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Traditional gender role beliefs, or marianismo beliefs, are theorized to be largely protective against health risk behaviors, including sexual risk behaviors among Latina young adults. However, measurement differences across studies and research with heterogeneous samples of abstinent and sexually active Latina young adults have led to unclear findings. Thus, we investigated whether endorsement of certain marianismo beliefs may promote sexual health behaviors or solely promote abstinence. Guided by gender role schema theory, this study investigated the multidimensional construct of marianismo beliefs in relation to past-year abstinence from sexual activity, STI and HIV testing, and condom use among 611 Latina young adults. Results indicated that endorsement of the Virtuous and Chaste belief was associated with decreased odds of sexual activity (i.e., increased odds of being abstinent) in the past year. None of the five marianismo beliefs were significantly linked with condom use. Among sexually active participants, the Virtuous and Chaste belief was associated with decreased likelihood to be tested for both STIs and HIV in the past year. Findings support the notion that certain marianismo beliefs (e.g., the Virtuous and Chaste belief) may promote abstinence, yet pose a risk for sexual health via reduced likelihood for STI and HIV testing. Results may inform culturally-tailored HIV prevention interventions with Latinas to reduce the disproportionate HIV burden in this population., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

In the last few years, the frequency of sexually transmitted infections (STI) has increased, as has the number of people with multiple infections. The aim of our study was to describe the epidemiological characteristics of persons with repeated bacterial STI and to determine the risk factors for these episodes in persons living in Barcelona during the period 2007-2018. We studied all cases of bacterial STI included in the STI registry of Barcelona. Repeated STI were defined as a diagnosis of gonorrhea, syphilis, or lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) after a first episode of one of these infections. Analysis was stratified by sex and place of birth. The factors associated with time to reinfection were determined by Kaplan-Meier estimates, while the factors associated with risk of infection were determined by a Cox proportional hazards model. Of 9927 persons with a diagnosis of bacterial STI, 1690 (17.0%) had at least two episodes of STI during the study period. On multivariate analysis, repeat STI were independently associated with male sex assigned at birth (HR: 3.45; 95%CI 2.22-5.36), age less than 34 years (HR: 1.22; 95%CI 1.10-1.35); gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, and transgender o transsexual woman (GBSMS/Trans) (HR: 4.03; 95%CI 3.24-5.03), having gonorrhea as first diagnosis (HR:1.49, 95%CI 1.34-1.66) or LGV (HR:1.75; 95%CI 1.47-2.08) and coinfection with HIV (HR:1.98; 95%CI 1.78-2.21). Sexual health programs should be strengthened to prevent STI and reinfection in key populations., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Aims: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other people (LGBT+) individuals may have a greater risk of experiencing mental and physical health issues. In the past years, the predominant theme of research was HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This study aimed to explore the most recent patterns in medical research concerning LGBT+ persons., Methods: A bibliometric analysis using Biblioshiny was conducted. Based on previous studies, years of observation ranged between 2008 and 2021. Web of Science Core Collection was used., Results: A total of 31,039 articles were selected. Top journals centered around HIV/AIDS and STIs ( n  = 6), followed by sexual behaviors/sexuality ( n  = 2) and LGBT+ health ( n  = 2). The US led in research output ( n  = 16,249). Papers were categorized into three main clusters (which showed different evolution across time): one addressing HIV/AIDS, STIs, and sexual behaviors, another focusing on mental health, discrimination, and stigma, and a third, smaller cluster examining transgender, intersex, and gender-diverse health., Conclusions: This article highlighted a growth in LGBT+ health research, uncovering research disparities among countries. While HIV/AIDS and STIs still dominated, a crucial theme concerning mental health, discrimination, and stigma has been rising. Declining interest in gender-diverse health, and disparities in research attention to different LGBT+ subgroups, underscored the need for more comprehensive and inclusive research to address complex health disparities., Competing Interests: Conflict of InterestThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Introduction: Many sexual health services are overwhelmed and cannot cater for all the individuals who present with sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Digital health software that separates STIs from non-STIs could improve the