AIDS and BehaviorPub Date : 2025-04-24DOI: 10.1007/s10461-025-04733-8
Amanda Sisselman-Borgia, Jonathan Ross, Dana Watnick, Nicole Saint-Louis
{"title":"PrEP Engagement in a Sample of Youth Experiencing Homelessness in New York City: A Brief Report.","authors":"Amanda Sisselman-Borgia, Jonathan Ross, Dana Watnick, Nicole Saint-Louis","doi":"10.1007/s10461-025-04733-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-025-04733-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Few studies have examined pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) engagement among youth experiencing homelessness (YEH), despite high HIV risk. We collected data using a cross-sectional survey from YEH ages 16-24 in New York City (NYC). We assessed YEH awareness, willingness to use, and plans to take PrEP. We conducted primarily descriptive and bivariate analyses for this brief report and found that 49 (48%) identified as LGBTQ + and 74 (66%) reported food insecurity. The majority of our sample (69%) reported health insurance coverage. In total, 55 (45%) had heard of PrEP before the survey, 78 (73%) reported willingness to take PrEP, and 26 (25%) had a plan to take it. Gender and LGBTQ + status were associated with awareness of PrEP, while transactional sex and experiencing food insecurity were associated with plans to take PrEP. Interventions to improve awareness of PrEP and encourage use are critical to reducing HIV in YEH.</p>","PeriodicalId":7543,"journal":{"name":"AIDS and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143962086","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}
AIDS and BehaviorPub Date : 2025-04-22DOI: 10.1007/s10461-025-04704-z
Robert C Bailey, Ignatius Praptoraharjo, Nidia Muryani, Daniel Ardian Soeselo, Shanta Ghosh, Judith A Levy
{"title":"Introduction of Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision for HIV Prevention in Tanah Papua, Indonesia.","authors":"Robert C Bailey, Ignatius Praptoraharjo, Nidia Muryani, Daniel Ardian Soeselo, Shanta Ghosh, Judith A Levy","doi":"10.1007/s10461-025-04704-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-025-04704-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tanah Papua, comprising Papua and West Papua (Papua Barat), includes only 1.5% of Indonesia's total population but accounts for over 15% of the country's new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases. Overall, adult HIV prevalence in Indonesia in 2018 was 0.26%; in Papua it was nearly ten times higher at 2.3%, and almost all new infections occurred through heterosexual transmission. Being a predominantly Muslim country, male circumcision (MC) is nearly universal in Indonesia except in Papua where MC is little practiced. The Indonesian government has turned attention to World Health Organization/UNAIDS 2007 recommendations to offer voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) in Tanah Papua as part of a comprehensive package of HIV services. Currently, there are no functioning VMMC programs designed specifically for Papua or with input by Papuans. Using a community-participatory approach, we developed and pilot-tested the Papua Indigenous Model (PIM) of VMMC for acceptability, feasibility, and safety as part of a comprehensive HIV prevention strategy to reduce HIV sexual transmission in Papua. The model of VMMC was developed based on numerous meetings with government officials, health providers, teachers, students, parents, and community leaders. In total, 88 adults and 31 adolescents provided input during focused group discussions. Thirty-two meetings were held with approximately 1050 community members. Staff at three community health facilities were trained in safe VMMC services according to WHO guidelines. While all males ages 15 and above were eligible for VMMC, recruitment by trained peer outreach workers focused especially on Papuan ethnic males ages 15-19 years. Based on other VMMC programs and our consultations with community members, we expected to screen 400 potential participants, but ultimately only 104 participants volunteered to be screened at the three facilities. Of the 104, 94 participants were eligible and accepted circumcision. The average pain score reported by participants was low: 3.4 at 30 min post-circumcision. Two participants (2.1%) experienced a moderate adverse event (AE); no severe AE occurred. Upon follow-up, 98% said that they were somewhat or very satisfied with the procedure; 98% agreed that \"If I had a son, I would get him circumcised;\" and all but three participants reported that if they had it to do again, they would get circumcised. Despite extensive consultation with local communities, VMMC uptake was lower than anticipated, while levels of satisfaction among those circumcised were high. Even with substantial community input into its promotion, achieving a successful scale-up of VMMC in Papua will be highly challenging, requiring significant support from local, national, and international stakeholders. Nevertheless, it should be made available, integrated with the numerous other evidence-based HIV prevention measures.</p>","PeriodicalId":7543,"journal":{"name":"AIDS and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143972218","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}
