erica hamilton,&nbsp;Vanessa Cummings,&nbsp;Bruno Spire,&nbsp;Doerieyah Reynolds,&nbsp;Sufia Dadabhai,&nbsp;Duncan Okall,&nbsp;Bintou Dembélé Keita,&nbsp;Luis Sagaon-Teyssier,&nbsp;Ravindre Panchia,&nbsp;Marie-Claude Boily,&nbsp;Mathieu Maheu-Giroux","doi":"10.1007/s10461-025-04799-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10461-025-04799-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Some sexual and gender minorities (SGM), including men who have sex with men and transgender women, are disproportionately vulnerable to HIV. Many SGM in Africa report experiencing verbal or physical violence due to their sexual and/or gender identities or behaviours. The pathways linking such SGM violence to HIV acquisition are complex. We described experiences of verbal and physical SGM violence and explored pathways to HIV acquisition among SGM assigned male sex at birth using a two-stage individual participant data meta-analysis of three African cohort studies: <i>CohMSM</i> (Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Togo), <i>HPTN 075</i> (Kenya, Malawi, South Africa), and <i>Anza Mapema</i> (Kenya). SGM violence was assessed at baseline and follow-up visits. We fit log-linear sequential conditional mean models using generalised estimating equations to estimate risk ratios linking SGM violence, moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms, hazardous drinking, condom use, and HIV acquisition, adjusted for baseline confounders and previous exposure and outcome. We pooled study estimates using random effects meta-analysis. SGM violence, mostly verbal, was reported by 36% (570/1590) participants at baseline (past 6–12 months), and 20% (321/1590) during the first year of follow-up (past 3–6 months). Baseline SGM violence was not associated with HIV acquisition (pooled adjusted risk ratio [aRR] = 1.0, 95% CI 0.5–1.9). During follow-up, SGM violence also showed no clear relationship with HIV, but was linked to depressive symptoms at the same visit (pooled aRR = 1.7, 1.3–2.1), in turn associated with hazardous drinking (pooled aRR = 1.4, 1.1–1.7). Impacts on condom use were inconclusive. SGM in Africa face high rates of violence, which are associated with depressive symptoms and hazardous drinking–potential routes to HIV vulnerability. While our study did not conclusively demonstrate higher HIV incidence among SGM reporting violence, interventions to reduce violence and support mental health remain crucial.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7543,"journal":{"name":"AIDS and Behavior","volume":"29 11","pages":"3557 - 3572"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144265079","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}