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Meek CJ, Munkhondya TEM, Mphande M, Tembo TA, Chitani M, Jean-Baptiste M, Vansia D, Kumbuyo C, Wang J, Simon KR, Rutstein SE, Barrington C, Kim MH, Go VF, Rosenberg NE. Examining the feasibility of assisted index case testing for HIV case-finding: a qualitative analysis of barriers and facilitators to implementation in Malawi. BMC Health Serv Res 2024; 24:606. [PMID: 38720312 PMCID: PMC11080127 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-024-10988-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Assisted index case testing (ICT), in which health care workers take an active role in referring at-risk contacts of people living with HIV for HIV testing services, has been widely recognized as an evidence-based intervention with high potential to increase status awareness in people living with HIV. While the available evidence from eastern and southern Africa suggests that assisted ICT can be an effective, efficient, cost-effective, acceptable, and low-risk strategy to implement in the region, it reveals that feasibility barriers to implementation exist. This study aims to inform the design of implementation strategies to mitigate these feasibility barriers by examining "assisting" health care workers' experiences of how barriers manifest throughout the assisted ICT process, as well as their perceptions of potential opportunities to facilitate feasibility. METHODS In-depth interviews were conducted with 26 lay health care workers delivering assisted ICT in Malawian health facilities. Interviews explored health care workers' experiences counseling index clients and tracing these clients' contacts, aiming to inform development of a blended learning implementation package. Transcripts were inductively analyzed using Dedoose coding software to identify and describe key factors influencing feasibility of assisted ICT. Analysis included multiple rounds of coding and iteration with the data collection team. RESULTS Participants reported a variety of barriers to feasibility of assisted index case testing implementation, including sensitivities around discussing ICT with clients, privacy concerns, limited time for assisted index case testing amid high workloads, poor quality contact information, and logistical obstacles to tracing. Participants also reported several health care worker characteristics that facilitate feasibility (knowledge, interpersonal skills, non-stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors, and a sense of purpose), as well as identified process improvements with the potential to mitigate barriers. CONCLUSIONS Maximizing assisted ICT's potential to increase status awareness in people living with HIV requires equipping health care workers with effective training and support to address and overcome the many feasibility barriers that they face in implementation. Findings demonstrate the need for, as well as inform the development of, implementation strategies to mitigate barriers and promote facilitators to feasibility of assisted ICT. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT05343390. Date of registration: April 25, 2022.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline J Meek
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | | | - Mtisunge Mphande
- Baylor College of Medicine Children's Foundation, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Tapiwa A Tembo
- Baylor College of Medicine Children's Foundation, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Mike Chitani
- Baylor College of Medicine Children's Foundation, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Milenka Jean-Baptiste
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Dhrutika Vansia
- Baylor College of Medicine Children's Foundation, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Caroline Kumbuyo
- Baylor College of Medicine Children's Foundation, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Jiayu Wang
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Sarah E Rutstein
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Clare Barrington
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Maria H Kim
- Baylor College of Medicine Children's Foundation, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Vivian F Go
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Nora E Rosenberg
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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McGowan M, Bärnighausen K, Berner-Rodoreda A, McMahon SA, Mtaita C, Mauti J, Neuhann F. "The targets…are driving the agenda and that probably needs to change": stakeholder perspectives on HIV partner notification in sub-Saharan Africa. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:521. [PMID: 38373972 PMCID: PMC10877856 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-17422-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Voluntary assisted partner notification (VAPN) in HIV contact tracing is a globally recommended strategy to identify persons who have been exposed to HIV and link them to HIV testing and follow-up. However, there is little understanding about how VAPN is experienced by stakeholders in sub-Saharan African (SSA) contexts. We conducted a multi-level and multi-national qualitative analysis evaluating stakeholder perspectives surrounding VAPN implementation to inform the development of future VAPN policies. METHOD We conducted in-depth interviews (IDIs) with VAPN stakeholders at global (n = 5), national (n = 6), and community level (n = 4) across a total of seven SSA countries. Eligible participants were ≥ 18 years old and had experience developing, implementing, or overseeing VAPN policies in SSA. We sought to understand stakeholder's perspectives on policy development, implementation, and perceived outcomes (barriers and facilitators). Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed thematically using a combination of inductive and deductive approaches. RESULTS Between December 2019 and October 2020 we conducted 15 IDIs. While participants agreed that VAPN resulted in a high yield of people newly diagnosed with HIV; they noted numerous barriers surrounding VAPN implementation across global, national, and community levels, the majority of which were identified at community level. Barriers at global and national level included high target setting, contradictory laws, and limited independent research disenfranchising the experiences of implementing partners. The barriers identified at community level included client-level challenges (e.g., access to healthcare facilities and fear of adverse events); healthcare worker challenges (e.g., high workloads); limited data infrastructure; and cultural/gender norms that hindered women from engaging in HIV testing and VAPN services. In response to these barriers, participants shared implementation facilitators to sustain ethical implementation of VAPN services (e.g., contact tracing methods) and increase its yield (e.g., HIV self-testing integrated with VAPN services). CONCLUSION Overall, stakeholders perceived VAPN implementation to encounter barriers across all implementation levels (global to community). Future VAPN policies should be designed around the barriers and facilitators identified by SSA stakeholders to maximize the implementation of (ethical) HIV VAPN services and increase its impact in sub-Saharan African settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen McGowan
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 130.3, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Kate Bärnighausen
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 130.3, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Astrid Berner-Rodoreda
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 130.3, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Shannon A McMahon
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 130.3, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of International Health, Social and Behavioral Interventions Program, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA
| | - Caroline Mtaita
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 130.3, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Joy Mauti
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 130.3, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Florian Neuhann
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 130.3, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- School of Medicine and Clinical Sciences, Lewy Mwanawasa Medical University, Lusaka, Zambia
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Cummins B, Johnson K, Schneider JA, Del Vecchio N, Moshiri N, Wertheim JO, Goyal R, Skaathun B. Leveraging social networks for identification of people with HIV who are virally unsuppressed. AIDS 2024; 38:245-254. [PMID: 37890471 PMCID: PMC10843229 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0000000000003767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study investigates primary peer-referral engagement (PRE) strategies to assess which strategy results in engaging higher numbers of people with HIV (PWH) who are virally unsuppressed. DESIGN We develop a modeling study that simulates an HIV epidemic (transmission, disease progression, and viral evolution) over 6 years using an agent-based model followed by simulating PRE strategies. We investigate two PRE strategies where referrals are based on social network strategies (SNS) or sexual partner contact tracing (SPCT). METHODS We parameterize, calibrate, and validate our study using data from Chicago on Black sexual minority men to assess these strategies for a population with high incidence and prevalence of HIV. For each strategy, we calculate the number of PWH recruited who are undiagnosed or out-of-care (OoC) and the number of direct or indirect transmissions. RESULTS SNS and SPCT identified 256.5 [95% confidence interval (CI) 234-279] and 15 (95% CI 7-27) PWH, respectively. Of these, SNS identified 159 (95% CI 142-177) PWH OoC and 32 (95% CI 21-43) PWH undiagnosed compared with 9 (95% CI 3-18) and 2 (95% CI 0-5) for SPCT. SNS identified 15.5 (95% CI 6-25) and 7.5 (95% CI 2-11) indirect and direct transmission pairs, whereas SPCT identified 6 (95% CI 0-8) and 5 (95% CI 0-8), respectively. CONCLUSION With no testing constraints, SNS is the more effective strategy to identify undiagnosed and OoC PWH. Neither strategy is successful at identifying sufficient indirect or direct transmission pairs to investigate transmission networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Breschine Cummins
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
| | - Kara Johnson
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
| | - John A. Schneider
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | | | | | - Joel O. Wertheim
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ravi Goyal
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Britt Skaathun
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Maierhofer CN, Powers KA, Matoga MM, Chen JS, Jere E, Massa C, Mmodzi P, Bhushan NL, Phiri S, Hoffman IF, Lancaster KE, Miller WC, Rutstein SE. Characterizing Network-Based HIV Testing Interventions to Guide HIV Testing and Contact Tracing at STI Clinics in Lilongwe, Malawi. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2023; 94:151-159. [PMID: 37345996 PMCID: PMC10528029 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000003240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding heterogeneity across patients in effectiveness of network-based HIV testing interventions may optimize testing and contact tracing strategies, expediting linkage to therapy or prevention for contacts of persons with HIV (PWH). SETTING We analyzed data from a randomized controlled trial of a combination intervention comprising acute HIV testing, contract partner notification (cPN), and social contact referral conducted among PWH at 2 STI clinics in Lilongwe, Malawi, between 2015 and 2019. METHODS We used binomial regression to estimate the effect of the combination intervention vs. passive PN (pPN) on having any (1) contact, (2) newly HIV-diagnosed contact, and (3) HIV-negative contact present to the clinic, overall and by referring participant characteristics. We repeated analyses comparing cPN alone with pPN. RESULTS The combination intervention effect on having any presenting contact was greater among referring women than men [prevalence difference (PD): 0.17 vs. 0.10] and among previously vs. newly HIV-diagnosed referring persons (PD: 0.20 vs. 0.11). Differences by sex and HIV diagnosis status were similar in cPN vs. pPN analyses. There were no notable differences in the intervention effect on newly HIV-diagnosed referrals by referring participant characteristics. Intervention impact on having HIV-negative presenting contacts was greater among younger vs. older referring persons and among those with >1 vs. ≤1 recent sex partner. Effect differences by age were similar for cPN vs. pPN. CONCLUSION Our intervention package may be particularly efficacious in eliciting referrals from women and previously diagnosed persons. When the combination intervention is infeasible, cPN alone may be beneficial for these populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney N. Maierhofer
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global
Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North
Carolina, USA
| | - Kimberly A. Powers
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global
Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North
Carolina, USA
| | | | - Jane S. Chen
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global
Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North
Carolina, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Irving F. Hoffman
- Institute of Global Health and Infectious Disease,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- UNC Project Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Kathryn E. Lancaster
- Division of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, The
Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - William C. Miller
- Division of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, The
Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Sarah E. Rutstein
- Institute of Global Health and Infectious Disease,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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5
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Meek CJ, Munkhondya TEM, Mphande M, Tembo TA, Chitani M, Jean-Baptiste M, Vansia D, Kumbuyo C, Simon KR, Rutstein SE, Barrington C, Kim MH, Go VF, Rosenberg NE. Examining the feasibility of assisted index case testing for HIV case-finding: a qualitative analysis of barriers and facilitators to implementation in Malawi. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3314925. [PMID: 37720011 PMCID: PMC10503858 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3314925/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Background Assisted index case testing, in which health care workers take an active role in referring at-risk contacts of people living with HIV for HIV testing services, has been widely recognized as an evidence-based intervention with high potential to increase PLHIV status awareness. Promising evidence for the approach has led to several attempts to scale assisted index case testing throughout eastern and southern Africa in recent years. However, despite effective implementation being at the heart of any assisted index case testing strategy, there is limited implementation science research from the perspective of the HCWs who are doing the "assisting". This study examines the feasibility of assisted index case testing from the perspective of health care workers implementing the approach in Malawi. Methods In-depth interviews were conducted with 26 lay health care workers delivering assisted index case testing in Malawian health facilities. Interviews explored health care workers' experiences counselling index clients and tracing these clients' contacts, aiming to inform development of a blended learning implementation package. Transcripts were inductively analyzed using Dedoose coding software to identify and describe key factors influencing feasibility of assisted index case testing. Analysis included multiple rounds of coding and iteration with the data collection team. Results Participants reported a variety of barriers to feasibility of assisted index case testing implementation, including privacy concerns, limited time for assisted index case testing amid high workloads, poor quality contact information, logistical obstacles to tracing, and challenges of discussing sexual behavior with clients. Participants also reported several health care worker characteristics that facilitate feasibility: robust understanding of assisted index case testing's rationale and knowledge of procedures, strong interpersonal skills, positive attitudes towards clients, and sense of purpose in their work. Conclusions Findings demonstrate that maximizing assisted index case testing's potential to increase HIV status awareness requires adequately equipping health care workers with appropriate knowledge, skills, and support to address and overcome the many feasibility challenges that they face in implementation. Trial Registration Number NCT05343390 Date of registration: April 25, 2022.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline J Meek
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | | | | | | | - Mike Chitani
- Baylor College of Medicine Children's Foundation
| | - Milenka Jean-Baptiste