AIDS and BehaviorPub Date : 2025-04-22DOI: 10.1007/s10461-025-04731-w
Moranda Tate, Bow Suprasert, Danyion Reagan, Katherine McNaughton, Raul Ruiz, Alex Marr, Kelly D Taylor, Glenda Baguso, Erin C Wilson, Willi McFarland
{"title":"Not Getting to Zero HIV Infections Among People Who Inject Drugs in San Francisco, California.","authors":"Moranda Tate, Bow Suprasert, Danyion Reagan, Katherine McNaughton, Raul Ruiz, Alex Marr, Kelly D Taylor, Glenda Baguso, Erin C Wilson, Willi McFarland","doi":"10.1007/s10461-025-04731-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-025-04731-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We analyzed data from San Francisco's National HIV Behavioral Surveillance for 2018 and 2022 to assess progress towards getting to zero HIV infections among people who inject drugs (PWID). HIV prevalence showed little change from 2018 (10.9%) to 2022 (11.4%). UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets were not met during the four-year interval, accompanied by a drop in HIV testing in the last year (from 73.5 to 43.4%, X<sup>2</sup>(1) = 82.76, p < 0.001). We found no evidence that the HIV epidemic is heading towards zero among PWID. Our data are a wakeup call to revitalize our HIV epidemic response, especially for marginalized populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":7543,"journal":{"name":"AIDS and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143960926","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":"Acceptability, Feasibility, and Preliminary Efficacy of Schools Championing Safe South Africa, a Social Norms Intervention to Prevent HIV Risk Behavior and Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence Among Teenage Boys.","authors":"Caroline Kuo, Abigail Harrison, Lindsay M Orchowski, Yandisa Sikweyiya, Alan Berkowitz, Haley Adrian, Nandipha Gana, Akhona Rasmeni, Tracy McClinton Appollis, Portia Nevhungoni, Catherine Mathews","doi":"10.1007/s10461-025-04723-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-025-04723-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Schools Championing Safe South Africa is an intervention to prevent sexual violence perpetration and HIV/STI risk behavior among teenage boys, focusing on correcting misperceived social norms regarding risk behavior and engaging boys, teachers and peers in school. We tested its acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy in a pilot RCT (N = 282). 99% of intervention boys reported high satisfaction with content, format, and delivery. There was good facilitator fidelity to the manualized protocol and 99% retention at 6-month follow-up. Among intervention boys, completed acts of any sexual violence perpetration (touching, oral, anal, and/or vaginal sex) decreased from 71% (95% CI: 61%, 80%) at baseline to 55% (95% CI: 44%, 66%) at 1 month follow-up, with a percentage difference of 15% (95% CI: 4%, 26%; p = 0.004). At 6 months, change was not significant (72-68%; p = 0.353). For the intervention group, attempted acts of any sexual violence perpetration reduced from 49% (95% CI: 40%, 58%) at baseline to 25% (95% CI: 17%, 33%) at 1 month, with a percentage difference of 22% (95% CI: 11%, 32%; p < 0.001) but was not sustained at 6 months (47-43%; p = 0.446). Across timepoints, the control group did not show significant changes in completed or attempted perpetration. There were no significant changes in condom use in the intervention or control groups. Behavioral signals of positive change for prevention of sexual violence perpetration combined with high acceptability and feasibility indicate that the intervention should be tested further for efficacy.</p>","PeriodicalId":7543,"journal":{"name":"AIDS and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143966111","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}
AIDS and BehaviorPub Date : 2025-04-22DOI: 10.1007/s10461-025-04713-y
Ekpereka S Nawfal, Diana M Sheehan, Gladys E Ibañez, Timothy Hayes, Aaliyah Gray, Mary Jo Trepka
