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: Introduction: Approval of the first long‐acting injectable antiretroviral therapy (LAI ART) medication heralded a new era of HIV treatment. However, the years since approval have been marked by implementation challenges. The “Accelerating Implementation of Multilevel Strategies to Advance Long‐Acting Injectable for Underserved Populations (ALAI UP Project)” aims to accelerate the systematic and equitable delivery of LAI ART. Methods: We coded and analysed implementation barriers according to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) domains, desired resources and programme goals from questionnaire short‐answer responses by clinics across the United States responding to ALAI UP's solicitation to participate in the project between November 2022 and January 2023. Results: Thirty‐eight clinics responded to ALAI UP's solicitation. The characteristics of LAI ART as an innovation (cost, complexity of procurement, dosing interval, limited eligibility) precipitated and interacted with barriers in other CFIR domains. Barriers included obtaining coverage for the cost of medication (27/38 clinics) (outer setting); need for new workflows and staffing (12/38) and/or systems to support injection scheduling/coordination (16/38), transportation and expanded clinic hours (13/38) (inner setting); and patient (10/38) and provider (7/38) education (individuals). To support implementation, applicants sought: technical assistance to develop protocols and workflows (18/38), specifically strategies to address payor challenges (8/38); additional staff for care coordination and benefits navigation (17/38); opportunities to share experiences with other implementing clinics (12/38); patient‐facing materials to educate and increase demand (7/38); and support engaging communities (6/38). Clinics’ LAI ART programme goals varied. Most prioritized delivering LAI ART to their most marginalized patients struggling to achieve viral suppression on oral therapy, despite awareness that current US Food and Drug Administration approval is only for virally suppressed patients. The goal for LAI ART reach after 1 year of implementation ranged from ≤10% of patients with HIV on LAI ART (17/38) to ≥50% of patients (2/38). Conclusions: Diverse clinic types are interested in offering LAI ART and most aspire to use LAI ART to support their most vulnerable patients sustain viral suppression. Dedicated resources centred on equity and relevant to context and population are needed to support implementation. Otherwise, the introduction of LAI ART risks exacerbating, not ameliorating, health disparities., INTRODUCTION Long‐acting injectable antiretroviral therapy (LAI ART) can dramatically transform HIV care and reduce HIV‐related health inequities in achieving and maintaining viral suppression [1–3]. However, in the first 2 years [...]

Objective: The study's objective is to explore psychological distress (PD) among remote learners during COVID-19. Participants: Female undergraduates matriculated at an NYC college in Winter 2020. Methods: Using the Kessler-6 scale, we defined PD as no/low (LPD), mild/moderate (MPD), and severe (SPD) and assessed if residing in/near NYC modified associations. Results: PD was common (MPD: 34.1%, SPD: 38.9%). Students identifying as Other/Multiracial had lower MPD odds (aOR = 0.39 [0.17–0.88]). SPD was associated with identifying as White (aOR = 2.02 [1.02–3.99]), unbalanced meals (aOR = 2.59 [1.06–6.30]), violence experience (aOR = 1.77 [1.06–2.94]), no social support (aOR = 3.24 [1.37–7.64]), and loneliness (aOR = 2.52 [1.29–4.95]). Among students in/near NYC, moderate/high drug use (aOR = 2.76 [1.15–6.61]), no social support (aOR = 3.62 [1.10–1.19]), and loneliness (aOR = 2.92 [1.11–7.63]) were SPD correlates. Conclusions: PD was high and associated with food insecurity, violence experience, no social support, and loneliness. Living in/near NYC modified drug use, loneliness, and social support associations. Mental health initiatives should address modifiable risk factors to ameliorate pandemic-associated PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

