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BackgroundGay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV. In Africa, MSM face structural barriers to HIV prevention and treatment including socio-economic disadvantages, stigma, and criminalization that increase their vulnerability to HIV acquisition and transmission and undermine progress towards ending AIDS. This systematic review explores progress towards increases in HIV testing, improving engagement in the HIV treatment cascade, and HIV incidence reductions among MSM in Africa.MethodsWe searched Embase, Medline, Global Health, Scopus, and Web of Science from January 1980-March 2022 for cross-sectional and longitudinal studies reporting HIV testing, knowledge of status, care, antiretroviral therapy (ART) use, viral suppression, and/or HIV incidence among MSM in Africa. We pooled surveys using Bayesian generalized linear mixed-effects models, used meta-regression to assess time trends, and compared HIV incidence estimates among MSM with those of all men.FindingsOf 8,992 articles identified, we included 148 unique studies published from 2005-2022. HIV testing increased over time in Central/Western and Eastern Africa and in 2020, we estimate that 88% (95% credible interval (CrI) 57-97%) of MSM had tested in the past 12 months, but 66% (19-94%) of MSM living with HIV knew their HIV status, although this is probably underestimated given non-disclosure. Current ART use increased over time in Central/Western (ORyear=1.4, 95%CrI 1.1-2.0, N=8) and Eastern/Southern Africa (ORyear=1.4, 1.0-1.8, N=17) and in 2020 we estimate that 75% (18-98%) of MSM living with HIV in Africa were currently on ART. Nevertheless, we did not find strong evidence viral suppression increased, and in 2020 we estimate that only 62% (12-95%) of MSM living with HIV were virally suppressed. HIV incidence among MSM did not decrease over time (IRRyear=1.0, 0.7-1.3, N=38) and remained high in 2020 (5.4 per 100 person-years, 0.9-33.9) and substantially higher (27-150 times higher) than among all men.InterpretationNo decreases in HIV incidence have been observed among MSM in Africa over time, despite some increases in HIV testing and ART use. Achieving the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets for diagnosis, treatment, and viral suppression equitably for all requires renewed focus on this key population. Combination interventions for MSM are urgently required to reduce disparities in HIV incidence and tackle the social, structural, and behavioural factors that make MSM vulnerable to HIV acquisition.FundingUS National Institutes of Health, UK Medical Research Council, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Fonds de Recherche du Québec – Santé.

BACKGROUND: It is unknown how past and active hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection affect immunorecovery and mortality in people with HIV who initiate tenofovir-based anti-retroviral therapy (ART). METHODS: Using data collected between 2008– 2015, we studied people with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa initiating immediate ART in the Temprano randomized control trial. We classified participants into HBV groups at ART-initiation: hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive with HBV DNA ≥2000 IU/mL; HBsAg-positive with HBV DNA

Background In human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients, hepatitis B virus (HBV) coinfection increases the risk of disease progression. Tenofovir plus emtricitabine/lamivudine (TDF/XTC)-based antiretroviral therapy (ART), which suppresses HIV and HBV replication, has the potential for decreasing this risk. Here, we analyze the association between HBV replication, early ART, and mortality in West African adults. Methods The Temprano randomized controlled trial assessed the benefits of immediately initiating vs deferring ART in HIV-infected adults with high CD4 counts. After trial completion, participants continued follow-up in a posttrial phase. We analyzed the association between HBV status, immediate ART, and mortality over the entire trial and posttrial follow-up using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression. Results A total of 2052 HIV-infected adults (median baseline CD4 count, 464 cells/μL) were followed for 9394 person-years. At baseline, 1862 (91%) were HIV monoinfected and 190 (9%) HIV/HBV coinfected. Of the latter, 135 (71%) had plasma HBV DNA

Based on social indicators collected within the TEMPRANO-ANRS12136 trial, we assessed the social consequences of early antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation in west Africa. We did not observe any significant differences in the levels or the time trends of various social indicators, including union status, HIV disclosure and HIV-related discrimination, between early and deferred ART initiation. Early ART does not carry detectable adverse social consequences that could impair its clinical and preventive benefits.