efficiency of clinical services. We developed and evaluated a machine learning model that predicts whether patients have an STI based on their clinical features., Methods: We manually extracted 25 demographic features and clinical features from 1315 clinical records in the electronic health record system at Melbourne Sexual Health Center. We examined 16 machine learning models to predict a binary outcome of an STI or a non-STI diagnosis. We evaluated the models' performance with the area under the ROC curve (AUC), accuracy and F1-scores., Results: Our study included 1315 consultations, of which 36.8% (484/1315) were diagnosed with STIs and 63.2% (831/1315) had non-STI conditions. The study population predominantly consisted of heterosexual men (49.5%, 651/1315), followed by gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) (25.7%), women (21.6%) and unknown gender (3.2%). The median age was 31 years (intra-quartile range (IQR) 26-39). The top 5 performing models were CatBoost (AUC 0.912), Random Forest (AUC 0.917), LightGBM (AUC 0.907), Gradient Boosting (AUC 0.905) and XGBoost (AUC 0.900). The best model, CatBoost, achieved an accuracy of 0.837, sensitivity of 0.776, specificity of 0.831, precision of 0.782 and F1-score of 0.778. The key important features were lesion duration, type of skin lesions, age, gender, history of skin disorders, number of lesions, dysuria duration, anorectal pain and itchiness., Conclusions: Our best model demonstrates a reasonable performance in distinguishing STIs from non-STIs. However, to be clinically useful, more detailed information such as clinical images, may be required to reach sufficient accuracy., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

This paper presents a solution that prioritises high privacy protection and improves communication throughput for predicting the risk of sexually transmissible infections/human immunodeficiency virus (STIs/HIV). The approach utilised Federated Learning (FL) to construct a model from multiple clinics and key stakeholders. FL ensured that only models were shared between clinics, minimising the risk of personal information leakage. Additionally, an algorithm was explored on the FL manager side to construct a global model that aligns with the communication status of the system. Our proposed method introduced Random Forest Federated Learning for assessing the risk of STIs/HIV, incorporating a flexible aggregation process that can be adjusted to accommodate the capacious communication system. Experimental results demonstrated the significant potential of a solution for estimating STIs/HIV risk. In comparison with recent studies, our approach yielded superior results in terms of AUC (0.97) and accuracy ( 93 % ). Despite these promising findings, a limitation of the study lies in the experiment for man's data, due to the self-reported nature of the data and sensitive content. which may be subject to participant bias. Future research could check the performance of the proposed framework in partnership with high-risk populations (e.g., men who have sex with men) to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the proposed framework's impact and ultimately aim to improve health outcomes/health service optimisation., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI), as their name suggests, are infections caused by more than thirty different bacteria, viruses, and parasites and are transmitted through sexual contact, including vaginal, anal, or oral intercourse, although some sexually transmitted infections can also transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth and lactation. According to World Health Organization, one of the main populations at risk for acquiring these diseases are sex workers and their clients. Due to the high prevalence, the characteristics and behaviors that favor the development of these diseases are analyzed. The main objective of this paper was to analyze the risk factors in the acquisition of sexually transmitted diseases in the population of sex workers., Methods: A literature search was conducted in Scopus, Pubmed, CINAHL, Medline, LILACS and IBECS, of observational, longitudinal and mixed methods studies conducted in sex workers and published between January 2011 and March 2021, with a final sample of fourty-three articles. The mixed methods assessment tool (MMAT) was used to assess the methodological quality of the papers., Results: After analyzing the literature, eleven groups of risk factors related to the acquisition of sexually transmitted diseases were obtained, these being economic factors, factors related to sexual practices, drug use, sex work, education, health problems, country of origin and mobility, partner, age, violence and other factors not belonging to the previous categories., Conclusions: Sex workers have numerous characteristics and behaviors that make them vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections. Of note are years of prostitution, drug use, number of partners and condom use, which are key factors for future prevention and intervention strategies, as well as research.