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | | | | | | | - Sarah E Rutstein
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Clare Barrington
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Maria H Kim
- Baylor College of Medicine Children's Foundation
| | - Vivian F Go
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Nora E Rosenberg
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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6
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Hallmark CJ, Luswata C, Del Vecchio N, Hayford C, Mora R, Carr M, McNeese M, Benbow N, Schneider JA, Wertheim JO, Fujimoto K. Predictors of HIV Molecular Cluster Membership and Implications for Partner Services. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 2023; 39:241-252. [PMID: 36785940 PMCID: PMC10171944 DOI: 10.1089/aid.2022.0088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Public health surveillance data used in HIV molecular cluster analyses lack contextual information that is available from partner services (PS) data. Integrating these data sources in retrospective analyses can enrich understanding of the risk profile of people in clusters. In this study, HIV molecular clusters were identified and matched to information on partners and other information gleaned at the time of diagnosis, including coinfection with syphilis. We aimed to produce a more complete understanding of molecular cluster membership in Houston, Texas, a city ranking ninth nationally in rate of new HIV diagnoses that may benefit from retrospective matched analyses between molecular and PS data to inform future intervention. Data from PS were matched to molecular HIV records of people newly diagnosed from 2012 to 2018. By conducting analyses in HIV-TRACE (TRAnsmission Cluster Engine) using viral genetic sequences, molecular clusters were detected. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between molecular cluster membership and completion of a PS interview, number of named partners, and syphilis coinfection. Using data from 4,035 people who had a viral genetic sequence and matched PS records, molecular cluster membership was not significantly associated with completion of a PS interview. Among those with sequences who completed a PS interview (n = 3,869), 45.3% (n = 1,753) clustered. Molecular cluster membership was significantly associated with naming 1 or 3+ partners compared with not naming any partners [adjusted odds ratio, aOR: 1.27 (95% confidence interval, CI: 1.08-1.50), p = .003 and aOR: 1.38 (95% CI: 1.06-1.81), p = .02]. Alone, coinfection with syphilis was not significantly associated with molecular cluster membership. Syphilis coinfection was associated with molecular cluster membership when coupled with incarceration [aOR: 1.91 (95% CI: 1.08-3.38), p = .03], a risk for treatment interruption. Enhanced intervention among those with similar profiles, such as people coinfected with other risks, may be warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camden J. Hallmark
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
- Houston Health Department, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Charles Luswata
- Houston Health Department, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Natascha Del Vecchio
- Department of Medicine and Public Health Sciences and the Chicago Center for HIV Elimination, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Christina Hayford
- Third Coast Center for AIDS Research, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | | | | | - Nanette Benbow
- Third Coast Center for AIDS Research, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - John A. Schneider
- Department of Medicine and Public Health Sciences and the Chicago Center for HIV Elimination, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Joel O. Wertheim
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Kayo Fujimoto
- Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
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7
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Siegele-Brown C, Siegele-Brown M, Cook C, Khakoo SI, Parkes J, Wright M, Buchanan RM. Testing to sustain hepatitis C elimination targets in people who inject drugs: A network-based model. J Viral Hepat 2023; 30:242-249. [PMID: 36529668 DOI: 10.1111/jvh.13786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Little is known about the level of testing required to sustain elimination of hepatitis C (HCV), once achieved. In this study, we model the testing coverage required to maintain HCV elimination in an injecting network of people who inject drugs (PWID). We test the hypothesis that network-based strategies are a superior approach to deliver testing. We created a dynamic injecting network structure connecting 689 PWID based on empirical data. The primary outcome was the testing coverage required per month to maintain prevalence at the elimination threshold over 5 years. We compared four testing strategies. Without any testing or treatment provision, the prevalence of HCV increased from the elimination threshold (11.68%) to a mean of 25.4% (SD 2.96%) over the 5-year period. To maintain elimination with random testing, on average, 4.96% (SD 0.83%) of the injecting network needs to be tested per month. However, with a 'bring your friends' strategy, this was reduced to 3.79% (SD 0.64%) of the network (p < .001). The addition of contact tracing improved the efficiency of both strategies. In conclusion, we report that network-based approaches to testing such as 'bring a friend' initiatives and contact tracing lower the level of testing coverage required to maintain elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloë Siegele-Brown
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.,University Hospital Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | | | - Charlotte Cook
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Salim I Khakoo
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Julie Parkes
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Mark Wright
- University Hospital Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Ryan M Buchanan
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.,NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, Southampton, UK
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8
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Wang G, Song W, Rao S, Heitgerd J, Mulatu MS, Karch D, Belcher L. HIV Positivity, Linkage to Medical Care, Interview for Partner Services, and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Awareness and Referral Among Men Who Have Sex With Men Tested in Non-healthcare Settings in the United States, 2019. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2023; 92:34-41. [PMID: 36166309 PMCID: PMC10959101 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000003106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV. This study reports data on HIV testing program outcomes among MSM tested for HIV in non-healthcare settings in the United States. METHODS We analyzed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National HIV Prevention Program Monitoring and Evaluation data collected in 2019. Descriptive and multivariate robust Poisson regression analyses were conducted to summarize the patterns of HIV testing program outcomes [ie, positivity, linkage to HIV medical care within 30 days of diagnosis, interview for partner services (PS), and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) awareness and referral] by demographic characteristics, HIV prevalence, and testing site type. RESULTS A total of 123,251 HIV tests were conducted among MSM; of these, 1773 (1.4%) were newly diagnosed with HIV. Among MSM newly diagnosed with HIV, 75% were linked to HIV medical care and 80% were interviewed for PS. Among MSM who tested HIV-negative, 63% were aware of PrEP and 47% of those who were eligible for PrEP were referred to PrEP providers. Referral or linkage to services varied by demographic characteristics or other factors. CONCLUSIONS Linkage to HIV medical care and interview for PS among MSM newly diagnosed with HIV in non-healthcare settings were below national or funding program targets. Most MSM with risk factors for HIV infection were not referred to PrEP providers. Expanded efforts to address barriers to equitable access to services may help improve HIV-related outcomes among MSM and contribute to ending the HIV epidemic in the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoshen Wang
- Division of HIV Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Wei Song
- Division of HIV Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Shubha Rao
- Division of HIV Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Janet Heitgerd
- Division of HIV Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Mesfin S. Mulatu
- Division of HIV Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Debra Karch
- Division of HIV Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Lisa Belcher
- Division of HIV Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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9
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Wamuti BM, Owour M, Obong'o C, Liu W, Kariithi E, Lagat H, Otieno G, Sharma M, Katz DA, Masyuko S, Farquhar C, Weiner BJ. Integration of assisted partner services within Kenya's national HIV testing services program: A qualitative study. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 3:e0001586. [PMID: 36962930 PMCID: PMC10022023 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0001586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Assisted partner service (aPS) augments HIV case-finding among sex partners to individuals newly diagnosed with HIV. In 2016, aPS was incorporated into the national HIV testing services (HTS) program in Kenya. We evaluated the extent of, barriers to, and facilitators of aPS integration into HTS. We conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews (IDIs) with 32 stakeholders selected using purposive sampling at national, county, facility, and community levels. IDIs were conducted at two timepoints, at baseline from August-September 2018 in Kisumu and January-June 2019 in Homa Bay, and at follow-up from May-August 2020 to understand changes in aPS integration over time. We defined integration as the creation of linkages between the new intervention (aPS) and the existing HTS program. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. We found varying degrees of aPS integration, highest in procurement/logistics and lowest in HTS provider recruitment/training. At baseline, aPS integration was low and activities were at an introductory phase. At follow-up, aPS was integrated in almost the entire HTS program with the exception of low community awareness, which was noted at both baseline and follow-up. There was increasing routinization with establishment of clear aPS cycles, e.g., quarterly data review meetings, annual budget cycles and work-plans. Major barriers included limited government funding, staff constraints, and inadequate community-level sensitization, while key facilitators included increased resources for aPS, and community health volunteer (CHV) facilitated awareness of aPS. Varying degrees of aPS integration across different units of the national HTS program highlights challenges in funding, human resource, and public awareness. Policymakers will need to address these barriers to ensure optimal provision of aPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice M Wamuti
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | | | | | - Wenjia Liu
- School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | | | | | | | - Monisha Sharma
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - David A Katz
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Sarah Masyuko
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- National AIDS and STI Control Program, Ministry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Carey Farquhar
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Bryan J Weiner
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
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Pollard R, Enugu A, Sriudomporn S, Bell J, Ghosh SC, Arumugam V, Mugundu P, Singh A, McFall AM, Mehta SH, Patenaude BN, Solomon SS. COVID-19 impact on index testing services and programmatic cost in 5 high HIV prevalence Indian districts. BMC Infect Dis 2022; 22:918. [PMID: 36482363 PMCID: PMC9733361 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-022-07912-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Restrictions to curb the first wave of COVID-19 in India resulted in a decline in facility-based HIV testing rates, likely contributing to increased HIV transmission and disease progression. The programmatic and economic impact of COVID-19 on index testing, a standardized contact tracing strategy, remains unknown. METHODS Retrospective programmatic and costing data were analyzed under a US government-supported program to assess the pandemic's impact on the programmatic outcomes and cost of index testing implemented in two Indian states (Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh). We compared index testing continuum outcomes during lockdown (April-June 2020) and post-lockdown (July-Sept 2020) relative to pre-lockdown (January-March 2020) by estimating adjusted rate ratios (aRRs) using negative binomial regression. Startup and recurrent programmatic costs were estimated across geographies using a micro-costing approach. Per unit costs were calculated for each index testing continuum outcome. RESULTS Pre-lockdown, 2431 index clients were offered services, 3858 contacts were elicited, 3191 contacts completed HIV testing, 858 contacts tested positive, and 695 contacts initiated ART. Compared to pre-lockdown, the number of contacts elicited decreased during lockdown (aRR = 0.13; 95% CI: 0.11-0.16) and post-lockdown (aRR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.43-0.56); and the total contacts newly diagnosed with HIV also decreased during lockdown (aRR = 0.22; 95% CI: 0.18-0.26) and post-lockdown (aRR = 0.52; 95% CI: 0.45-0.59). HIV positivity increased from 27% pre-lockdown to 40% during lockdown and decreased to 26% post-lockdown. Further, ART initiation improved from 81% pre-lockdown to 88% during lockdown and post-lockdown. The overall cost to operate index testing was $193,457 pre-lockdown and decreased during lockdown to $132,177 (32%) and $126,155 (35%) post-lockdown. Post-lockdown unit cost of case identification rose in facility sites ($372) compared to pre-lockdown ($205), however it decreased in community-based sites from pre-lockdown ($277) to post-lockdown ($166). CONCLUSIONS There was a dramatic decline in the number of index testing clients in the wake of COVID-19 restrictions that resulted in higher unit costs to deliver services; yet, improved linkage to ART suggests that decongesting centres could improve efficiency. Training index testing staff to provide support across services including non-facility-based HIV testing mechanisms (i.e., telemedicine, HIV self-testing, community-based approaches) may help optimize resources during public health emergencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Pollard
- grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Department of International Health, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Ajay Enugu
- grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Division of Infectious Diseases, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1830 E. Monument St, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Salin Sriudomporn
- grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311International Vaccine Access Center, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 415 N Washington St, Baltimore, MD 21231 USA
| | - Jade Bell
- grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Division of Infectious Diseases, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1830 E. Monument St, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Subash Chandra Ghosh
- grid.433847.f0000 0000 9555 1294Y.R. Gaitonde Centre for AIDS Research and Education (YRG CARE), 58 Harrington Road, Chetput, Chennai, 600031 India
| | - Visvanathan Arumugam
- grid.433847.f0000 0000 9555 1294Y.R. Gaitonde Centre for AIDS Research and Education (YRG CARE), 58 Harrington Road, Chetput, Chennai, 600031 India
| | - Parthasarathy Mugundu
- grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Division of Infectious Diseases, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1830 E. Monument St, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Aditya Singh
- grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Division of Infectious Diseases, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1830 E. Monument St, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Allison M. McFall
- grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Department of Epidemiology, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Shruti H. Mehta
- grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Department of Epidemiology, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Bryan N. Patenaude
- grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Department of International Health, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Sunil S. Solomon
- grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Division of Infectious Diseases, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1830 E. Monument St, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
