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Gerrits T, Kroes H, Russell S, van Rooij F. Breaking the silence around infertility: a scoping review of interventions addressing infertility-related gendered stigmatisation in low- and middle-income countries. Sex Reprod Health Matters 2023; 31:2134629. [PMID: 36811853 PMCID: PMC9970193 DOI: 10.1080/26410397.2022.2134629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Infertility is a reproductive health concern that deserves attention, as reconfirmed by the 2018 report of the Guttmacher-Lancet Commission on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). However, governments and SRHR organisations tend to neglect infertility. We conducted a scoping review of existing interventions aiming to decrease the stigmatisation of infertility in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The review consisted of a combination of research methods: academic database (Embase, Socological abstracts, google scholar; resulting in 15 articles), Google and social media searches, and primary data collection (18 key informant interviews and 3 focus group discussions). The results distinguish between infertility stigma interventions targeted at intrapersonal, interpersonal and structural levels of stigma. The review shows that published studies on interventions tackling infertility stigmatisation in LMICs are rare. Nevertheless, we found several interventions at intra- and interpersonal levels aiming to support women and men to cope with and mitigate infertility stigmatisation (e.g. counselling, telephone hotlines, and support groups). A limited number of interventions addressed stigmatisation at a structural level (e.g. empowering infertile women to become financially independent). The review suggests that infertility destigmatisation interventions need to be implemented across all levels. Interventions geared to individuals experiencing infertility should include women and men and also be offered beyond the clinical setting; and interventions should also aim to combat stigmatising attitudes of family or community members. At the structural level, interventions could aim to empower women, reshape masculinities and improve access to and quality of comprehensive fertility care. Interventions should be undertaken by policymakers, professionals, activists, and others working on infertility in LMICs, and accompanied with evaluation research to assess their effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trudie Gerrits
- Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands,Correspondence:
| | - Hilde Kroes
- Independent Consultant, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Eefde, Netherlands
| | - Steve Russell
- Associate Professor, School of International Development, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Floor van Rooij
- Assistant Professor, Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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2
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Bulterys MA, Mujugira A, Nakyanzi A, Wyatt MA, Kamusiime B, Kasiita V, Kakoola GN, Nalumansi A, Twesigye C, Pisarski EE, Sharma M, Boyer J, Naddunga F, Ware NC, Celum CL. "Him Leaving Me - That is My Fear Now": A Mixed Methods Analysis of Relationship Dissolution Between Ugandan Pregnant and Postpartum Women Living with HIV and Their Male Partners. AIDS Behav 2023; 27:1776-1792. [PMID: 36348192 PMCID: PMC10942742 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-022-03910-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
High rates of relationship dissolution among pregnant women living with HIV (PWLHIV) and their male partners might increase mothers' and children's vulnerability to financial hardship and poor health outcomes. This mixed methods analysis identified factors associated with separation between PWLHIV and their male partners. We utilized data from a randomized controlled trial ( www.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03484533) of 500 PWLHIV attending antenatal care in Uganda and 237 male partners between 2018 and 2020 and followed until 12 months postpartum. Multivariate regression models estimated the impact of relationship factors on the adjusted relative risk of separation during follow up, and we conducted in-depth interviews with 45 women and 45 men enrolled in the trial. Overall, 23% of PWLHIV reported separation during the study period. HIV serodifferent status, financial burdens and gender expectations were sources of relationship conflict. Significant factors associated with separation included unmarried, non-cohabitating, shorter, polygamous relationships, as well as HIV non-disclosure and verbal abuse. Participants discussed potential positive and negative consequences of separation, including impact on their mental health, treatment continuation, financial security, and safety. Addressing relationship dynamics is essential to improve counseling messaging and support PWLHIV who are experiencing relationship conflict.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle A Bulterys
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, 325 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA.