MiRNAs are small endogenous non-coding RNAs that have been demonstrated to be involved in post-transcriptional gene silencing, regulating a number of metabolic functions in the human body, including immune response, cellular physiology, organ development, angiogenesis, signaling, and other aspects. As popular molecules that have been studied in previous years, given their extensive regulatory functions, miRNAs hold considerable promise as non-invasive biomarkers. Sexually transmitted infections(STIs) are still widespread and have an adverse effect on individuals, communities, and society worldwide. miRNAs in the regulatory networks are generally involved in their molecular processes of formation and development. In this review, we discuss the value of miRNAs for the diagnosis of STIs., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Chemsex is the intentional use of substances in sexualized settings among men who have sex with men. An increasing public health issue, chemsex has estimated prevalence rates of 3% to 29% in men who have sex with men. Known risks of chemsex include higher exposure to HIV and other STIs, addiction, and cardiovascular problems. Recent research has also shown that chemsexers are prone to depression, anxiety, psychotic experiences, and cognitive impairment. Our commentary highlights the discrepancy between the public health burden associated with risky chemsex practices and the research gap in this domain. We warn against the simplistic application to chemsex of existing theoretical concepts or therapeutic strategies that work for addictions and at-risk sexual behaviours. Such an approach neglects the unique features of this emerging phenomenon, which mainly affects stigmatized minorities., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Primary healthcare facilities lack routine diagnostic screening due to resource limitations and dependence on syndromic management, resulting in an unprecedented prevalence and incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), particularly among key and priority populations. Specific focuses are essential to strengthen current STI control measures. Therefore, this article describes the protocol for evaluating STI programme among key and priority populations in selected primary healthcare facilities in South Africa. We will employ an exploratory, descriptive research design to assess the STI programme in terms of its facility operations, functions, scope, gaps, delivery services, STI surveillance methods, and indicators in the selected primary healthcare facilities. A purposive sample of 15–20 STI programme stakeholders will be selected from five primary healthcare facilities in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The programme evaluation will use the World Health Organization assessment checklist tool, a globally recognised and validated instrument comprising open- and closed-ended questions to assess the STI programme. This tool, known for its credibility and reliability, ensures the study's validity. Quantitative data will be captured on STATA software (College Station, TX, USA) version 18 for descriptive analysis and presented as the mean and standard deviation for continuous variables, proportions and percentages for categorical variables. A p ≤ 0.05 will demonstrate a statistically significant level. Thematic content analysis will be conducted for the qualitative data using Atlas. ti software (Technical University, Berlin, Germany) version 23.1. The study's results will inform new approaches to strengthen STI coverage, service delivery, and linkage to care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary of review paper: Introduction and purpose: Condyloma acuminata, a benign manifestation of HPV infection, is a common sexually transmitted disease. Condyloma acuminata most commonly affects the anogenital area, but can also occur in the oral cavity. Macroscopically the lesions present as raised, fleshy papules, sometimes flat and broad, pedicled or cauliflower-like. Generally, the lesions are multiple, and as they grow, tend to coalesce into larger ones. Due to the lack of symptoms, condyloma acuminata are often found incidentally during routine medical appointments, e.g. in gynecologist's offices. Additional symptoms and signs are pain, minor bleeding and pruritus. Patients suffering from condyloma acuminata are often in psychological and psychosexual distress. This work aims to provide a summary of the currently available treatment options based on scientific reports to date. A brief description of the state of knowledge: Among the factors that increase the risk of the HPV infection are age, lifestyle, promiscuity, smoking, HIV infection, a history of chlamydia or gonorrhea infections. To date, no treatment algorithm has been developed for condyloma acuminata. Two vaccines are on offer as primary prevention, Gardasil and Cervarix. The available treatment options are divided into two main groups: patient-administered and physician administered. Surgical methods have the highest therapeutic efficacy. Condyloma acuminata has a high recurrence rate. Usually, a multi-session combination treatment is needed to reach total remission. Summary (conclusions): The treatment of condyloma acuminata includes personalized targets due to their diverse clinical picture and the limitations of certain patient groups. The available treatment options do not exhaust the needs of patients suffering from condyloma acuminata. Further research into the effectiveness of specific treatments is advisable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Partner notification (PN) is key to controlling sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Digital