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Marano-Lee M, Williams W, Huang T, Uhl G. Adults Aged ≥50 Years Reached by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's HIV Testing Programs in the United States and US Dependent Areas, 2019. Public Health Rep 2022:333549221120239. [PMID: 36017552 DOI: 10.1177/00333549221120239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Older adults represent nearly half of people living with HIV in the United States. The objective of this analysis was to describe HIV testing, demographic characteristics, and risks of adults aged ≥50 years (older adults) reached in 2019 by HIV testing programs funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). METHODS We collected data from 101 CDC-funded community-based organizations and 61 health departments. All funding recipients submitted deidentified program service data for 2019 through a secure online CDC-supported system. We used multivariable robust Poisson regression to assess the association between demographic and risk characteristics and the proportion of tests that resulted in a new diagnosis. We also assessed the proportion of people who received a positive test result, were linked to HIV medical care, and were interviewed for partner services. RESULTS During 2019, among 2 452 507 CDC-funded HIV tests provided in the United States, 412 164 (16.8%) were provided to older adults. Among the 1059 (0.26% positivity) older adults with newly diagnosed HIV infection for whom we had data, 582 (68.4%) were linked to HIV medical care within 30 days of diagnosis and 494 (72.1%) were interviewed for partner services. Among the 2858 older adults with previously diagnosed HIV infection, 1321 (46.2%) reported not being in HIV medical care at the time of the test; of those with linkage data, 425 (49.9%) were linked to HIV medical care within 30 days of testing HIV positive. CONCLUSIONS More rapid disease progression and higher morbidity and mortality rates among older adults suggest that services are needed to ensure early diagnosis, rapid linkage, and interview for partner services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariette Marano-Lee
- Translation and Evaluation Branch, Division of HIV Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Weston Williams
- Public Health Analytic Consulting Services, Inc, Hillsborough, NC, USA
| | | | - Gary Uhl
- Translation and Evaluation Branch, Division of HIV Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
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12
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Gore DJ, Schueler K, Ramani S, Uvin A, Phillips G, McNulty M, Fujimoto K, Schneider J. HIV Response Interventions that Integrate HIV Molecular Cluster and Social Network Analysis: A Systematic Review. AIDS Behav 2022; 26:1750-1792. [PMID: 34779940 PMCID: PMC9842229 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-021-03525-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Due to improved efficiency and reduced cost of viral sequencing, molecular cluster analysis can be feasibly utilized alongside existing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention strategies. The goal of this paper is to elucidate how HIV molecular cluster and social network analyses are being integrated to implement HIV response interventions. We searched PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library databases for studies incorporating both HIV molecular cluster and social network data. We identified 32 articles that combined analyses of HIV molecular sequences and social or sexual networks. All studies were descriptive. Six studies described network interventions informed by molecular and social data but did not fully evaluate their efficacy. There is no current standard for incorporating molecular and social network analyses to inform interventions or data demonstrating its utility. More research must be conducted to delineate benefits and best practices for leveraging molecular data for network-based interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Gore
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kellie Schueler
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Santhoshini Ramani
- The Chicago Center for HIV Elimination, University of Chicago, 5841 S Maryland Ave, MC5065, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Arno Uvin
- The Chicago Center for HIV Elimination, University of Chicago, 5841 S Maryland Ave, MC5065, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Gregory Phillips
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Moira McNulty
- The Chicago Center for HIV Elimination, University of Chicago, 5841 S Maryland Ave, MC5065, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Kayo Fujimoto
- Department of Health Promotion & Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - John Schneider
- The Chicago Center for HIV Elimination, University of Chicago, 5841 S Maryland Ave, MC5065, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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13
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Hossain AD, Jarolimova J, Elnaiem A, Huang CX, Richterman A, Ivers LC. Effectiveness of contact tracing in the control of infectious diseases: a systematic review. THE LANCET PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 7:e259-e273. [PMID: 35180434 PMCID: PMC8847088 DOI: 10.1016/s2468-2667(22)00001-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Contact tracing is used for multiple infectious diseases, most recently for COVID-19, but data regarding its effectiveness in disease control are scarce. To address this knowledge gap and inform public health decision making for COVID-19, we systematically reviewed the existing literature to determine the effectiveness of contact tracing in the control of communicable illness. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from database inception up to Nov 22, 2021, for published studies evaluating associations between provider-initiated contact tracing for transmissible infectious diseases and one of three outcomes of interest: case detection rates among contacts or at the community level, overall forward transmission, or overall disease incidence. Clinical trials and observational studies were eligible, with no language or date restrictions. Reference lists of reviews were searched for additional studies. We excluded studies without a control group, using only mathematical modelling, not reporting a primary outcome of interest, or solely examining patient-initiated contact tracing. One reviewer applied eligibility criteria to each screened abstract and full-text article, and two reviewers independently extracted summary effect estimates and additional data from eligible studies. Only data reported in published manuscripts or supplemental material was extracted. Risk of bias for each included study was assessed with the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool (randomised studies) or the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (non-randomised studies). Findings We identified 9050 unique citations, of which 47 studies met the inclusion criteria: six were focused on COVID-19, 20 on tuberculosis, eight on HIV, 12 on curable sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and one on measles. More than 2 million index patients were included across a variety of settings (both urban and rural areas and low-resource and high-resource settings). Of the 47 studies, 29 (61·7%) used observational designs, including all studies on COVID-19, and 18 (38·3%) were randomised controlled trials. 40 studies compared provider-initiated contact tracing with other interventions or evaluated expansions of provider-initiated contact tracing, and seven compared programmatic adaptations within provider-initiated contact tracing. 29 (72·5%) of the 40 studies evaluating the effect of provider-initiated contact tracing, including four (66·7%) of six COVID-19 studies, found contact tracing interventions were associated with improvements in at least one outcome of interest. 23 (48·9%) studies had low risk of bias, 22 (46·8%) studies had some risk of bias, and two (4·3%) studies (both randomised controlled trials on curable STIs) had high risk of bias. Interpretation Provider-initiated contact tracing can be an effective public health tool. However, the ability of authorities to make informed choices about its deployment might be limited by heterogenous approaches to contact tracing in studies, a scarcity of quantitative evidence on its effectiveness, and absence of specificity of tracing parameters most important for disease control. Funding The Sullivan Family Foundation, Massachusetts General Hospital Executive Committee on Research, and US National Institutes of Health.
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14
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A Systematic Review of the Social Network Strategy to Optimize HIV Testing in Key Populations to End the Epidemic in the United States. AIDS Behav 2021; 25:2680-2698. [PMID: 33871730 PMCID: PMC8054132 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-021-03259-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The United States (U.S.) has a plan to end the HIV epidemic by 2030. The plan’s first pillar prioritizes HIV testing. Social Network Strategy (SNS) is an intervention to reach persons not routinely testing for HIV. We conducted a systematic review of SNS to understand its implementation to optimize HIV testing in the U.S. among key populations. The eligibility criteria included peer-reviewed papers based in the U.S. and focused on HIV testing. We identified and thematically analyzed 14 articles to explore factors associated with successful implementation. Key themes included: (1) social network and recruiter characteristics; (2) strategies for and effectiveness of recruiting key populations; (3) use of and types of incentives; (4) trust, confidentiality, and stigma concerns; and (5) implementation plans and real-world guidance. Cohort studies indicated that SNS detects more incident HIV cases. Partnerships with health departments are critical to confirm new diagnoses, as are developing plans that support recruiters and staff. SNS is a promising strategy to optimize HIV testing among key populations.
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15
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Dennis AM, Cressman A, Pasquale D, Frost SDW, Kelly E, Guy J, Mobley V, Samoff E, Hurt CB, Mcneil C, Hightow-Weidman L, Carry M, Hogben M, Seña AC. Intersection of Syphilis and HIV Networks to Identify Opportunities to Enhance HIV Prevention. Clin Infect Dis 2021; 74:498-506. [PMID: 33978757 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciab431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND HIV and syphilis infection continue at disproportionate rates among minority men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States. The integration of HIV genetic clustering with partner services can provide important insight into local epidemic trends to guide interventions and control efforts. METHODS We evaluated contact networks of index persons defined as minority men and transgender women diagnosed with early syphilis and/or HIV infection between 2018-2020 in two North Carolina regions. HIV clusters were constructed from pol sequences collected through statewide surveillance. A combined "HIV-risk" network, which included persons with any links (genetic or sexual contact) to HIV-positive persons, was evaluated by component size, demographic factors, and HIV viral suppression. RESULTS In total, 1,289 index persons were identified and 55% named 1,153 contacts. Most index persons were Black (88%) and young (median age 30 years); 70% had early syphilis and 43% had prevalent HIV infection. Most people with HIV (65%) appeared in an HIV cluster. The combined HIV-risk network (1,590 contact network and 1,500 cluster members) included 287 distinct components; however, 1,586 (51%) were in a single component. Fifty-five percent of network members with HIV had no evidence of viral suppression. Overall, fewer index persons needed to be interviewed to identify one HIV-positive member without viral suppression (1.3 versus 4.0 for contact tracing). CONCLUSIONS Integration of HIV clusters and viral loads illuminate networks with high HIV prevalence, indicating recent and ongoing transmission. Interventions intensified towards these networks may efficiently reach persons for HIV prevention and care re-engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M Dennis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Andrew Cressman
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Dana Pasquale
- Department of Sociology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Simon D W Frost
- Microsoft Research, Redmond, WA, USA.,London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Elizabeth Kelly
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jalila Guy
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Victoria Mobley
- Division of Public Health, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Erika Samoff
- Division of Public Health, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Christopher B Hurt
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Candice Mcneil
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Lisa Hightow-Weidman
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Monique Carry
- Division of STD Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Matthew Hogben
- Division of STD Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Arlene C Seña
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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16
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Partner Notification Approaches for Sex Partners and Children of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Index Cases in Côte d'Ivoire. Sex Transm Dis 2021; 47:450-457. [PMID: 32541304 PMCID: PMC7294752 DOI: 10.1097/olq.0000000000001180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Four partner notification approaches were introduced in health facilities in Côte d'Ivoire to increase human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing uptake among the type of contacts (sex partners and biological children younger than 15 years). The study assessed the 4 approaches: client referral (index cases refer the contacts for HIV testing), provider referral (health care providers refer the contacts), contract referral (index case-provider hybrid approach), and dual referral (both the index and their partner are tested simultaneously). METHODS Program data were collected at 4 facilities from October 2018 to March 2019 from index case files and HIV testing register. We compared uptake of the approaches, uptake of HIV testing, and HIV positivity percentages, stratified by contact type and gender. RESULTS There were 1089 sex partners and 469 children from 1089 newly diagnosed index cases. About 90% of children were contacted through client referral: 85.2% of those were tested and 1.4% was positive. Ninety percent of the children came from female index cases. The provider referral brought in 56.3% of sex partners, of whom 97.2% were HIV-tested. The client referral brought in 30% of sex partners, of whom only 81.5% were HIV-tested. The HIV positivity percentages were 75.5% and 72.7%, respectively, for the 2 approaches. Male index cases helped to reach twice as many HIV-positive sexual contacts outside the household (115) than female index cases (53). The contract and dual referrals were not preferred by index cases. CONCLUSIONS Provider referral is a successful and acceptable strategy for bringing in sex partners for testing. Client referral is preferred for children.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a high level of coinfection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among persons diagnosed with syphilis in the United States. Public health workers at state and local health departments help inform exposed partners to sexually transmitted disease (STD)/HIV infections to facilitate early testing and treatment (partner services). The federal initiative, Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE), identifies 4 key strategies: diagnose, treat, prevent, and respond. This study describes the contributions of syphilis partner services to the EHE strategies in a county prioritized by the EHE plan. METHODS A retrospective record review of reported early syphilis cases (less than 1 year's duration) between 2016 and 2018 in the Indianapolis area was conducted to determine the extent of new HIV diagnoses, retention in HIV care, and other evidence-based HIV prevention interventions occurring after provision of syphilis partner services. RESULTS A total of 752 partners to early syphilis were attempted to be notified of exposure. There were 1,457 case patients and partners that received STD/HIV prevention counseling; 400 partners received STD treatment, 352 partners learned their HIV status, and 22 received new HIV diagnoses, with 68% retained in medical care and 60% virally suppressed. Two thirds of partner services were completed within 21 days. New HIV positivity among partners to HIV-negative syphilis case patients was 3.5% and 14% among HIV-positive syphilis case patients. CONCLUSIONS Partner services for syphilis was an effective method of addressing the EHE strategies, resulting in persons at risk tested, STD treatment provided, behavioral prevention counseling provided, and new HIV cases identified, leading to retention in medical care and viral suppression.