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Andrew Mujugira
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, 325 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA
- Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Agnes Nakyanzi
- Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Monique A Wyatt
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Global, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Brenda Kamusiime
- Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Vicent Kasiita
- Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | | | - Collins Twesigye
- Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Monisha Sharma
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, 325 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA
| | - Jade Boyer
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, 325 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA
| | - Faith Naddunga
- Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Norma C Ware
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Connie L Celum
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, 325 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA
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Muhindo R, Okoboi S, Kiragga A, King R, Arinaitwe WJ, Castelnuovo B. COVID-19 vaccine acceptability, and uptake among people living with HIV in Uganda. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0278692. [PMID: 36459514 PMCID: PMC9718389 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite being a priority population for COVID-19 vaccination, limited data are available regarding acceptability of COVID-19 vaccines among people living with HIV (PLWH) in Sub-Saharan Africa. We described COVID-19 vaccine acceptability and factors associated with vaccine acceptability among PLWH in Uganda. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study conducted among PLWH, aged ≥18 years, enrolled participants who were seeking HIV care from six purposely selected accredited ART clinics in Kampala. We obtained data on vaccine acceptability defined as willingness to accept any of the available COVID-19 vaccines using interviewer-administered questionnaires. In addition, we assessed vaccination status, complacency regarding COVID-19 disease, vaccine confidence, and vaccine convenience. Factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptability were evaluated using modified Poisson regression with robust standard errors. RESULTS We enrolled 767 participants of whom 485 (63%) were women. The median age was 33 years [interquartile range (IQR) 28-40] for women and 40 years [IQR], (34-47) for men. Of the respondents 534 (69.6%,95% confidence interval [CI]: 66.3%-72.8%) reported receiving at least one vaccine dose, with women significantly more likely than men to have been vaccinated (73% vs. 63%; p = 0.003). Among the unvaccinated 169 (72.7%, 95% CI: 66.6%-78.0%) were willing to accept vaccination, had greater vaccine confidence (85.9% had strong belief that the vaccines were effective; 81.9% that they were beneficial and 71% safe for PLWH; 90.5% had trust in health care professionals or 77.4% top government officials), and believed that it would be easy to obtain a vaccine if one decided to be vaccinated (83.6%). Vaccine acceptability was positively associated with greater vaccine confidence (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] 1.44; 95% CI: 1.08-1.90), and positive perception that it would be easy to obtain a vaccine (aPR 1.57; 95% CI: 1.26-1.96). CONCLUSION vaccine acceptance was high among this cohort of PLWH, and was positively associated with greater vaccine confidence, and perceived easiness (convince) to obtained the vaccine. Building vaccine confidence and making vaccines easily accessible should be a priority for vaccination programs targeting PLWH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Muhindo
- Department of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Stephen Okoboi
- Infectious Diseases Institute, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Agnes Kiragga
- Infectious Diseases Institute, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Rachel King
- University of California, San Francisco, California, United states of America
| | - Walter Joseph Arinaitwe
- Infectious Diseases Institute, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Barbara Castelnuovo
- Infectious Diseases Institute, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
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Wiginton JM, Mathur S, Gottert A, Pilgrim N, Pulerwitz J. Hearing From Men Living With HIV: Experiences With HIV Testing, Treatment, and Viral Load Suppression in Four High-Prevalence Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Front Public Health 2022; 10:861431. [PMID: 35651865 PMCID: PMC9149263 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.861431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Engaging men in HIV services remains a challenge across sub-Saharan Africa. There is a critical need to better understand facilitators of men's successful engagement with HIV services and assess if there are similarities across contexts. We conducted in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with 92 men living with HIV (MLHIV) across Malawi, Uganda, South Africa, and Eswatini, most of whom had been diagnosed with HIV within the last 5 years. We coded interviews for themes using a constant-comparative approach. We contextualized our findings within a socioecological framework. HIV testing was primarily motivated by illness (individual level), though illness was sometimes accompanied by prompting and support from healthcare providers and/or intimate partners. Once diagnosed, nearly all participants reported immediate linkage to care, initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART), and subsequent ART adherence. ART initiation and adherence were facilitated by men's sense of agency and ownership over their health (individual level), social support from intimate partners, friends, and family (interpersonal/network level), supportive-directive counseling from healthcare providers (institutional/health systems level), and male-friendly services, i.e., rapid, respectful, private (institutional/health systems level). Health literacy regarding viral suppression (individual level), strengthened by patient-provider communication (institutional/health systems level), was highest in Uganda, where most men could discuss viral load testing experiences, report their viral load status (most reported suppressed), and demonstrate an understanding of treatment as prevention. Elsewhere, few participants understood what viral load suppression was and even fewer knew their viral load status. Our findings reveal socioecological-level facilitators of men's progress across the HIV-care continuum. Programs may want to leverage facilitators of ART initiation and adherence that span socioecological levels—e.g., healthcare ownership and agency, social support, supportive-directive counseling—and apply them to each end of the continuum to encourage early HIV testing/diagnosis and improve health literacy to help men understand and achieve viral load suppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Mark Wiginton