PN options (e.g. social media, short message service (SMS), emails) are promising in increasing PN behaviour. However, their implementation is often challenging and studies report varied levels of acceptability and uptake of PN, highlighting the need to optimise digital PN interventions. Methods: A systematic review of barriers and facilitators to digital PN interventions for STIs, including HIV, across eight research databases (from 2010 to 2023) identified eight relevant studies, two of which addressed HIV. Data extraction identified 98 barriers and 54 facilitators to the use of digital PN interventions. These were synthesised into 18 key barriers and 17 key facilitators that were each deemed amenable to change. We then used the Behaviour Change Wheel approach, the Acceptability, Practicability, Effectiveness, Affordability, Side-effects and Equity criteria, and multidisciplinary expert input, to systematically develop practical recommendations to optimise digital PN. Results: Thirty-two specific recommendations clustered around three themes. Digital PN interventions should: (1) empower and support the index patient by providing a range of notification options, accompanied by clear instructions; (2) integrate into users' existing habits and the digital landscape, meeting contemporary standards and expectations of usability; and (3) address the social context of PN both online and offline through normalising the act of PN, combating STI-related stigma and stressing the altruistic aspects of PN through consistent messaging to service users and the public. Conclusions: Our evidence-based recommendations should be used to optimise existing digital PN interventions and inform the co-production of new ones. This paper systematically develops recommendations to improve current and future digital partner notification interventions. It takes findings from the published international literature and then uses tools from behavioural science to generate a series of simple recommendations. The recommendations should be further operationalised locally with key stakeholders for optimal impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have a profound impact on sexual and reproductive health worldwide. Syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis are four currently curable STIs. However, most STI cases are asymptomatic and not detected without laboratory diagnostics. Hepatitis B virus, herpes simplex virus, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and human papillomavirus (HPV) are four viral and incurable infections, but they can be mitigated by treatment. We investigated the prevalence of selected sexually transmitted pathogens and their relationship with HPV and HIV infection in women from Maputo, the capital of Mozambique. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 233 non-pregnant women seeking health care relating to gynecological symptoms in Mavalane Health facilities in Maputo, between the 1st of February 2018 and the 30th of July 2019. Cervical brush samples were collected and DNA was extracted. Selected STIs including HPV were detected using multiplex STD and HPV Direct Flow Chip Kits through a manual Hybrispot platform (Vitro, Master Diagnostica, Sevilla, Spain). HIV testing was performed using rapid tests: Determine HIV 1/2 test (Alere Abbott Laboratories, Tokyo, Japan) for screening, and UniGold HIV (Trinity Biotech, Ireland) for confirmation. All women (n = 233) were negative for Haemophilus ducreyi and Herpes Simplex Virus-1 (HSV-1). Among the 233 women, a high prevalence of STIs was found (89%), 63% of the women were positive for HPV and 24% were HIV positive. Treponema pallidum (TP), Trichomonas vaginalis (TV), Herpes Simplex Virus-2 (HSV-2), and Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) were detected in 17%, 14%, 8%, and 8% of the women, respectively. As a common phenomenon, vaginal discharge (90%) was the lower genital tract symptom reported by the majority of the women. Co-infection with any STI and HPV was detected in 56% (130/233) while 45% (59/130) of the co-infections were with high-risk HPV (hrHPV) genotypes. Among the HPV-positive participants, infection by TP was the most prevalent (27%). In total, 28% (66/233) of the participants were positive for any hrHPV genotypes. Co-infection with any STI and HIV was found in 15% (34/233) of the study participants. There was a significant association between HPV infection and TP (p = 0.039) and HSV-2 (p = 0.005). TV, TP, and CT-S1-CT-S2 positivity were significantly more prevalent in HIV-positive participants. Pathobionts Ureaplasma urealyticum/parvum and Mycoplasma hominis were detected in 84.0% (195/233) and 45% (105/233), respectively. This present study describes a high prevalence of STIs. Co-infection between HPV and STIs was found in the majority of the study subjects. The high prevalence of HPV emphasizes the need for HPV vaccination to prevent cervical cancer in this population. Management of STIs is also important in women presenting with gynecological symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Young migrants may engage in risky behaviours due to social, economic, and psychological challenges as they try to "get by" in their new host communities. This can result in unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections including HIV, and poor mental health outcomes. During a study to test the feasibility and acceptability of an early intervention to reduce the harm of patterns of risk associated with migration, we assessed access to and utilization of sexual and reproductive health services (SRH) among recent migrants (14-24 years) in south-western