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Bull L, Apea V, Wiggins H, Davies S, Saxon C, Hughes A, Curtis H, Sullivan A. BASHH 2018 UK national audit of HIV partner notification. Int J STD AIDS 2021; 32:872-877. [PMID: 33866870 DOI: 10.1177/0956462421990281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
HIV partner notification (PN) is a highly effective strategy to identify people living with undiagnosed HIV infection. This national audit of HIV PN is against the 2015 British Association of Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH)/British HIV Association (BHIVA)/Society of Sexual Health Advisers (SHAA)/National AIDS Trust (NAT) HIV PN standards, developed in response to the 2013 BASHH/BHIVA national HIV PN audit. We report significant improvements in the number of contacts tested per index case, likely due, in part, to clearer definitions as well as better ascertainment and reporting. There remains scope for improvement with informing and testing contactable contacts. Recommendations from this audit include further refinement of definitions and development of a national proforma for HIV PN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Bull
- Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust
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Moshiri N, Smith DM, Mirarab S. HIV Care Prioritization Using Phylogenetic Branch Length. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2021; 86:626-637. [PMID: 33394616 PMCID: PMC7933099 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000002612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The structure of the HIV transmission networks can be dictated by just a few individuals. Public health intervention, such as ensuring people living with HIV adhere to antiretroviral therapy and remain virally suppressed, can help control the spread of the virus. However, such intervention requires using limited public health resource allocations. Determining which individuals are most at risk of transmitting HIV could allow public health officials to focus their limited resources on these individuals. SETTING Molecular epidemiology can help prioritize people living with HIV by patterns of transmission inferred from their sampled viral sequences. Such prioritization has been previously suggested and performed by monitoring cluster growth. In this article, we introduce Prioritization using AnCesTral edge lengths (ProACT), a phylogenetic approach for prioritizing individuals living with HIV. METHODS ProACT starts from a phylogeny inferred from sequence data and orders individuals according to their terminal branch length, breaking ties using ancestral branch lengths. We evaluated ProACT on a real data set of 926 HIV-1 subtype B pol data obtained in San Diego between 2005 and 2014 and a simulation data set modeling the same epidemic. Prioritization methods are compared by their ability to predict individuals who transmit most after the prioritization. RESULTS Across all simulation conditions and most real data sampling conditions, ProACT outperformed monitoring cluster growth for multiple metrics of prioritization efficacy. CONCLUSION The simple strategy used by ProACT improves the effectiveness of prioritization compared with state-of-the-art methods that rely on monitoring the growth of transmission clusters defined based on genetic distance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niema Moshiri
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, 92093, USA
| | - Davey M. Smith
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, 92093, USA
| | - Siavash Mirarab
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, 92093, USA
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Rao S, Song W, Mulatu MS, Seena E, Essuon A, Heitgerd J. Human Immunodeficiency Virus Testing, Diagnosis, Linkage to Care, and Prevention Services Among Persons Who Inject Drugs, United States, 2012-2017. J Infect Dis 2021; 222:S268-S277. [PMID: 32877556 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiaa143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing and early diagnosis is associated with effective disease management and reduction in HIV transmission among persons who inject drugs (PWID). We examined trends in HIV testing outcomes among PWID during 2012-2017. METHODS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-funded HIV testing data submitted by 61 health departments and 150 directly-funded community-based organizations during 2012-2017 were analyzed. We calculated estimated annual percentage changes (EAPC) to assess trends for HIV testing and testing outcomes. RESULTS A total of 19 739 857 CDC-funded HIV tests were conducted during 2012-2017. Of these, 529 349 (2.7%) were among PWID. The percentage of newly diagnosed HIV increased from .7% in 2012 to .8% in 2017 (EAPC, 4.15%). The percentage interviewed for partner services increased from 46.7% in 2012 to 66.3% in 2017 (EAPC, 1.81%). No significant change was identified in trends for linkage to HIV medical care ≤90 days after diagnosis (EAPC, 0.52%) or referral to HIV prevention services (EAPC, 0.98%). CONCLUSIONS Human immunodeficiency virus testing data revealed an increasing trend in newly diagnosed HIV among PWID but not linkage to HIV medical care or referral to prevention services. Expanding efforts to increase HIV testing and enhance linkage to services can lead to reductions in HIV transmission and improved health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shubha Rao
- Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Wei Song
- Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Mesfin S Mulatu
- Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Emilie Seena
- Northrop Grumman Corporation, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Aba Essuon
- Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Janet Heitgerd
- Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Partner Notification Services for Patients with Established and New HIV Infection Leads to Diagnosis and Linkage of HIV-Positive Partners. AIDS Behav 2021; 25:809-813. [PMID: 32949327 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-020-03043-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Offering people living with HIV the opportunity to refer partners for HIV testing is an efficient way of identifying new HIV diagnoses. This report describes the outcomes of physician-led partner services at an urban academic center. Patients with HIV VL > 1000 copies/mL in both inpatient and outpatient settings were offered partner notification services (PNS). Of referred partners, 8.7% had a new diagnosis of HIV. New HIV+ partners were as likely to be referred by patients with existing HIV diagnoses as new diagnoses (p = 0.61), and as likely to be referred by patients interviewed while hospitalized as those in the clinic (p = 0.61).
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Pines HA, Semple SJ, Magis‐Rodríguez C, Harvey‐Vera A, Strathdee SA, Patrick R, Rangel G, Patterson TL. A comparison of the effectiveness of respondent-driven and venue-based sampling for identifying undiagnosed HIV infection among cisgender men who have sex with men and transgender women in Tijuana, Mexico. J Int AIDS Soc 2021; 24:e25688. [PMID: 33759361 PMCID: PMC7987819 DOI: 10.1002/jia2.25688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Efforts to increase HIV testing, diagnosis and care are critical to curbing HIV epidemics among cisgender men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TW) in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). We compared the effectiveness of respondent-driven sampling (RDS) and venue-based sampling (VBS) for identifying previously undiagnosed HIV infection among MSM and TW in Tijuana, Mexico. METHODS Between March 2015 and December 2018, we conducted RDS within the social networks of MSM and TW and VBS at venues frequented by MSM and TW to socialize and meet sexual partners. Those reached by RDS/VBS who reported at least 18 years of age, anal sex with MSM or TW, and no previous HIV diagnosis were eligible for HIV testing. RESULTS Of those screened following recruitment via RDS (N = 1232; 98.6% MSM; 1.3% TW), 60.8% (749/1232) were eligible for HIV testing and 97.5% (730/749) were tested for HIV infection, which led to the identification of 36 newly diagnosed HIV infections (4.9%). Of those screened following recruitment via VBS (N = 2560; 95.2% MSM; 4.6% TW), 56.5% (1446/2560) were eligible for HIV testing and 92.8% (1342/1446) were tested for HIV infection, which led to the identification of 82 newly diagnosed HIV infections (6.1%). The proportion of new HIV diagnoses did not differ by recruitment method (ratio = 0.81, 95% confidence interval: 0.55 to 1.18). Compared to those recruited via RDS, those tested following recruitment via VBS were younger, more likely to identify as gay, and more likely to identify as TW. Compared to those recruited via VBS, those newly diagnosed with HIV infection following recruitment via RDS reported higher levels of internalized stigma and were more likely to report injection drug use and a history of deportation from the United States. CONCLUSIONS Despite RDS and VBS being equally effective for identifying undiagnosed HIV infection, each recruitment method reached different subgroups of MSM and TW in Tijuana. Our findings suggest that there may be benefits to using both RDS and VBS to increase the identification of previously undiagnosed HIV infection and ultimately support HIV care engagement among MSM and TW in Mexico and other similar LMIC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather A Pines
- Department of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaSan DiegoCAUSA
- Department of Family Medicine and Public HealthUniversity of CaliforniaSan DiegoCAUSA
| | | | | | - Alicia Harvey‐Vera
- Department of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaSan DiegoCAUSA
- Universidad XochicalcoTijuanaMexico
| | | | - Rudy Patrick
- Department of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaSan DiegoCAUSA
| | - Gudelia Rangel
- United States‐Mexico Border Health CommissionTijuanaMexico
- El Colegio de la Frontera NorteTijuanaMexico
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Yan R, Deng B, Wen G, Huang L, Li L, Huang Z. Contact tracing of syphilis-seropositive pregnant women and syphilis-infection among their male partners in Bao'an district, Shenzhen, China. BMC Infect Dis 2020; 20:684. [PMID: 32948128 PMCID: PMC7501691 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-020-05403-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Untreated male partners are a critical source of maternal re-infection. Contact tracing is a good way to identify infection among partners and reduce risk of mother-to-child transmission related to maternal re-infection. This study aimed to analyze the current situation and related factors of contact tracing of syphilis-seropositive pregnant women and syphilis-infection among their male partners. Method Data of syphilis-seropositive pregnant women and their male partners attending clinic for syphilis-screening were obtained from the Shenzhen Program for Prevention of Congenital Syphilis. Contact tracing rate of syphilis-seropositive pregnant women and syphilis prevalence among male partners were counted, and related factors were also analyzed using a random-effects logistic regression model. Result Of the 1299 syphilis-seropositive pregnant women, 74.1% (963/1299) had their male partners receiving syphilis-screening and 19.1% (184/963) of male partners were syphilis-infected. For pregnant women, being divorced (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] =0.39; 95%CI: 0.17–0.87), seeking for emergency services at their first antenatal clinics visits (AOR = 0.58; 95%CI: 0.44–0.77), reporting willingness to notify partner(AOR = 7.65; 95%CI: 4.69–12.49), multi-partners (AOR = 1.38; 95%CI:1.03–1.86) and having a history of drug abuse (AOR = 0.37; 95%CI: 0.14–1.00)were independently associated with successful contact tracing. For male partners, of minority ethnicity (AOR = 4.15; 95%CI: 1.66–10.34), age at first sex>20(AOR = 0.57; 95%CI: 0.37–0.87), reporting multi-partners (AOR = 1.60; 95%CI: 1.04–2.46), having a history of drug abuse (AOR = 4.07; 95%CI: 1.31–12.64) were independently associated with syphilis-infection. In addition, pregnant women with TRUST titer ≥1:8 (AOR = 2.81; 95%CI: 1.87–4.21), having a history of adverse pregnancy outcomes (AOR = 1.70; 95%CI: 1.14–2.53), reporting multi-partners (AOR = 0.43; 95%CI: 0.29–0.64) and reporting the current partner as the source of syphilis (AOR = 5.05; 95%CI: 2.82–9.03) were independently associated with partners’ syphilis-infection. Conclusion Contact tracing is feasible and effective in identifying syphilis-infected partners among syphilis-seropositive pregnant women. Contact tracing is associated with many factors such as women’s marital status, services at their first antenatal clinics visit and willingness of partner notification. Partners’ ethnicity, age at first sex, multi-partners and history of drug abuse as well as women’s levels of TRUST titer were associated with partners’ syphilis-infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruilin Yan
- Shenzhen Bao'an Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen, China
| | - Baoqing Deng
- Shenzhen Bao'an Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guichun Wen
- Shenzhen Bao'an Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen, China
| | - Licheng Huang
- Shenzhen Bao'an Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen, China
| | - Limei Li
- Shenzhen Bao'an Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhiming Huang
- Shenzhen Bao'an Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen, China.