{"title":"Modeling the Mediating Effects of HIV-Related Stigma on the Associations Between Race/Ethnicity and Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence and Viral Suppression Among Diverse Racial and Ethnic Minority Women with HIV.","authors":"Ekpereka S Nawfal, Diana M Sheehan, Gladys E Ibañez, Timothy Hayes, Aaliyah Gray, Mary Jo Trepka","doi":"10.1007/s10461-025-04713-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10461-025-04713-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Racial and ethnic minority women with HIV experience higher levels of HIV-related stigma, have poorer adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), and lower viral suppression rates than men and white women with HIV. Using structural equation modeling, we examined the direct and indirect associations between race and ethnicity, ART adherence and viral suppression through HIV-related stigma dimensions (anticipated, internalized, and enacted) among 542 racial and ethnic minority women with HIV (37% Black [excluding Hispanic and Haitian]; 34% Hispanic [of any race]; 29% Haitian [of any race]) who completed a survey about women-centered HIV care. All paths from each racial and ethnic group to the mediators and outcomes were estimated in comparison to the overall sample estimates. Approximately 62% of participants were adherent to ART, and 91% were virally suppressed. Haitian ethnicity was associated with increased anticipated stigma (β = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.19, 0.47), decreased internalized stigma (β = - 0.16, 95% CI: - 0.31,- 0.02), and decreased viral suppression (β = - 0.48, 95% CI: - 0.91, - 0.15). Hispanic ethnicity was associated with increased viral suppression (β = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.13, 0.85) and decreased anticipated stigma (β = - 0.25, 95% CI: - 0.37, - 0.13). Black race was not associated with any of the variables examined. None of the HIV-related stigma dimensions had a significant mediating effect. Our findings highlight the need for in-depth qualitative research to understand the unique cultural beliefs/practices and perceptions about HIV within the Haitian population that drive HIV-related stigma and decreased viral suppression.</p>","PeriodicalId":7543,"journal":{"name":"AIDS and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143956899","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}
AIDS and BehaviorPub Date : 2025-04-17DOI: 10.1007/s10461-025-04726-7
Tamsin K Phillips, Yolanda Gomba, Pheposadi Mogoba, Florence Phelanyane, Kim Anderson, Benjamin H Chi, Kate Clouse, Mary-Ann Davies, Jonathan Euvrard, Lucia Knight, Landon Myer, Elaine J Abrams
{"title":"Routine Electronic Mother-Infant Data (REMInD): A proof-of-Concept Data to Care Study to Support Retention in Maternal HIV Treatment and Infant HIV Testing in Cape Town, South Africa.","authors":"Tamsin K Phillips, Yolanda Gomba, Pheposadi Mogoba, Florence Phelanyane, Kim Anderson, Benjamin H Chi, Kate Clouse, Mary-Ann Davies, Jonathan Euvrard, Lucia Knight, Landon Myer, Elaine J Abrams","doi":"10.1007/s10461-025-04726-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-025-04726-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Data to Care (D2C) strategies- using routine data to identify and re-engage people living with HIV who are not in care- have shown promise in high-income settings but remain underexplored in lower-resource and vertical HIV transmission prevention (VTP) contexts. In this prospective, single-arm, proof-of-concept study, we used facility-linked public sector electronic medical records (Provincial Health Data Centre [PHDC] data) to identify, validate and trace postpartum VTP gaps among 336 mothers living with HIV and their infants in Cape Town, South Africa (March 2021-April 2022). Of 302 observed gaps, 123 (41%) were false, while 179 (59%) were probable gaps affecting 133 mother-infant pairs. Overall, 16% of mothers did not link to HIV care within 12 weeks postpartum and 13% had ART dispensing gaps, while 10% and 17% of infants had no HIV test around 10 weeks and six months, respectively. Only 100 (56%) probable gaps were confirmed through telephonic tracing, with 47 mothers subsequently re-linked to care. Mobility, stigma, and employment challenges contributed to disengagement. While our D2C approach streamlined tracing efforts, re-engagement remained difficult. Strategies integrating D2C approaches with interventions addressing social determinants are needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":7543,"journal":{"name":"AIDS and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143965878","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}
AIDS and BehaviorPub Date : 2025-04-17DOI: 10.1007/s10461-025-04717-8
Tuo-Yen Tseng, Mary M Mitchell, Geetanjali Chander, Carl Latkin, Caitlin Kennedy, S Ian Borison, Chaeyeon Son, Amy R Knowlton