: Introduction: Several low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) are preparing to introduce long‐acting pre‐exposure prophylaxis (LAP). Amid multiple pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) options and constrained funding, decision‐makers could benefit from systematic implementation planning and aligned costs. We reviewed national costed implementation plans (CIPs) to describe relevant implementation inputs and activities (domains) for informing the costed rollout of LAP. We assessed how primary costing evidence aligned with those domains. Methods: We conducted a rapid review of CIPs for oral PrEP and family planning (FP) to develop a consensus of implementation domains, and a scoping review across nine electronic databases for publications on PrEP costing in LMICs between January 2010 and June 2022. We extracted cost data and assessed alignment with the implementation domains and the Global Health Costing Consortium principles. Results: We identified 15 implementation domains from four national PrEP plans and FP‐CIP template; only six were in all sources. We included 66 full‐text manuscripts, 10 reported LAP, 13 (20%) were primary cost studies‐representing seven countries, and none of the 13 included LAP. The 13 primary cost studies included PrEP commodities (n = 12), human resources (n = 11), indirect costs (n = 11), other commodities (n = 10), demand creation (n = 9) and counselling (n = 9). Few studies costed integration into non‐HIV services (n = 5), above site costs (n = 3), supply chains and logistics (n = 3) or policy and planning (n = 2), and none included the costs of target setting, health information system adaptations or implementation research. Cost units and outcomes were variable (e.g. average per person‐year). Discussion: LAP planning will require updating HIV prevention policies, technical assistance for logistical and clinical support, expanding beyond HIV platforms, setting PrEP achievement targets overall and disaggregated by method, extensive supply chain and logistics planning and support, as well as updating health information systems to monitor multiple PrEP methods with different visit schedules. The 15 implementation domains were variable in reviewed studies. PrEP primary cost and budget data are necessary for new product introduction and should match implementation plans with financing. Conclusions: As PrEP services expand to include LAP, decision‐makers need a framework, tools and a process to support countries in planning the systematic rollout and costing for LAP., INTRODUCTION Of the nearly 1.5 million annual new HIV acquisitions globally, most occur in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs), and 70% of acquisitions occur in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) [1–3]. In [...]

Introduction: Violence against women is a prevalent, preventable public health crisis. COVID-19 stressors and pandemic countermeasures may have exacerbated violence against women. Cisgender college women are particularly vulnerable to violence. Thus, we examined the prevalence and correlates of verbal/physical violence experienced and perpetrated among cisgender women enrolled at a New York City college over one year during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: From a prospective cohort study, we analyzed data self-reported quarterly (T1, T2, T3, T4) between December 2020 and December 2021. Using generalized estimated equations (GEE) and logistic regression, we identified correlates of experienced and perpetrated violence among respondents who were partnered or cohabitating longitudinally and at each quarter, respectively. Multivariable models included all variables with unadjusted parameters X² p-value ≤0.05. Results: The prevalence of experienced violence was 52% (T1: N = 513), 30% (T2: N = 305), 33% (T3: N = 238), and 17% (T4: N = 180); prevalence of perpetrated violence was 38%, 17%, 21%, and 9%. Baseline correlates of experienced violence averaged over time (GEE) included race, living situation, loneliness, and condom use; correlates of perpetrated violence were school year, living situation, and perceived social support. Quarter-specific associations corroborated population averages: living with family members and low social support were associated with experienced violence at all timepoints except T4. Low social support was associated with higher odds of perpetrated violence at T1/T3. Other/Multiracial identity was associated with higher odds of violence experience at T3. Conclusions: Living situation was associated with experienced and perpetrated violence in all analyses, necessitating further exploration of household conditions, family dynamics, and interpersonal factors. The protective association of social support with experienced and perpetrated violence also warrants investigation into forms of social engagement and cohesion. Racial differences in violence also require examination. Our findings can inform university policy development on violence and future violence research. Within or beyond epidemic conditions, universities should assess and strengthen violence prevention and support systems for young women by developing programming to promote social cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) provision is a priority intervention for high HIV prevalence settings and populations at substantial risk of HIV acquisition. This mathematical modelling