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Abstract
The novel coronavirus 2019 illness (COVID-19) has completely transformed and uprooted lives across the globe. While different diseases, there are critical observations and lessons to be learned from the ongoing HIV epidemic to inform our response to COVID-19. We reflect on how this relates to (1) testing, including contact tracing; (2) health system redesign; (3) telehealth; (4) health disparities; (5) political denial, with inadequate and uncoordinated governmental response; (6) occupational exposure; and (7) complex reactions among healthcare providers. Decades of experiences with HIV provide an important framework for moving forward as we combat COVID-19.
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Culbert GJ, Waluyo A, Earnshaw VA. Exploring the acceptability of HIV partner notification in prisons: Findings from a survey of incarcerated people living with HIV in Indonesia. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0234697. [PMID: 32603363 PMCID: PMC7326233 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Assisted HIV partner notification services provide a safe and effective way for people living with HIV (PLHIV) to inform their partners about the possibility of exposure and to offer them testing, treatment, and support. This study examined whether or not PLHIV in prison might be willing to participate in assisted HIV partner notification services and their reasons for and against disclosing their HIV-positive status to their partners. PLHIV (n = 150) recruited from Jakarta's two largest all-male prisons completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire collecting demographic and risk behavior data, and attitudes toward HIV disclosure and partner services. Among those who were sexually active and/or injecting drugs before incarceration, two-thirds (66.4%, 91/137) endorsed provider referral as an acceptable way to notify their sex partners, and nearly three quarters (72.4%, 89/123) endorsed provider referral to notify their drug-injecting partners. Only a quarter (25.1%) of participants reported that their main sex partner had ever received an HIV test. Participants with anticipated stigma were less likely to endorse provider referral for sex partners (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.35, 0.96) and drug-injecting partners (aOR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.29, 1.00). Relationship closeness was associated with higher odds of endorsing provider referral for drug-injecting partners (aOR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.25, 3.45). Protecting partners from infection and a moral duty to inform were main reasons to disclose, while stigma and privacy concerns were main reasons not to disclose. Most incarcerated PLHIV have at-risk partners in the community who they would be willing to notify if provided with assistance. Assisted partner notification for prison populations offers a promising public health approach to accelerate diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of HIV infection in the community, particularly among women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel J. Culbert
- Department of Health Systems Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Center for HIV/AIDS Nursing Research, Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia
- * E-mail:
| | - Agung Waluyo
- Center for HIV/AIDS Nursing Research, Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia
| | - Valerie A. Earnshaw
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States of America
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Dawson-Rose C, Gutin SA, Mudender F, Hunguana E, Kevany S. Effects of a peer educator program for HIV status disclosure and health system strengthening: Findings from a clinic-based disclosure support program in Mozambique. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0232347. [PMID: 32374752 PMCID: PMC7202645 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Mozambique, HIV counseling and testing (HCT) rates are low and the cascade (or continuum) of care is poor. Perhaps more importantly, low disclosure rates and low uptake of joint testing are also related to both (1) limitations on access to services and (2) the availability of trained staff. We describe the implementation and impact of a disclosure support implemented by peer educators (PE). METHODS Ten PEs, previously trained in basic HIV and post-test counseling, completed additional training on providing disclosure support for newly-diagnosed persons living with HIV (PLH). RESULTS Of the 6,092 persons who received HCT, 677 (11.1%) tested positive. Any newly-diagnosed PLH who was tested when PEs were present (606 / 677) was approached about participating in the disclosure program; of these, 94.2% of PLH (n = 574) agreed to participate. Of these, at follow-up (between 1 day and 3 months later, depending on client inclination and availability) 91.9% (n = 528) said that they had disclosed their HIV infection, of whom 66.9% (n = 384) were female and 24.1% (n = 144) male. In turn, 92.7% of partners (n = 508) who had received HIV-related exposure information were tested; of these, 78.7% (n = 400) were found to be HIV-positive. Of the latter, 96.3% (n = 385) were then seen by health care providers and referred for further diagnosis and treatment. CONCLUSIONS Supporting newly-diagnosed PLH is important both for their own health and that of others. For the newly-diagnosed, there are extensive challenges related to understanding the implications of their illness; social support from clinical care teams can be vital in planning and coping. Our study has shown that such support of PLH is also crucial to disclosure, in part via improving awareness of positive health implications for (and from) family, friends and other support networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol Dawson-Rose
- University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Sarah A. Gutin
- University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Florindo Mudender
- International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Elsa Hunguana
- International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Sebastian Kevany
- University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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27
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Yang X, Fang T, Mobarak SA, Wang J, Wang C, Huang S, Jiang L, Chen X, Li H, Chang W, Zhang L, Mo J, Ning C. Social network strategy as a promising intervention to better reach key populations for promoting HIV prevention: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sex Transm Infect 2020; 96:485-491. [PMID: 32209639 DOI: 10.1136/sextrans-2019-054349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Key populations such as men who have sex with men (MSM), drug users and sex workers are at high risk of HIV infection, but they are marginalised and hidden. Social network strategy (SNS) is purposeful to use social networks to generate social influence, accelerate behaviour change and achieve desirable outcomes among individuals or communities and have been increasingly used for HIV interventions. This study aims to investigate the effects of SNS on HIV prevention among key populations. METHODS We searched six databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect and Wiley for randomised controlled trials published between January 1999 and May 2019. Eligibility criteria included SNS conducted among key populations for HIV interventions, with a comparator group. Outcomes included changes in HIV high-risk behaviour, HIV seroconversion and other HIV outcomes. We used the risk ratio (RR) or mean difference with associated 95% confidence interval (CI) to assess the comparative efficacy between SNS and control methods on the selected outcomes. The GRADE system was used to assess the quality of evidence for the studies. RESULTS Of 2818 citations identified, 28 trails from 24 papers met the inclusion criteria. The results showed that SNS was associated with less unprotected intercourse (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.86) and sex with multiple partners (0.46, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.65). Additionally, relative to the control methods, SNS significantly reduced HIV seroconversion (0.65, 95% CI 0.53 to 0.81), improved HIV testing uptake (1.11, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.15) and promoted participant retention (1.03, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.06) among key populations. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system showed that trails were of moderate quality. CONCLUSIONS This review provides evidence that SNS can reach key populations who are currently not being reached by existing programmes and deliver HIV interventions through social networks, which decreases HIV sexual risk behaviour and HIV incidence and increases HIV testing uptake and participant retention. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42019140533.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Yang
- Nursing College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Ting Fang
- Nursing College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Siam Ai Mobarak
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Institute of Acute Communicable Disease Prevention and Control, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Can Wang
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Shan Huang
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Li Jiang
- Nursing College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Xi Chen
- Nursing College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Hongzhan Li
- Nursing College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Weiwei Chang
- Nursing College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- China-Australia Joint Research Center for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.,Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jieling Mo
- Nursing College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Chuanyi Ning
- Nursing College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China .,Key Lab of AIDS Prevention and Treatment, BSL-3 Lab, Life Sciences Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
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Campbell EM, Patala A, Shankar A, Li JF, Johnson JA, Westheimer E, Gay CL, Cohen SE, Switzer WM, Peters PJ. Phylodynamic Analysis Complements Partner Services by Identifying Acute and Unreported HIV Transmission. Viruses 2020; 12:v12020145. [PMID: 32012700 PMCID: PMC7077189 DOI: 10.3390/v12020145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Tailoring public health responses to growing HIV transmission clusters depends on accurately mapping the risk network through which it spreads and identifying acute infections that represent the leading edge of cluster growth. HIV transmission links, especially those involving persons with acute HIV infection (AHI), can be difficult to uncover, or confirm during partner services investigations. We integrated molecular, epidemiologic, serologic and behavioral data to infer and evaluate transmission linkages between participants of a prospective study of AHI conducted in North Carolina, New York City and San Francisco from 2011-2013. Among the 547 participants with newly diagnosed HIV with polymerase sequences, 465 sex partners were reported, of whom only 35 (7.5%) had HIV sequences. Among these 35 contacts, 23 (65.7%) links were genetically supported and 12 (34.3%) were not. Only five links were reported between participants with AHI but none were genetically supported. In contrast, phylodynamic inference identified 102 unreported transmission links, including 12 between persons with AHI. Importantly, all putative transmission links between persons with AHI were found among large clusters with more than five members. Taken together, the presence of putative links between acute participants who did not name each other as contacts that are found only among large clusters underscores the potential for unobserved or undiagnosed intermediaries. Phylodynamics identified many more links than partner services alone and, if routinely and rapidly integrated, can illuminate transmission patterns not readily captured by partner services investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellsworth M. Campbell
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (A.P.); (A.S.); (J.-F.L.); (J.A.J.); (W.M.S.); (P.J.P.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Anne Patala
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (A.P.); (A.S.); (J.-F.L.); (J.A.J.); (W.M.S.); (P.J.P.)
- ICF International, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Anupama Shankar
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (A.P.); (A.S.); (J.-F.L.); (J.A.J.); (W.M.S.); (P.J.P.)
| | - Jin-Fen Li
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (A.P.); (A.S.); (J.-F.L.); (J.A.J.); (W.M.S.); (P.J.P.)
| | - Jeffrey A. Johnson
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (A.P.); (A.S.); (J.-F.L.); (J.A.J.); (W.M.S.); (P.J.P.)
| | - Emily Westheimer
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, NY 10013, USA;
| | - Cynthia L. Gay
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA;
| | - Stephanie E. Cohen
- San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA;
| | - William M. Switzer
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (A.P.); (A.S.); (J.-F.L.); (J.A.J.); (W.M.S.); (P.J.P.)
| | - Philip J. Peters
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (A.P.); (A.S.); (J.-F.L.); (J.A.J.); (W.M.S.); (P.J.P.)