{"title":"Quality of Life among Predominately African Americans with HIV Who Use Drugs: The Role of Patient-Provider Engagement in Mediating the Impacts of Depression and Healthcare Discrimination.","authors":"Tuo-Yen Tseng, Mary M Mitchell, Geetanjali Chander, Carl Latkin, Caitlin Kennedy, S Ian Borison, Chaeyeon Son, Amy R Knowlton","doi":"10.1007/s10461-025-04717-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-025-04717-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Enhancing mental health-related quality of life (MHRQOL) is an important clinical objective for people with HIV (PWH), due to their elevated risk of psychological distress and mental health challenges. Depression, pain, stigma, and discrimination are among the main contributors to poor MHRQOL in this population and can negatively impact PWH's interaction with their healthcare providers, and vice versa. We used structural equation modeling to examine whether the quality of patient-provider engagement in HIV primary care mediated the effects of depression and prior experiences of discrimination in healthcare settings on later MHRQOL, assessed using the SF- 12 Mental Component Summary (MCS- 12), among a sample of predominately African Americans with HIV and a history of drug use. A total of 331 participants, recruited from HIV clinics and community venues in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, completed three semi-annual surveys between 2014 and 2018. At baseline, the sample showed a high percentage of probable depression (35.6%) and a low MCS- 12 mean score (38.72, SD = 6.88) compared with the US general population norm of 50 (SD = 10). There were significant indirect paths from baseline depression (β = - 0.04, 95% CI = - 0.10, - 0.01) and healthcare discrimination (β = - 0.05, 95% CI = - 0.12, - 0.01) to lower MHRQOL at 12-months, mediated through reduced patient-centered patient-provider engagement with primary care providers at 6-months, after adjusting for baseline assessment of the mediator and the outcome, demographic covariates, substance use, pain level, and time since HIV diagnosis. Findings suggest a potential for mitigating the impacts of depression and healthcare discrimination on MHRQOL through intervening on the quality of patient-provider engagement.</p>","PeriodicalId":7543,"journal":{"name":"AIDS and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143961599","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}
AIDS and BehaviorPub Date : 2025-04-17DOI: 10.1007/s10461-025-04720-z
Brittany L Lane, Crim Sabuncu, Yijiong Yang, Beth Okantey, Daryl N Campbell, Ty-Runet Bryant, Setor Sorkpor, Eugenia Millender, Frankie Y Wong, Casey D Xavier Hall
{"title":"Discrimination and Mental Health Among Black and Latino People Living with HIV: Understanding the Role of Religion and Spirituality.","authors":"Brittany L Lane, Crim Sabuncu, Yijiong Yang, Beth Okantey, Daryl N Campbell, Ty-Runet Bryant, Setor Sorkpor, Eugenia Millender, Frankie Y Wong, Casey D Xavier Hall","doi":"10.1007/s10461-025-04720-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-025-04720-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Despite significant advances in HIV care and treatment, Black and Latino people living with HIV (PWH) still face substantial health disparities due to discrimination and systemic inequities, which adversely affect their mental health. Given the profound significance of religion and spirituality in Black and Latino communities, the effects of religiosity on the relationship between discrimination and mental health should be examined. This study examined religiosity as a moderator between discrimination and mental health among Black and Latino PWH. Using data from the All of Us Research Program collected from 2016 to 2022, we analyzed electronic health records and survey responses from 902 participants, employing descriptive statistics, Chi-squared test, principal component analysis, and binary logistic regression. Results showed significant associations between education, employment, income, discrimination, religiosity, and mental health. Compared with no or low religiosity, those with high religiosity had significant higher odds of good mental health (aOR:2.35, 95% CI:1.16-4.75). Those who experienced discrimination had 59% lower odds of good mental health compared to those who did not report experiences of discrimination (aOR:0.41, 95% CI:0.20-0.83). There was no significant interaction effect of religiosity on the relationship between discrimination and mental health. While religiosity positively influences mental health, it does not mitigate the detrimental effects of compounded discrimination that Black and Latino PWH face. Continued collaborations between religious and spiritual leaders, researchers, and community members is needed to understand better the relationship between these factors and to identify strategies to maximize the protective effect of religiosity.</p>","PeriodicalId":7543,"journal":{"name":"AIDS and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143966172","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}