analysis estimated the impact, cost and cost-effectiveness of scaling up oral PrEP in 13 countries. Methods: We projected the impact and cost-effectiveness of oral PrEP between 2018 and 2030 using a combination of the Incidence Patterns Model and the Goals model. We created four PrEP rollout scenarios involving three priority populations--female sex workers (FSWs), serodiscordant couples (SDCs) and adolescent girls and young women (AGYW)--both with and without geographic prioritization. We applied the model to 13 countries (Eswatini, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe). The base case assumed achievement of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS 90-90-90 antiretroviral therapy targets, 90% male circumcision coverage by 2020 and 90% efficacy and adherence levels for oral PrEP. Results: In the scenarios we examined, oral PrEP averted 3% to 8% of HIV infections across the 13 countries between 2018 and 2030. For all but three countries, more than 50% of the HIV infections averted by oral PrEP in the scenarios we examined could be obtained by rollout to FSWs and SDCs alone. For several countries, expanding oral PrEP to include medium-risk AGYW in all regions greatly increased the impact. The efficiency and impact benefits of geographic prioritization of rollout to AGYW varied across countries. Variations in cost-effectiveness across countries reflected differences in HIV incidence and expected variations in unit cost. For most countries, rolling out oral PrEP to FSWs, SDCs and geographically prioritized AGYW was not projected to have a substantial impact on the supply chain for antiretroviral drugs. Conclusions: These modelling results can inform prioritization, target-setting and other decisions related to oral PrEP scale-up within combination prevention programmes. We caution against extensive use given limitations in cost data and implementation approaches. This analysis highlights some of the immediate challenges facing countries--for example, trade-offs between overall impact and cost-effectiveness--and emphasizes the need to improve data availability and risk assessment tools to help countries make informed decisions. Keywords: PrEP; pre-exposure prophylaxis; cost-effectiveness; mathematical modelling; HIV; policy, (1) | INTRODUCTION A growing body of evidence has shown oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)--the use of oral antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) by HIV-negative individuals to prevent HIV acquisition--to be safe and [...]

Introduction HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a key strategy for preventing HIV transmission, requires awareness and access to PrEP services. Although all patients should be made aware of HIV PrEP; the diagnosis of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is an important indicator of potential HIV PrEP need. In a previous evaluation of Get2PrEP (G2P), we found that an electronic medical record laboratory comments did not increase the frequency of PrEP discussions between patients and providers. In Get2PrEP2 (G2P2), we hypothesized that active, personalized messaging to providers about HIV PrEP would increase the documentation of PrEP discussions, referrals, and/or provision of HIV PrEP to individuals diagnosed with an STI. Methods G2P2 was a parallel 3-arm, unblinded, randomized controlled design. Participants were allocated 2:1 to intervention or control. Participants in the intervention arm were further allocated to receive provider messaging through the electronic medical record chat message or e-mail. Results The 191 randomized encounters resulted in a modest 7.8% (odds ratio, 1.078; confidence interval, 1.02–1.13) increase in documented PrEP discussions in intervention encounters versus none in the standard care group. There was no statistical difference by intervention modality. All documented discussions occurred in the outpatient or emergency department and were more frequent in women and those aged <25 years. Discussion An e-mail or electronic medical record chat message sent to providers of patients testing positive for an STI had a small but significant effect on documented patient-provider PrEP discussions. Further investigation is required to determine whether provider messaging can increase PrEP uptake among eligible patients and longer-term outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a WHO-recommended HIV prevention method for people at high risk for acquiring HIV, is being increasingly implemented in many countries. Setting programmatic targets, particularly in generalised epidemics, could incorporate estimates of the size of the population likely to be eligible for PrEP using incidence-based thresholds. We estimated the proportion of men and women who would be eligible