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Objective: To examine the relationship between household wealth and HIV incidence in rural Uganda over time from 1994 to 2018. In research conducted early in the epidemic, greater wealth (i.e. higher socioeconomic status, SES) was associated with higher HIV prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA); this relationship reversed in some settings in later years., Design: Analysis of associations over time in a population-based open cohort of persons 15-49 years from 17 survey-rounds in 28 continuously followed communities of the Rakai Community Cohort Study (RCCS)., Methods: The RCCS sample averaged 8622 individuals and 5387 households per round. Principal components analysis was used to create a nine-item asset-based measure of household wealth. Poisson regression with generalized estimating equation (GEE) and exchangeable correlation structure was used to estimate HIV incidence rate ratios (IRRs) by SES quartile, survey-round, sex, and age group., Results: From 1994 to 2018, SES rose considerably, and HIV incidence declined from 1.45 to 0.40 per 100 person-years (IRR = 0.39, 95% CI = 0.32--0.47, P < 0.001). HIV incidence was similar by SES category in the initial survey intervals (1994-1997); however, higher SES groups showed greater declines in HIV incidence over time. Multivariable analyses showed significant associations between HIV incidence and SES (IRR = 0.55 for highest compared with lowest quartile, 95% CI = 0.45--0.66, P < 0.001) controlling for time, sex, and age group., Conclusion: Beyond the early years of the RCCS, higher SES was associated with lower HIV incidence and SES gradients widened over time. The poor, like other key populations, should be targeted for HIV prevention, including treatment as prevention., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: The risk of HIV associated with hormonal contraceptives is controversial. We assessed hormonal contraceptive use and HIV incidence in HIV-discordant couples in Rakai, Uganda., Methods: HIV-discordant couples were retrospectively identified from a cohort between 1999 and 2009. Hormonal contraception included oral contraception, depomedroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), and implants (Norplant). Poisson regression estimated adjusted incidence rate ratios (adjIRRs) associated with hormonal contraceptive methods. A case-control subanalysis estimated odds ratios (ORs) of HIV associated with hormonal contraceptive, adjusted for viral load and age., Results: We identified 190 male HIV-positive/female HIV-negative (M+F-) and 159 male HIV- negative/female HIV-positive (M-F+) couples not using antiretroviral therapy or condoms. Female HIV incidence was 5.8/100 person-years (py) among nonhormonal contraceptive users, 12.0/100 py among oral contraceptive users [adjIRR 2.65, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.82-8.60], 4.5 among Norplant users (adjIRR: 0.89, 95% CI 0.11-7.10), and 7.5/100 py among DMPA users (adjIRR 1.42, 95% CI 0.60-3.36). Male HIV incidence was 7.4/100 py during nonhormonal contraceptive use, 16.5/100 py during female oral contraceptive use (adjIRR 2.52, 95% CI 0.49-12.95), and 4.9/100 py with DMPA use (adjIRR 0.57, 95% CI 0.19-1.70). The number of female seroconverters was three among oral contraceptive users, one among Norplant users, and seven among DMPA users. Male seroconverters were two during female oral contraceptive use, none with Norplant use, and three with DMPA use. In a nested case-control analysis after adjustment for HIV viral load, the adjOR associated with oral contraceptive use was 1.59 (95% CI 0.32-97.85) for M+F- and 2.11 (95% CI 0.18-25.26) for M-F+ couples. For DMPA use, the adjOR was 1.44 (95% CI 0.46-4.51) for M+F- and 1.40 (95% CI 0.30-6.49) for M-F+ couples., Conclusion: We did not observe significant risk of HIV acquisition or transmission with oral contraceptives or DMPA use in HIV discordant couples, but several point estimates were above 1.0 and statistical power was limited.

Objective: To determine whether heterosexual transmission of HIV differs according to HIV-1 subtype., Design: A retrospective observational cohort., Methods: HIV-1 subtype effects on heterosexual HIV-1 transmission were determined among 268 HIV-discordant couples retrospectively identified from a population cohort in Rakai, Uganda. HIV-1 subtype (gag and gp41 sequencing and multiregion hybridization assay) and viral loads (reverse transcriptase PCR) were determined. Adjusted incidence rate ratios (adj IRR) of HIV transmission by subtype were estimated by multivariable Poisson regression adjusting for characteristics of index HIV-positive and HIV-negative partners., Results: Adjusting for index HIV-positive partners' age, viral load, stage of disease, genital ulcer disease, and HIV-negative partners' genital ulcer disease and nonuse of condoms, subtype A viruses were associated with a higher rate of transmission than subtype D [adj.IRR 1.98, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17-3.34], but no differences in transmission were observed between recombinant viruses and subtype D (aIRR 1.53, P = 0.25). Index-positive partners' age less than 30 years (adj.IRR 3.44, 95% CI 1.75-6.78) and viral load (adj.IRR 2.37, 95% CI 1.75-3.21), and index-negative partners' genital ulcer disease (adj.IRR 1.71, 95% CI 1.08-2.70) and nonuse of condoms (adj.IRR 1.94, 95% CI 1.15-3.28) were significant determinants of HIV transmission., Conclusion: In Rakai, Uganda, subtype A viruses have a significantly higher rate of heterosexual transmission than subtype D viruses. Differential subtype transmission efficiency may be important for HIV vaccine evaluation and could contribute to subtype-specific HIV epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: Hormonal contraceptives have been associated with increased risk of HIV acquisition., Methods: The association between hormonal contraception use and HIV acquisition was assessed in a rural community-based cohort in Rakai District, Uganda. A group of 5117 sexually active HIV-negative women were surveyed at 10 month intervals between 1994 and 1999. Information on demographic and sociobehavioral characteristics, use of hormonal contraception (pill and injectable methods), condoms and the number of sexual partners was obtained by home-based interview. HIV incidence rate ratios (IRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) associated with hormonal contraception were estimated by multivariate Poisson regression after adjustment for age, condom use, number of sexual partners, marital status, education and history of genital ulcer disease., Results: At one or more interviews, 16.6% of women reported use of hormonal contraceptives and 23.0% reported condom use. HIV incidence was 2.3/100 person-years in hormonal contraceptive users compared with 1.5/100 person-years in non-hormonal contraceptive users (unadjusted IRR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.00-2.33). After multivariate adjustment, the IRR associated with hormonal contraceptives was reduced to 0.94 (95% CI, 0.53-1.64). The adjusted IRR was 1.12 (95% CI, 0.48-2.56) with oral contraceptive use and 0.84 (95%CI, 0.41-1.72) with injectable methods., Conclusion: Use of hormonal contraception is not associated with HIV acquisition after adjustment for behavioral confounding.