AIDS and BehaviorPub Date : 2025-04-17DOI: 10.1007/s10461-025-04718-7
Lindsey de Vos, Emily Krogstad Mudzingwa, Lauren Fynn, Millicent Atujuna, Ernesha Webb Mazinyo, Keabetswe Kodi, Sybil Hosek, Ingrid T Katz, Connie Celum, Linda-Gail Bekker, Joseph Daniels, Andrew Medina-Marino
{"title":"Study-to-Clinic Transition and Daily Oral PrEP Access Experiences Among AGYW in Eastern Cape, South Africa: Insights from the Community PrEP Study.","authors":"Lindsey de Vos, Emily Krogstad Mudzingwa, Lauren Fynn, Millicent Atujuna, Ernesha Webb Mazinyo, Keabetswe Kodi, Sybil Hosek, Ingrid T Katz, Connie Celum, Linda-Gail Bekker, Joseph Daniels, Andrew Medina-Marino","doi":"10.1007/s10461-025-04718-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-025-04718-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) face a high HIV burden, while PrEP persistence often declines post-trial. Understanding access outside research settings is key to improving study-to-clinic transitions. This study explored AGYW's experiences accessing PrEP in public clinics after The Community PrEP Study (CPS) in Eastern Cape, South Africa, a 24-month behavioral intervention. AGYW referred to clinics post-study (June-November 2021) were interviewed on their transition experiences. Interviewers categorized participants as PrEP continuation, discontinuation, or non-presentation. The qualitative team iteratively coded transcripts, used matrix analysis and discussions to examine referral experiences, clinic access, and PrEP motivations. While most accepted the transition, many missed study support. Continuation was linked to clinic adaptation, while discontinuation stemmed from access barriers. Non-presentation resulted from logistical and privacy concerns. Recommendations included youth-friendly provider training, alternative PrEP pick-up options, and service integration. Provider engagement and training remain critical for optimizing PrEP access, even with long-acting modalities.Trial registration number NCT03977181. Date of registration: 6 June 2019 - retrospectively registered.</p>","PeriodicalId":7543,"journal":{"name":"AIDS and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143966211","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}
AIDS and BehaviorPub Date : 2025-04-17DOI: 10.1007/s10461-025-04706-x
Rachel Brathwaite, Massy Mutumba, Sylivia Nannono, Phionah Namatovu, Fred M Ssewamala
{"title":"Exploring Alcohol Use Expectancies as Mediators in the Relationship Between Psychological Stressors and Substance Use Among Youths Living with HIV in Uganda.","authors":"Rachel Brathwaite, Massy Mutumba, Sylivia Nannono, Phionah Namatovu, Fred M Ssewamala","doi":"10.1007/s10461-025-04706-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-025-04706-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We investigated the mediating role of alcohol use expectancies between three psychological/emotional states (depressive symptoms, hopelessness, and adverse childhood experiences (ACE)) and problematic alcohol and substance use among YLHIV in Uganda. We defined problematic substance use according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)-modified Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (NM-ASSIST) to derive a Substance Involvement (SI) score to identify participants' risk level. We grouped moderate and high risk into one category to represent 'problematic use' or use that would qualify as a substance use disorder. We tested the proposed mediation models using the PROCESS macro for mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis version 4.1 for SPSS. We observed that higher scores for depressive symptoms, hopelessness, and ACE, were each associated with increased levels of global AUE (GAUE). However, mediation analyses revealed significant indirect effects of depressive symptoms (1.03, 95% CI 1.0002 to 1.0926), hopelessness (1.11, 95% CI 1.0172 to 1.3349), and ACE (1.08, 95% CI 1.0027 to 1.2695) on problematic substance use via GAUE. Also negative AUE (NAUE) significantly mediated the relationship between depressive symptoms, hopelessness, and ACE and problematic substance use. Our study highlights the significant role of GAUE and NAUE in mediating the relationship between ACE, depressive symptoms, hopelessness, and problematic substance use among YLHIV. The findings suggest that interventions targeting GAUE and NAUE and possibly providing effective coping mechanisms for managing depressive symptoms, hopelessness, and the impact of ACE may be crucial in reducing substance use among YLHIV.</p>","PeriodicalId":7543,"journal":{"name":"AIDS and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143959823","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}