for PrEP and the number of HIV infections that could be averted in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia using prioritisation based on age, sex, geography, and markers of risk. Methods and findings We analysed the latest nationally representative Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia to determine the proportion of adults who report behavioural markers of risk for HIV infection. We used prevalence ratios (PRs) to quantify the association of these factors with HIV status. Using a multiplier method, we combined these proportions with the number of new HIV infections by district, derived from district-level modelled HIV estimates. Based on these numbers, different scenarios were analysed for the minimum number of person-years on PrEP needed to prevent 1 HIV infection (NNP). An estimated total of 38,000, 108,000, and 46,000 new infections occurred in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia in 2016, corresponding with incidence rates of 0.43, 0.63, and 0.57 per 100 person-years. In these countries, 9%-20% of new infections occurred among people with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the past 12 months and 40%-42% among people with either an STI or a non-regular sexual partner (NP) in the past 12 months (STINP). The models estimate that around 50% of new infections occurred in districts with incidence rates [greater than or equal to]1.0% in Mozambique and Zambia and [greater than or equal to]0.5% in Malawi. In Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia, 35.1%, 21.9%, and 12.5% of the population live in these high-incidence districts. In the most parsimonious scenario, if women aged 15-34 years and men 20-34 years with an STI in the past 12 months living in high-incidence districts were to take PrEP, it would take a minimum of 65.8 person-years on PrEP to avert 1 HIV infection per year in Malawi, 35.2 in Mozambique, and 16.4 in Zambia. Our findings suggest that 3,300, 5,200, and 1,700 new infections could be averted per year in the 3 countries, respectively. Limitations of our study are that these values are based on modelled estimates of HIV incidence and self-reported behavioural risk factors from national surveys. Conclusions A large proportion of new HIV infections in these 3 African countries were estimated to occur among people who had either an STI or an NP in the past year, providing a straightforward means to set PrEP targets. Greater prioritisation of PrEP by district, sex, age, and behavioural risk factors resulted in lower NNPs thereby increasing PrEP cost-effectiveness, but also diminished the overall impact on reducing new infections, Author(s): Dominik Stelzle 1,2, Peter Godfrey-Faussett 3,4, Chuan Jia 5, Obreniokibo Amiesimaka 1, Mary Mahy 3, Delivette Castor 6, Ioannis Hodges-Mameletzis 5, Lastone Chitembo 7, Rachel Baggaley 5, Shona Dalal [...]

Background: Over the past decade, the incidence of primary and secondary syphilis has increased dramatically in the United States and western Europe. Men living with HIV and those at risk of HIV infection experience disproportionately high rates of early syphilis [ES]. We compared the odds of ES among HIV-positive and HIV-negative men participating in a status-neutral comprehensive HIV prevention and treatment program [CHP].Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of men aged 18-65 years with ≥ one CHP visit and ≥ two rapid plasma reagin [RPR] tests performed between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2021. ES was defined as newly reactive RPR with a minimum titer of ≥1:4 or a ≥ four-fold increase in the RPR titer. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to determine predictors of ES.Results: A total of 2490 men met the inclusion criteria, of whom 1426 (57·3%) were HIV-positive and 1064 (42·7%) were HIV-negative. Of the 393 men with ES, 284 (72·3%) were HIV-positive and 109 (27·7%) were HIV-negative. HIV-positive men had higher adjusted odds of ES (aOR 2·86, 95% CI 2·45, 3·27) than HIV-negative men did. Chlamydia or gonorrhea [CTGC] infection did not differ according to HIV status (aOR 0·93, 95% CI 0·82, 1·04).Conclusions: In our status-neutral care setting, HIV-positive status was associated with significantly higher odds of ES, but not CTGC. Our findings emphasize the vulnerability of HIV-positive men to syphilis in an era of effective HIV biomedical prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA titer and transaminase levels in HIV/HCV-coinfected persons is evaluated for liver transaminase levels, HCV RNA titers and interferon-alpha levels. In conclusion, few patients had drug-induced heptatotoxicity associated with initiation of HAART, but HAART use was not associated with a significant increase in liver transaminase levels for the group as whole.