Uganda. Methods: The intervention conducted in 2022/23 involved training peer supporters to provide referral advice and support to young people. Between March-November 2022, 20 young migrants (11 males and 9 females) were purposively selected to participate in two in-depth interviews each to explore their experiences during the intervention. Data were analysed thematically. Results: Women engaged in transactional sex to supplement their low pay while men got involved in risky behaviour once they had earned some money. Many suffered from sexually transmitted infections-related symptoms, were at risk for HIV infection and some women had fears of unwanted pregnancy. While some tried to seek for SRH services from public facilities, poor health service delivery such as long queues and shortages of drugs, discouraged them from going there. Young people tried to access treatment from private facilities but could not afford the costs. The intervention increased knowledge about SRH and supported young people to access services from the public health facilities at no cost thus increasing utilization. Conclusion: Sexual health risks were experienced differently by women and men. The women were likely to experience symptoms related to sexually transmitted infections (including HIV) much earlier than men and this could increase their likelihood to engage with SRH services. The intervention served to increase men's readiness to access SRH services by providing them at a time and place that is convenient. Recognizing the different risk profiles of young people is important in tailoring appropriate interventions to promote equitable access and utilization of SRH services for both genders in this vulnerable population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Spatial analysis at different levels can help understand spatial variation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, disease drivers, and targeted interventions. Combining spatial analysis and the evaluation of the determinants of the HIV burden in Southern African countries is essential for a better understanding of the disease dynamics in high-burden settings. Methods: The study countries were selected based on the availability of demographic and health surveys (DHS) and corresponding geographic coordinates. We used multivariable regression to evaluate the determinants of HIV burden and assessed the presence and nature of HIV spatial autocorrelation in six Southern African countries. Results: The overall prevalence of HIV for each country varied between 11.3% in Zambia and 22.4% in South Africa. The HIV prevalence rate was higher among female respondents in all six countries. There were reductions in prevalence estimates in most countries yearly from 2011 to 2020. The hotspot cluster findings show that the major cities in each country are the key sites of high HIV burden. Compared with female respondents, the odds of being HIV positive were lesser among the male respondents. The probability of HIV infection was higher among those who had sexually transmitted infections (STI) in the last 12 months, divorced and widowed individuals, and women aged 25 years and older. Conclusions: Our research findings show that analysis of survey data could provide reasonable estimates of the wide-ranging spatial structure of the HIV epidemic in Southern African countries. Key determinants such as individuals who are divorced, middle-aged women, and people who recently treated STIs, should be the focus of HIV prevention and control interventions. The spatial distribution of high-burden areas for HIV in the selected countries was more pronounced in the major cities. Interventions should also be focused on locations identified as hotspot clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: People who inject drugs (PWID) remain a high priority population under the federal Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative with 11% of new HIV infections attributable to injection drug use. There is a critical need for innovative, efficacious, scalable, and community-driven models of healthcare in non-stigmatizing settings for PWID. We seek to test a Comprehensive-TeleHarm Reduction (C-THR) intervention for HIV prevention services delivered via a syringe services program (SSP). Methods: The CHARIOT trial is a hybrid type I effectiveness-implementation study using a parallel two-arm randomized controlled trial design. Participants (i.e., PWID; n = 350) will be recruited from a syringe services program (SSP) in Miami, Florida. Participants will be randomized to receive either C-THR or non-SSP clinic referral and patient navigation. The objectives are: (1) to determine if the C-THR intervention increases engagement in HIV prevention (i.e., HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis; PrEP or medications for opioid use disorder; MOUD) compared to non-SSP clinic referral and patient navigation, (2) to examine the long-term effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the C-THR intervention, and (3) to assess the barriers and facilitators to implementation and sustainment of the C-THR intervention. The co-primary outcomes are PrEP or MOUD engagement across follow-up at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. For PrEP, engagement is confirmed by tenofovir on dried blood spot or cabotegravir injection within the previous 8 weeks. For MOUD, engagement is defined as screening positive for norbuprenorphine or methadone on urine drug screen; or naltrexone or buprenorphine injection within the previous 4 weeks. Secondary outcomes include PrEP adherence, engagement in HCV treatment and sustained virologic response, and treatment of sexually transmitted infections. The short and long term cost-effectiveness analyses and mixed-methods implementation evaluation will provide compelling data on the sustainability and possible impact of C-THR on comprehensive HIV prevention delivered via SSPs. Discussion: The CHARIOT trial will be the first to our knowledge to test the efficacy of an innovative, peer-led telehealth intervention with PWID at risk for HIV delivered via an SSP. This innovative healthcare model seeks to transform the way PWID access care by bypassing the traditional healthcare system, reducing multi-level barriers to care, and meeting PWID where they are. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05897099. Trial registry name: Comprehensive HIV and Harm Prevention Via Telehealth (CHARIOT). Registration date: 06/12/2023. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Reproductive Health is the property of BioMed Central and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Migration is common among transgender women (TGW), often driven by the desire to escape stigma, find acceptance, establish new connections, access body modifications, or enter new avenues of sex work. Given the heightened mobility of TGW, they are mostly vulnerable to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) due to migration. This study aimed to evaluate the association between in-country migration and HIV infection among TGW in Northeast Brazil. Methods: The DIVAS was a cross-sectional, multicity study investigating risk behaviors and sexually transmitted infections (STI) among TGW in 2016–2017. A total of 864 TGW were recruited through respondent-driven sampling from three capital cities in Northeast Brazil. Logistic regression estimating odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) was used to assess the relationship between in-country migration and HIV infection. Results: The prevalence of HIV among TGW was 24.5%, 21.4% among those aged 18–34 and 36.1% among those ≥ 35 years old. In-country migration increased the odds of HIV infection among TGW aged 18–34 years (OR = 1.84; 95%CI:1.04–3.27) and even higher among those aged ≥ 35y old (OR = 3.08; 95%CI:1.18–8.04). Conclusions: These data reinforce the pressing need for public health policies that provide comprehensive access and strategies for demand creation for HIV/AIDS prevention and care for TGW who are already highly vulnerable to infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Zurich Primary HIV Infection (ZPHI) study is a longitudinal cohort study established in 2002, aiming to study the clinical, epidemiological, and biological characteristics of primary HIV infection. The ZPHI enrolls individuals with documented primary HIV-1 infection. At the baseline and thereafter, the socio-demographic, clinical, and laboratory data are systematically collected, and regular blood sampling is performed for biobanking. By the end of December 2022, 486 people were enrolled, of which 353 were still undergoing active follow-up. Of the 486 participants, 86% had an acute infection, and 14% a recent HIV-1 infection. Men who have sex with men accounted for 74% of the study population. The median time from the estimated date of infection to diagnosis was 32 days. The median time from diagnosis to the initiation of antiretroviral therapy was 11 days, and this has consistently decreased over the last two decades. During the seroconversion phase, 447 (92%) patients reported having symptoms, of which only 73% of the patients were classified as having typical acute retroviral syndrome. The ZPHI study is a well-characterized cohort belonging to the most extensively studied primary HIV infection cohort. Its findings contribute to advancing our understanding of the early stages of HIV infection and pathogenesis, and it is paving the way to further improve HIV translational research and HIV medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can cause severe and fatal complications; knowledge about these diseases is essential for promoting safe sex practices and modifying behaviours that are harmful to one's health. This study investigates Syrian people's understanding, attitudes, and behaviors towards HIV/AIDS and STIs, aiming to identify factors promoting safe sex practices and modifying harmful behaviors. Methods: This online cross-sectional study was conducted in Syria between 3 September and 23 November 2022, involving all 18+ individuals. The questionnaire was adapted from a previous study containing 74 questions from five sections: socio-demographic information, knowledge and practice regarding STIs, knowledge and practice regarding HIV/AIDS, attitude towards HIV/AIDS, and attitude regarding STIs and analyzed using descriptive and multivariate logistic regression. Results: The study involved 1073 participants mostly aged between 18-30, with 55.3% females. Over half had good awareness of STIs and HIV/AIDS, with 55% and 63% respectively. Specifically, the overall knowledge level of STI type, signs/symptoms, risks of transmission, preventive methods, and complications for untreated STIs were (45.7%), (52.9%), (58.1%), (66.1%), and (59.6%), respectively. Medical field respondents had higher knowledge of HIV (P-value < 0.05, OR = 2). Conclusion: Our results show that Syrian people have a knowledge level of STIs and HIV was moderate. However, the attitude toward STIs was negative, as less than half of the participants had a good attitude. It is essential to solve these knowledge gaps, especially in low-income countries such as Syria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Saúde Coletiva is the property of MPM Comunicacao and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)