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Leveraging Phylogenetics to Understand HIV Transmission and Partner Notification Networks. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2019; 78:367-375. [PMID: 29940601 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000001695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Partner notification is an important component of public health test and treat interventions. To enhance this essential function, we assessed the potential for molecular methods to supplement routine partner notification and corroborate HIV networks. METHODS All persons diagnosed with HIV infection in Wake County, NC, during 2012-2013 and their disclosed sexual partners were included in a sexual network. A data set containing HIV-1 pol sequences collected in NC during 1997-2014 from 15,246 persons was matched to HIV-positive persons in the network and used to identify putative transmission clusters. Both networks were compared. RESULTS The partner notification network comprised 280 index cases and 383 sexual partners and high-risk social contacts (n = 131 HIV-positive). Of the 411 HIV-positive persons in the partner notification network, 181 (44%) did not match to a HIV sequence, 61 (15%) had sequences but were not identified in a transmission cluster, and 169 (41%) were identified in a transmission cluster. More than half (59%) of transmission clusters bridged sexual network partnerships that were not recognized in the partner notification; most of these clusters were dominated by men who have sex with men. CONCLUSIONS Partner notification and HIV sequence analysis provide complementary representations of the existent partnerships underlying the HIV transmission network. The partner notification network components were bridged by transmission clusters, particularly among components dominated by men who have sex with men. Supplementing the partner notification network with phylogenetic data highlighted avenues for intervention.
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Identifying Clusters of Recent and Rapid HIV Transmission Through Analysis of Molecular Surveillance Data. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2019; 79:543-550. [PMID: 30222659 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000001856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Detecting recent and rapid spread of HIV can help prioritize prevention and early treatment for those at highest risk of transmission. HIV genetic sequence data can identify transmission clusters, but previous approaches have not distinguished clusters of recent, rapid transmission. We assessed an analytic approach to identify such clusters in the United States. METHODS We analyzed 156,553 partial HIV-1 polymerase sequences reported to the National HIV Surveillance System and inferred transmission clusters using 2 genetic distance thresholds (0.5% and 1.5%) and 2 periods for diagnoses (all years and 2013-2015, ie, recent diagnoses). For rapidly growing clusters (with ≥5 diagnoses during 2015), molecular clock phylogenetic analysis estimated the time to most recent common ancestor for all divergence events within the cluster. Cluster transmission rates were estimated using these phylogenies. RESULTS A distance threshold of 1.5% identified 103 rapidly growing clusters using all diagnoses and 73 using recent diagnoses; at 0.5%, 15 clusters were identified using all diagnoses and 13 using recent diagnoses. Molecular clock analysis estimated that the 13 clusters identified at 0.5% using recent diagnoses had been diversifying for a median of 4.7 years, compared with 6.5-13.2 years using other approaches. The 13 clusters at 0.5% had a transmission rate of 33/100 person-years, compared with previous national estimates of 4/100 person-years. CONCLUSIONS Our approach identified clusters with transmission rates 8 times those of previous national estimates. This method can identify groups involved in rapid transmission and help programs effectively direct and prioritize limited public health resources.
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Katzman C, Mateu-Gelabert P, Kapadia SN, Eckhardt BJ. Contact tracing for hepatitis C: The case for novel screening strategies as we strive for viral elimination. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2019; 72:33-39. [PMID: 31010750 PMCID: PMC6717536 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Contact tracing has been a key element of the public health response to infectious diseases for decades. These practices have been powerful in slowing the spread of tuberculosis, HIV, and other sexually transmitted infections. Despite success in other contexts, contact tracing for hepatitis C virus (HCV) has historically been considered infeasible because of a long asymptomatic period, which often makes it difficult to pinpoint the time of acquisition. Additionally, individuals may be reluctant to identify injecting partners because of stigma or fear of criminal repercussions. However, multiple factors - including the improved curability of HCV with advances in direct acting antiviral agents (DAAs), the implementation of age-based screening, and the current opioid epidemic -- have led to rapid changes in the landscape of HCV. HCV is increasingly concentrated among young people who inject drugs (PWID), many of whom are inadequately being reached by current screening practices. With the shift in the population most at risk for HCV and the fundamental changes in how we manage this disease, it's time to also rethink the public health response in identifying and informing those who may have been exposed. Contact tracing programs for HCV can augment existing screening strategies to provide curative treatment for patients and their partners, prevent reciprocal transmission of HCV between risk partners and within networks, and ultimately reach individuals who aren't yet engaged in healthcare and harm reduction. While there remain limitations to contact tracing for HCV, it has the potential to be a powerful tool in slowing the spread of the virus as we attempt to achieve viral elimination.
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Wamuti BM, Welty T, Nambu W, Chimoun FT, Shields R, Golden MR, Farquhar C, Muffih PT. Low risk of social harms in an HIV assisted partner services programme in Cameroon. J Int AIDS Soc 2019; 22 Suppl 3:e25308. [PMID: 31321882 PMCID: PMC6639667 DOI: 10.1002/jia2.25308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas Welty
- AIDS Care and Prevention ProgramCameroon Baptist Convention Health ServicesBamendaCameroon
| | - Winifred Nambu
- AIDS Care and Prevention ProgramCameroon Baptist Convention Health ServicesBamendaCameroon
| | - Francois T Chimoun
- AIDS Care and Prevention ProgramCameroon Baptist Convention Health ServicesBamendaCameroon
| | - Ray Shields
- AIDS Care and Prevention ProgramCameroon Baptist Convention Health ServicesBamendaCameroon
| | - Matthew R Golden
- Department of EpidemiologyUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
- Department of MedicineUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
- Public Health Seattle & King County HIV/STD ProgramSeattleWAUSA
| | - Carey Farquhar
- Department of Global HealthUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
- Department of EpidemiologyUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
- Department of MedicineUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
| | - Pius T Muffih
- AIDS Care and Prevention ProgramCameroon Baptist Convention Health ServicesBamendaCameroon
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Contesse MG, Fredericksen RJ, Wohlfeiler D, Hecht J, Kachur R, Strona FV, Katz DA. Attitudes About the Use of Geosocial Networking Applications for HIV/STD Partner Notification: A Qualitative Study. AIDS EDUCATION AND PREVENTION : OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR AIDS EDUCATION 2019; 31:273-285. [PMID: 31145001 PMCID: PMC6821391 DOI: 10.1521/aeap.2019.31.3.273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Meeting sex partners through geosocial networking (GSN) apps is common among men who have sex with men (MSM). MSM may choose not to exchange contact information with partners met through GSN apps, limiting their own and health departments' ability to notify partners of HIV/STD exposure through standard notification methods. Using online focus groups (four groups; N = 28), we explored the perspectives of U.S. MSM regarding offer of partner notification features through GSN apps. Most participants were comfortable with HIV/STD partner notification delivered via GSN apps, either by partner services staff using a health department profile or through an in-app anonymous messaging system. While most participants expressed a responsibility to notify partners on their own, app-based partner notification methods may be preferred for casual or hard-to-reach partners. However, participants indicated that health departments will need to build trust with MSM app users to ensure acceptable and effective app-based delivery of partner notification.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dan Wohlfeiler
- Building Healthy Online Communities, San Francisco, California
| | - Jen Hecht
- Building Healthy Online Communities, San Francisco, California
- San Francisco AIDS Foundation, San Francisco, California
| | - Rachel Kachur
- Division of STD Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - F V Strona
- Division of STD Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
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Brief Report: HIV Assisted Partner Services Among Those With and Without a History of Intimate Partner Violence in Kenya. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2019; 78:16-19. [PMID: 29406431 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000001638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND HIV assisted partner services (APS) are a notification and testing strategy for sex partners of HIV-infected index patients. This cluster-randomized controlled trial secondary data analysis investigated whether history of intimate partner violence (IPV) modified APS effectiveness and risk of relationship dissolution. SETTING Eighteen HIV testing and counseling sites in Kenya randomized to provide immediate APS (intervention) or APS delayed for 6 weeks (control). METHODS History of IPV was ascertained at study enrollment and defined as reporting ever experiencing physical or sexual IPV. Those reporting IPV in the month before enrollment were excluded. We tested whether history of IPV modified intervention effectiveness and risk of relationship dissolution using population-averaged Poisson and log-binomial generalized estimating equation models. Exploratory analyses investigated associations between history of IPV and events that occurred after HIV diagnosis using log-binomial generalized estimating equation models. RESULTS The study enrolled 1119 index participants and 1286 partners. Among index participants, 81 (7%) had history of IPV. History of IPV did not modify APS effectiveness in testing, newly diagnosing, or linking partners to care. History of IPV did not modify the association between receiving immediate APS and relationship dissolution during the study. CONCLUSIONS Among participants who had not experienced IPV in the last month but had experienced IPV in their lifetimes, our results suggest that APS is an effective and safe partner notification strategy in Kenya. As APS is scaled up in different contexts, these data support including those reporting past IPV and closely monitoring adverse events.
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Giannou F, Nikolopoulos GK, Pantavou K, Benetou V, Kantzanou M, Sypsa V, Williams LD, Friedman SR, Hatzakis A. Knowledge, Normative Beliefs and Attitudes Related to Recent HIV Infection among People who Inject Drugs in Athens, Greece. Curr HIV Res 2019; 15:386-395. [PMID: 29173178 DOI: 10.2174/1570162x15666171122165636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Revised: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite great improvements in prevention over the last years, much has to be done to reduce new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections. Substantial evidence shows that the six-month period of recent HIV infection contributes disproportionately to HIV transmission. OBJECTIVE This study aims to investigate knowledge, normative beliefs, and attitudes of people who inject drugs (PWID) regarding recent HIV infection. METHODS People who inject drugs in Athens, Greece were recruited in the fifth round of a respondent- driven sampling program (ARISTOTLE). The participants were tested for HIV and answered a structured questionnaire, which also included items on knowledge, normative beliefs, and attitudes regarding recent infection to address needs of the social network-based Transmission Reduction Intervention Project. The multivariable analyses included logistic regression models, which produced odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS In total, 1,407 people (mean age: 36.3 ± 7.9 years old; males: 81.9%) took part in the fifth round of ARISTOTLE. Of these, 61.5% knew that HIV-infected people who are not on treatment are more likely to transmit HIV during the first six months of their infection and 58.4% reported that people in their network would react positively towards a recently HIV-infected person. People who inject drugs who were knowledgeable of recent HIV infection were more likely to disagree with statements such as that one should avoid all contact with a person recently infected by HIV (adjusted OR: 1.510, 95% CI: 1.090, 2.091) or more likely to agree with statements such as that an HIV+ person is much less likely to transmit HIV when h/she is on combination antiretroviral treatment (adjusted OR: 2.083, 95% CI: 1.231, 3.523). CONCLUSION A considerable proportion of PWID in Athens, Greece, were aware of the high HIV transmission risk of recent HIV infection, although improvement is needed for some population segments. People who inject drugs who were knowledgeable of the role of recent HIV infection were more likely to have normative beliefs and attitudes that favor behaviors that could help rather than harm or stigmatize people who have recently been infected with HIV. Interventions that are based on the role of recent HIV infection in HIV transmission could be important to HIV prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Foteini Giannou
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | | | | | - Vassiliki Benetou
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Kantzanou
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Vana Sypsa
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Leslie D Williams
- Institute for Infectious Diseases Research, National Development and Research Institutes, New York, United States
| | - Samuel R Friedman
- Institute for Infectious Diseases Research, National Development and Research Institutes, New York, United States
| | - Angelos Hatzakis
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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Rao S, Song W, Mulatu MS, Rorie M, O’Connor K, Scales L. HIV Partner Service Delivery Among Blacks or African Americans - United States, 2016. MMWR-MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY WEEKLY REPORT 2019; 68:81-86. [PMID: 30703079 PMCID: PMC6400579 DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6804a2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Identifying persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection who are unaware of their infection status, linking them to HIV care, and reducing racial/ethnic disparities are important national HIV prevention goals (1). Blacks/African Americans (blacks)* are disproportionately affected by HIV infection in the United States. Although blacks represent 13% of the U.S. population (2), in 2017, 44% of diagnoses of HIV infection were in blacks, and the rate of new diagnoses in blacks (41.1 per 100,000 persons) was approximately eight times that of non-Hispanic whites (5.1) (3). HIV partner services are offered by health officials to persons with diagnosed HIV infection (index patients) and their sex- or needle-sharing partners, who are notified of their potential HIV exposure and offered HIV testing and related services (4). CDC analyzed 2016 data from the National HIV Prevention Program Monitoring and Evaluation system submitted by 59 health departments.† Among 49,266 index patients identified as potential candidates for partner services, 21,191 (43%) were black. The percentage of black index patients interviewed for partner services (76%) was higher than that for all index patients combined (73%). Among the 11,088 black partners named by index patients, 78% were notified of their potential HIV exposure. Fewer than half (47%) of those notified were tested for HIV infection. Among those tested, one in six (17%) received a new HIV diagnosis. The prevalence of newly diagnosed HIV infection was particularly high among black partners who were gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) (37%) and transgender persons (38%). Effective implementation of partner services is important to identify HIV infection, link patients to care or reengage them in care, and provide prevention services to reduce HIV transmission.
