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Male partner involvement (MPI) during the prenatal and postnatal periods has been proven to have a beneficial effect on infant development. Infants born to HIV seropositive mothers with lacking or no prenatal and postnatal male partner support may be at a higher risk for adverse developmental outcomes. This study examined the effect of MPI on cognitive, communicative, fine, and gross motor development in 160 infants born to HIV seropositive mothers attending Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) services in rural South Africa. Results of the bivariate logistic regression showed that both prenatal (OR 1.13; 95% CI 1.01, 1.26; p

We tested an intervention that aimed to increase retention in antiretroviral therapy (ART) among HIV-positive pregnant and postpartum women, a population shown to be vulnerable to poor ART outcomes. 133 pregnant women initiating ART at 2 hospitals in Uganda used real time-enabled wireless pill monitors (WPM) for 1 month, and were then randomized to receive text message reminders (triggered by late dose-taking) and data-informed counseling through 3 months postpartum or standard care. We assessed “full retention” (proportion attending all monthly clinic visits and delivering at a study facility; “visit retention” (proportion of clinic visits attended); and “postpartum retention” (proportion retained at 3 months postpartum). Intention-to-treat and per protocol analyses found that retention was relatively low and similar between groups, with no significant differences. Retention declined significantly post-delivery. The intervention was unsuccessful in this population, which experiences suboptimal ART retention and is in urgent need of effective interventions.

New York City has experienced the largest HIV epidemic among persons who use psychoactive drugs. We examined progress in placing HIV seropositive persons who inject drugs (PWID) and HIV seropositive non-injecting drug users (NIDU) onto antiretroviral treatment (ART) in New York City over the last 15 years. We recruited 3511 PWID and 3543 NIDU from persons voluntarily entering drug detoxification and methadone maintenance treatment programs in New York City from 2001 to 2014. HIV prevalence declined significantly among both PWID and NIDU. The percentage who reported receiving ART increased significantly, from approximately 50% (2001-2005) to approximately 75% (2012-2014). There were no racial/ethnic disparities in the percentages of HIV seropositive persons who were on ART. Continued improvement in ART uptake and TasP and maintenance of other prevention and care services should lead to an “End of the AIDS Epidemic” for persons who use heroin and cocaine in the New York City.

The present study examined in a laboratory situation how reactions to an HIV seropositive man may be influenced by his sexual orientation and perceptions about the cause of the infection. Research participants who believed they were interacting with a homosexual compared to a heterosexual person with HIV disclosed less intimately. The men in the study (but not the women) reported more negative affect interacting with a homosexual versus a heterosexual HIV-seropositive male, though women overall reported more negative affect compared to men. Perception of control for the onset of infection interacted with the gender of the research participants to influence self-disclosure and the enactment of social support; men (but not women) made more intimate self-disclosures as well as more “dismissing” social support statements (minimizing the seropositive person's difficulties) when the cause of the infection was uncontrollable than controllable. The results suggest how labels about who is infected with HIV as well as how the HIV was contracted may influence social behavior with an HIV-seropositive person.

Public health agencies have recommended incorporating HIV prevention counseling into the medical care of persons living with HIV/AIDS. Injection drug users (IDUs) especially need HIV risk-reduction counseling because of their high risk for HIV transmission through both sexual and injection behaviors. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of, and patient factors associated with, the delivery of HIV prevention messages to HIV-seropositive IDUs in primary care settings. A majority of participants reported having an HIV prevention discussion with their provider during their most recent primary care visit. Factors significantly associated with report of such discussion were being Hispanic or non-Hispanic Black; high school education or less; and better perception of engagement with provider. Medical providers should provide prevention messages to all HIV-seropositive IDUs, regardless of demographic factors. Effective HIV prevention interventions in primary care settings, including interventions to improve patient-provider communication, are needed for HIV-seropositive IDUs.