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Cope AB, Mobley VL, Samoff E, O'Connor K, Peterman TA. The Changing Role of Disease Intervention Specialists in Modern Public Health Programs. Public Health Rep 2018; 134:11-16. [PMID: 30500306 DOI: 10.1177/0033354918813549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anna B Cope
- 1 Division of STD Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.,2 Division of Public Health, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Communicable Disease Branch, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Victoria L Mobley
- 2 Division of Public Health, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Communicable Disease Branch, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Erika Samoff
- 2 Division of Public Health, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Communicable Disease Branch, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Kevin O'Connor
- 1 Division of STD Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Thomas A Peterman
- 1 Division of STD Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Owczarzak J, Broaddus M, Tarima S. Effectiveness of an evidence-based HIV prevention intervention when implemented by frontline providers. Transl Behav Med 2018; 8:917-926. [PMID: 29385559 PMCID: PMC6248864 DOI: 10.1093/tbm/ibx041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Carefully conducted randomized trials have established that sexual behavior change interventions can significantly reduce intervention participants' risk of acquiring HIV. Establishing the effectiveness of these evidence-based interventions when implemented by frontline HIV prevention service providers is increasingly important in order to achieve maximum public health impact. This study sought to assess the effectiveness of an evidence-based intervention when implemented by frontline HIV prevention service providers. We evaluated Sisters Informing Sisters on Topics about AIDS (SISTA), an HIV prevention intervention for heterosexual African American women, as implemented by four AIDS service organizations. Women enrolled in HIV counseling, testing, and referral (CTR) at each agency served as contemporaneous controls. Measures included self-reported number of occasions of unprotected vaginal intercourse and number of vaginal sex partners in the previous 90 days. 1,262 participants completed baseline and follow-up assessments across both conditions (SISTA = 537 [57%]; CTR = 725 [62%]). In the full sample of HIV-negative women, CTR participants' odds of having had unprotected sex decreased over time by 38% while SISTA participants' odds of having had unprotected sex did not change. Similar results were found among only those participants who had sex at baseline. Hypothesized interaction effects indicating positive changes in sexual risks over time for SISTA participants were not observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill Owczarzak
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins
- Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Michelle Broaddus
- Center for AIDS Intervention Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Sergey Tarima
- Center for AIDS Intervention Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
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Li XC, Kusi L, Marak T, Bertrand T, Chan PA, Galárraga O. The Cost and Cost-utility of Three Public Health HIV Case-finding Strategies: Evidence from Rhode Island, 2012-2014. AIDS Behav 2018; 22:3726-3733. [PMID: 29079947 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-017-1940-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
To evaluate three testing strategies to identify new HIV diagnoses in Rhode Island (RI). RI deployed three testing strategies, by using rapid HIV tests at clinical settings, community-based organization (CBO) settings, and the Partner Notification Services (PNS) program from 2012 to 2014. We reviewed the rapid HIV test results and confirmatory test results to identify new diagnoses, and conducted a cost-utility analysis. The average cost per new diagnosis was $33,015 at CBO settings, $5446 at clinical settings, and $33,818 at the PNS program. The cost-utility analysis showed the state-wide program was cost-saving; testing was cost-saving at clinical settings, and cost-effective at CBO settings and the PNS program. Further analyses showed that cost-effectiveness varied widely across CBOs. The HIV testing expansion program in RI was cost-saving overall. The heterogeneity of cost-effectiveness across settings should provide guidance to officials for allocation of future resources to HIV testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinqi C Li
- Department of Health Services Research, Policy, and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, South Main Street, Box G-S121-7, Providence, RI, 02903, USA
| | - Lillian Kusi
- Center for HIV/AIDS, STDs, Viral Hepatitis, and TB, Rhode Island Department of Health, 3 Capitol Hill, Providence, 02908, RI, USA
| | - Theodore Marak
- Center for HIV/AIDS, STDs, Viral Hepatitis, and TB, Rhode Island Department of Health, 3 Capitol Hill, Providence, 02908, RI, USA
| | - Thomas Bertrand
- Center for HIV/AIDS, STDs, Viral Hepatitis, and TB, Rhode Island Department of Health, 3 Capitol Hill, Providence, 02908, RI, USA
| | - Philip A Chan
- Center for HIV/AIDS, STDs, Viral Hepatitis, and TB, Rhode Island Department of Health, 3 Capitol Hill, Providence, 02908, RI, USA
| | - Omar Galárraga
- Department of Health Services Research, Policy, and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, South Main Street, Box G-S121-7, Providence, RI, 02903, USA.
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Gore D, Ferreira M, Khanna AS, Schneider J. Human Immunodeficiency Virus Partner Notification Services Among a Representative Sample of Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men Demonstrates Limited Service Offering and Potential Benefits of Clinic Involvement. Sex Transm Dis 2018; 45:636-641. [PMID: 29465643 PMCID: PMC6089660 DOI: 10.1097/olq.0000000000000806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Partner notification (PN) is commonly offered to persons recently diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to improve linkage to care and prevent onward transmission. Yet, much remains unknown about the factors associated with successful PN participation in populations at highest risk. METHODS Data were collected during the first 2 waves (2013-2015) of "uConnect," a population-based cohort study of young black men who have sex with men in Chicago (N = 618). Participants completed a biobehavioral survey and were tested for HIV. Among HIV-infected participants (N = 187), weighted logistic regression models examined the relationship between participant characteristics and being offered PN and providing partner names. RESULTS 30.3% (n = 187) of the sample was HIV-positive, of which 71.7% (n = 134) were offered PN, including: 8.2% (n = 11) by the city health department; 51.5% (n = 69) by health care providers; and 40.3% (n = 54) by both. Being offered PN was significantly associated with criminal justice involvement history (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.38-4.49), volatile nitrates usage (aOR, 2.88; 95% CI, 1.20-6.94), and recent conversations with HIV outreach workers (aOR, 2.68; 95% CI, 1.25-5.77). Providing partner names was significantly associated with intermittent (aOR, 7.26; 95% CI, 1.75-30.07) and heavy (aOR, 11.47; 95% CI, 2.57-51.22) marijuana use, and being offered PN by both the city health department and health care provider (aOR, 8.36; 95% CI, 2.73-25.62). CONCLUSIONS A substantial proportion of HIV-diagnosed individuals were never offered PN. Being offered PN by multiple sources is associated with participation, and improved collaboration within health systems may improve participation rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Gore
- Chicago Center for HIV Elimination, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- Rush Medical College, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Matthew Ferreira
- Chicago Center for HIV Elimination, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Aditya S. Khanna
- Chicago Center for HIV Elimination, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - John Schneider
- Chicago Center for HIV Elimination, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
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Campbell CK, Lippman SA, Moss N, Lightfoot M. Strategies to Increase HIV Testing Among MSM: A Synthesis of the Literature. AIDS Behav 2018; 22:2387-2412. [PMID: 29550941 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-018-2083-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
More than 30 years into the HIV epidemic, men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to be disproportionately impacted. It is estimated that worldwide nearly half of MSM infected with HIV are unaware of their status, making HIV testing along with early linkage to care crucial to HIV prevention efforts. However, there remain significant barriers to HIV testing among MSM, due largely to complex issues of layered stigma that deter MSM from accessing traditional, clinic-based testing. We conducted a review and synthesis of the literature on strategies to increase uptake of HIV testing among MSM. We found that social network-based strategies, community-based testing, HIV self-testing, and modifications to the traditional clinic-based model can effectively reach a subset of MSM, but success was often context-specific and there are significant gaps in evidence. We provide recommendations for increasing HIV testing rates and status awareness among MSM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chadwick K Campbell
- Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California San Francisco, UCSF Mail Code 0886, 550 16th Street, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA, 94158-2549, USA.
| | - Sheri A Lippman
- Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California San Francisco, UCSF Mail Code 0886, 550 16th Street, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA, 94158-2549, USA
| | - Nicholas Moss
- Division of Communicable Disease Control & Prevention, Alameda County Public Health Department, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Marguerita Lightfoot
- Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California San Francisco, UCSF Mail Code 0886, 550 16th Street, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA, 94158-2549, USA
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Semple SJ, Pines HA, Strathdee SA, Vera AH, Rangel G, Magis-Rodriguez C, Patterson TL. Uptake of a Partner Notification Model for HIV Among Men Who Have Sex With Men and Transgender Women in Tijuana, Mexico. AIDS Behav 2018; 22:2042-2055. [PMID: 29159592 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-017-1984-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Undiagnosed HIV infection is common among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TW) in Latin America. We examined uptake of a partner notification (PN) model among MSM and TW in Tijuana, Mexico. Forty-six HIV-positive MSM/TW enrolled as index patients, and reported 132 MSM/TW sexual partners for PN. Of notified partners (90/132), 39% declined eligibility screening or participation, 39% tested for HIV, and of those 28% were newly-diagnosed HIV-positive. Partners who were seen by the index patient more than once in the past 4 months and those who primarily had sex with the index patient in one of their homes were more likely to be notified via PN (76% vs. 50%; p = 0.01 and 86% vs. 64%, p = 0.02, respectively). Lower than expected PN uptake was associated with problems identifying index patients, obtaining reliable partner contact information, and engaging notified partners.
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Improving Retention in HIV Care Through New York's Expanded Partner Services Data-to-Care Pilot. JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH MANAGEMENT AND PRACTICE 2018; 23:255-263. [PMID: 27902561 PMCID: PMC5381495 DOI: 10.1097/phh.0000000000000483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Context: Data to Care (DTC) represents a public health strategy using HIV surveillance data to link persons living with diagnosed HIV infection (PLWDHI) to HIV-related medical care. Objective: To investigate the feasibility of the DTC approach applied to a Partner Services program serving a geographically diffuse area of New York State. Design: Disease intervention specialists received training to function as Expanded Partner Services (ExPS) advocates. HIV surveillance data identified PLWDHI presumed to be out of care (OOC). ExPS advocates attempted to locate and reengage OOC individuals in HIV-related care. The pilot ran from September 1, 2013, to August 31, 2014. Setting: Four upstate New York counties, home to one-third of all PLWDHI in upstate New York. Participants: A total of 1155 PLWDHI presumed to be OOC. Main Outcome Measures: Linked to HIV medical care—cases verified as attending 1 or more HIV medical appointments subsequent to case assignment; reengaging in HIV care—any HIV laboratory test in the 6 months following case closure; and retention in HIV care—2 or more HIV laboratory tests in the 6 months following case closure. Results: The majority of assigned cases (85.3%) were located; 23.7% (n = 233) of located cases confirmed as OOC; and 71.2% of OOC cases (n = 166) were successfully relinked into care. Relinkage success did not differ by gender, transmission risk, or major race/ethnicity categories; however, there was a direct relationship between age and successful relinkage (P < .001). Ninety-five percent of relinked cases reengaged in medical care, and 63.3% were retained in care. Individuals relinked by ExPS advocates were more likely to reengage in care (95%) than individuals interviewed but not relinked to care by advocates (53.7%) and individuals ineligible for the ExPS intervention (34.2%). Conclusion: DTC can be effective when conducted outside large metropolitan areas and/or closed health care systems. It can also be effectively incorporated into existing Partner Services programs; however, the relative priority of DTC work must be established in this context.
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Delivering Partner Services to Reduce Transmission and Promote Linkage to Care: Process Outcomes Varied for Chlamydial Infection, Gonorrhea, HIV, and Syphilis Cases. JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH MANAGEMENT AND PRACTICE 2018; 23:242-246. [PMID: 26480283 DOI: 10.1097/phh.0000000000000351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Partner services for HIV and sexually transmitted diseases, a public health intervention activity recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, includes counseling, partner notification, linkage to care, and referral to other services. OBJECTIVE A time study of partner services case investigations documented differences in times to process HIV/sexually transmitted disease cases. SETTING Cases were from 9 local and regional sites in New York. PARTICIPANTS Fifty-two partner services disease investigators documented 542 randomly selected cases (271 chlamydial infections, 162 gonorrhea, 48 HIV, and 61 syphilis cases) assigned between June and September 2014. Cases were the unit of the analysis and represented 6.9% of all partner services investigations in 2014. DESIGN Cases were selected via stratified random sampling of infections assigned to staff. For each case, disease investigators completed a standard time study form to document the time spent on specific tasks and other outcomes. Kruskal-Wallis tests for continuous variables and χ tests for categorical variables assessed variation in outcomes across infection type. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Outcomes included minutes spent on specific tasks (such as medical provider and index case outreach, travel, and partner notification), days the case remained open, disposition codes, and number of partners reached. RESULTS Case processing times varied, with HIV and syphilis tasks taking more minutes (P < .001) and cases staying open for more days (P < .001). Partners were notified in 33% of cases overall, with more notifications in syphilis (44%). Most time (median = 77%) was spent on index cases and 2% (median) on partner notification, with a wide range across cases. CONCLUSIONS Given their chronic resource constraints, public health agencies must identify efficient methods to allocate resources, including which infections to prioritize. Documenting how workers allocate time across cases is essential to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of this program and generating the data to model return on investment.
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Care continuum entry interventions: seek and test strategies to engage persons most impacted by HIV within the United States. AIDS 2018; 32:407-417. [PMID: 29381558 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0000000000001733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
: The current review re-conceptualizes seek and test strategies, particularly given the changing importance of HIV testing as care continuum entry for persons irrespective of their HIV status. Care continuum entry advances previous seek and test strategies for client engagement with two next-generation functions: use of testing to engage (or re-engage) HIV negative clients in preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care; and testing individuals who may already be known positives for care continuum re-entry. We review existing seek and test strategies for most impacted community members with a goal of optimizing care continuum entry as we move towards HIV transmission elimination. These strategies are context, sub-group, community and epidemic-specific. This review is timely, given the initiation of routine PrEP care, which shifts and broadens our conceptualization of care continuum entry triggered by the HIV testing event. In addition, as the epidemic becomes more concentrated, focusing on re-engagement of HIV-infected persons becomes increasingly important given that transmission events involve both those acutely and newly infected as well as the large numbers who may not be virally suppressed. We start with examination of routine testing in healthcare settings, emphasizing its potential role in re-engagement for persons out of care. Subsequently, we describe risk-based testing to identify key populations. We then review network-based approaches and their impact on the epidemic. We close with future directions for individual and combination care continuum entry strategies most relevant to elimination of HIV transmission in the United States.
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Magaziner S, Montgomery MC, Bertrand T, Daltry D, Jenkins H, Kendall B, Molotnikov L, Pierce L, Smith E, Sosa L, van den Berg JJ, Marak T, Operario D, Chan PA. Public health opportunities and challenges in the provision of partner notification services: the New England experience. BMC Health Serv Res 2018; 18:75. [PMID: 29386023 PMCID: PMC5793459 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-018-2890-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Partner notification services (PNS) are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a public health intervention for addressing the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Barriers and facilitators to the partner notification process from a public health perspective have not been well described. METHODS In 2015, a coalition of New England public health STD directors and investigators formed to address the increasing STD prevalence across the region (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont) and to promote communication between state STD programs. To evaluate barriers and facilitators of PNS programs, a survey was administered to representatives from each state to describe PNS processes and approaches. RESULTS Of the six PNS programs, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire had combined HIV and STD PNS programs; Rhode Island's programs were integrated but employed separate disease intervention specialists (DIS). All states performed PNS for HIV and syphilis. Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont performed services for all gonorrhea cases. Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts performed limited partner notification for gonorrhea due to lack of resources. None of the six states routinely provided services for chlamydia, though Maine and Vermont did so for high-priority populations such as HIV co-infected or pregnant individuals. Across all programs, clients received risk reduction counseling and general STD education as a component of PNS, in addition to referrals for HIV/STD care at locations ranging from Planned Parenthood to community- or hospital-based clinics. Notable barriers to successful partner notification across all states included anonymous partners and index cases who did not feel comfortable sharing partners' names with DIS. Other common barriers included insufficient staff, inability of DIS to identify and contact partners, and index cases declining to speak with DIS staff. CONCLUSIONS In New England, state health departments use different strategies to implement PNS programs and referral to STD care. Despite this, similar challenges exist across settings, including difficulty with anonymous partners and limited state resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Magaziner
- Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, 222 Richmond Street, Providence, RI 02903 USA
| | - Madeline C. Montgomery
- Division of Infectious Diseases, The Miriam Hospital, 164 Summit Avenue, Providence, RI 02906 USA
| | - Thomas Bertrand
- Rhode Island Department of Health, 3 Capitol Hill, Providence, RI 02908 USA
| | - Daniel Daltry
- Vermont Department of Health, 108 Cherry Street, Burlington, VT 05402 USA
| | - Heidi Jenkins
- Connecticut Department of Public Health, 410 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06134 USA
| | - Brenda Kendall
- Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, State House Station 11, Augusta, ME 04333 USA
| | - Lauren Molotnikov
- Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 250 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02108 USA
| | - Lindsay Pierce
- New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, 29 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03301 USA
| | - Emer Smith
- Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, State House Station 11, Augusta, ME 04333 USA
| | - Lynn Sosa
- Connecticut Department of Public Health, 410 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06134 USA
| | - Jacob J. van den Berg
- Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, 222 Richmond Street, Providence, RI 02903 USA
- Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903 USA
| | - Theodore Marak
- Division of Infectious Diseases, The Miriam Hospital, 164 Summit Avenue, Providence, RI 02906 USA
| | - Don Operario
- Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903 USA
| | - Philip A. Chan
- Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, 222 Richmond Street, Providence, RI 02903 USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, The Miriam Hospital, 164 Summit Avenue, Providence, RI 02906 USA
- Rhode Island Department of Health, 3 Capitol Hill, Providence, RI 02908 USA
- Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903 USA
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Ganju SA, Kanga AK. Client Partner Notification and Management: A Rational Approach to Reduce New HIV Infections. Indian J Med Microbiol 2018; 36:147-148. [DOI: 10.4103/ijmm.ijmm_15_214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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van den Berg JJ, Javanbakht M, Gorbach PM, Rudy BJ, Westfall AO, Wilson CM, Lally MA. Partner Notification for Youth Living With HIV in 14 Cities in the United States. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2018; 77:46-52. [PMID: 29023252 PMCID: PMC5730071 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000001565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Identifying factors associated with partner notification among youth living with HIV is critical for effective HIV prevention and treatment strategies. METHODS A total of 924 male and female behaviorally infected youth aged 13-24 across 14 U.S. cities completed an audio computer-assisted self-interview including questions about demographics and experiences with patient- and provider-referral partner notification. RESULTS The majority of participants self-identified as male (82.5%), Black/non-Hispanic (70.1%), and Hispanic/Latino (18.2%). Most males (93.4%) reported engaging in male-to-male sexual contact. Over three-quarters (77.6%) reported that all or some of their partners were contacted, while 22.4% indicated that none were contacted regarding potential HIV exposure. Most (52.4%) reported that only one person talked to them about notifying partners including the HIV tester (36.5%) followed by their health care provider/doctor (27.6%). Less than a fifth (18.3%) were themselves notified of their own exposure to HIV. Using multivariable logistic regression, 3 factors were associated with successful partner notification: (1) when more than one person talked to participants about partner notification (AOR = 1.87, 1.33-2.62); (2) if they themselves had been notified of their own HIV exposure (AOR = 1.83, 1.13-2.95); and (3) if their education included some college or technical school versus less than high school (AOR = 1.72, 1.04-2.85). CONCLUSIONS Partner notification among youth living with HIV is unsuccessful at least 22.4% of the time, although minimal criteria for partner services are being met almost universally. Partner notification might benefit from enhanced guidelines that call for both HIV testers and HIV care providers to discuss this important strategy with HIV-positive youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob J. van den Berg
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Marjan Javanbakht
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health & Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Pamina M. Gorbach
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health & Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Bret J. Rudy
- Department of Pediatrics, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andrew O. Westfall
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Craig M. Wilson
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Michelle A. Lally
- Lifespan Hospital Systems and Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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Rane V, Tomnay J, Fairley C, Read T, Bradshaw C, Carter T, Chen M. Opt-Out Referral of Men Who Have Sex With Men Newly Diagnosed With HIV to Partner Notification Officers: Results and Yield of Sexual Partners Being Contacted. Sex Transm Dis 2017; 43:341-5. [PMID: 27200517 DOI: 10.1097/olq.0000000000000449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Given its potential for reducing the proportion of people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) unaware of their diagnosis, partner notification for HIV has been underutilized. This study aimed to determine if the implementation of opt-out referral of men who have sex with men, newly diagnosed with HIV, to partner notification officers (PNO) increased the proportion of sexual partners notified. METHODS In April 2013, all individuals newly diagnosed with HIV at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Australia were referred to Department of Health PNO to facilitate partner notification. The number of sexual partners reported by men and the proportion contacted in the 12 months before (opt-in period) and after (opt-out period) this policy change were determined through review of the clinical PNO records. RESULTS Overall, 111 men were diagnosed with HIV during the study period. Compared with men in the opt-in period (n = 51), men in the opt-out period (n = 60) were significantly more likely to accept assistance from the PNO (12 [24%] vs 51 [85%]; P < 0.001). A significantly higher proportion of reported partners were notified with opt-out referral (85/185, 45.9%; 95% confidence interval, 38.6-53.4) compared with opt-in referral (31/252, 12.3%; 95% confidence interval, 8.5-17.0) (P < 0.001). DISCUSSION Opt-out referral to PNO was associated with a substantially higher proportion of partners at risk of HIV being contacted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinita Rane
- From the *Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Hospital; †Centre for Excellence in Rural Sexual Health, Melbourne Medical School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne; ‡Central Clinical School, Monash University, Clayton; and §Department of Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Sociodemographic Differences in Clients Preferring Video-Call Over In-person Interview: A Pilot Study of HIV Tele-partner Services. AIDS Behav 2017; 21:3078-3086. [PMID: 27752874 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-016-1586-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The New York City Department of Health Disease Intervention Specialists (DIS) routinely contact newly HIV-diagnosed persons via telephone calls and in-person meetings to conduct partner services (PS) interviews in order to elicit the names and contact information of the HIV-exposed partners for notification and HIV-testing, and to assist clients with linkage to care. From October 2013 to December 2015, we offered PS interviews conducted via video-call alongside voice-call and in-person modes in a selected geographic area of NYC. PS interviews were conducted according to the clients' preferred mode (in-person, voice- or video-call) and location (health care facility, clients' residences, or other NYC locations). At the conclusion of the PS interviews, DIS elicited responses from persons interviewed via video-call on their perception, satisfaction and personal experiences using video-call for public health and personal purposes. Acceptance and satisfaction with PS interviews via video-call were high among clients aged <30 years, men who have sex with men, or with education above high school; while PS yields were similar across modes. These results provide evidence of the potential effectiveness of video-call interviews for specific populations.
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