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | | | - Ann Gottert
- Population Council, Washington, DC, United States
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Davis VH, Nixon SA, Murphy K, Cameron C, Bond VA, Hanass-Hancock J, Kimura L, Maimbolwa MC, Menon JA, Nekolaichuk E, Solomon P. How the Term 'Self-Management' is Used in HIV Research in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Scoping Review. AIDS Behav 2022; 26:3386-3399. [PMID: 35429310 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-022-03668-8] [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] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
This scoping review assessed how the term 'self-management' (SM) is used in peer-reviewed literature describing HIV populations in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews. OVID Medline, Embase, CAB Abstracts, and EBSCO CINAHL, Scopus, and Cochrane Library were searched up to September 2021 for articles with SM in titles, key words, or abstracts. Two team members independently screened the titles and abstracts, followed by the full-text. A data extraction tool assisted with collecting findings. A total of 103 articles were included. Since 2015, there has been a 74% increase in articles that use SM in relation to HIV in LMIC. Fifty-three articles used the term in the context of chronic disease management and described it as a complex process involving active participation from patients alongside providers. Many of the remaining 50 articles used SM as a strategy for handling one's care by oneself, with or without the help of community or family members. This demonstrates the varied conceptualizations and uses of the term in LMIC, with implications for the management of HIV in these settings. Future research should examine the applicability of SM frameworks developed in high-income settings for LMIC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria H Davis
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, 4th Floor, M5T 3M6, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Stephanie A Nixon
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Kathleen Murphy
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Cathy Cameron
- International Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation, Toronto, Canada
| | - Virginia A Bond
- Global and Health Development Department, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Zambart, School of Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Jill Hanass-Hancock
- School of Health Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Gender and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Durban, South Africa
| | - Lauren Kimura
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - J Anitha Menon
- Department of Psychology, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Erica Nekolaichuk
- Gerstein Science Information Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Patricia Solomon
- School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
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6
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Mbonye M, Siu G, Seeley J. Marginal men, respectable masculinity and access to HIV services through intimate relationships with female sex workers in Kampala, Uganda. Soc Sci Med 2022; 296:114742. [PMID: 35121368 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Masculinity influences men's sexual risk-taking behaviour and affects uptake of HIV services. We draw on data from a year-long (2019) ethnographic study focusing on men in relationships with female sex workers (FSW) in Kampala, Uganda to examine how and why two marginalised groups of people may interact to produce positive health behaviours. Data from in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and participant observation were collected and analysed. We discuss three main themes; the first of which focuses on marginalised masculinities and HIV risk. In this theme we show how accounts of men's life trajectories portrayed a remarkably similar pattern of early deprivation of opportunities and how this shaped construction of risky masculinities. The second theme describes men's relationships with FSW and how this facilitated access to HIV services. We discuss how very marginal women (FSWs) help very marginal men adopt more positive health behaviours. We show how threats to masculinities arising from sex work stigma, men's failure to have exclusive sexual rights over their FSW partner, and men's economic disadvantage are negotiated and dealt with to create an enabling environment for men's uptake of HIV services. The final theme focuses on the positive and negative practices of the men after engaging with HIV services. We conclude that the two marginalised groups can mobilise and combine new aspirations to produce positive health behaviours manifested through FSW assisting their male partners to access HIV services. We suggest that this perspective opens up new opportunities for engaging with marginalised groups and tackling the problem of high HIV infection among key populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Mbonye
- Makerere University, College of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Child Health and Development Centre, Uganda; MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda.
| | - Godfrey Siu
- Makerere University, College of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Child Health and Development Centre, Uganda; MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda; Global Health and Development Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Janet Seeley
- MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda; Global Health and Development Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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7
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Nardell MF, Adeoti O, Peters C, Kakuhikire B, Govathson-Mandimika C, Long L, Pascoe S, Tsai AC, Katz IT. Men missing from the HIV care continuum in sub-Saharan Africa: a meta-analysis and meta-synthesis. J Int AIDS Soc 2022; 25:e25889. [PMID: 35324089 PMCID: PMC8944222 DOI: 10.1002/jia2.25889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Men are missing along the HIV care continuum. However, the estimated proportions of men in sub-Saharan Africa meeting the UNAIDS 95-95-95 goals vary substantially between studies. We sought to estimate proportions of men meeting each of the 95-95-95 goals across studies in sub-Saharan Africa, describe heterogeneity, and summarize qualitative evidence on factors influencing care engagement. METHODS We systematically searched PubMed and Embase for peer-reviewed articles published between 1 January 2014 and 16 October 2020. We included studies involving men ≥15 years old, with data from 2009 onward, reporting on at least one 95-95-95 goal in sub-Saharan Africa. We estimated pooled proportions of men meeting these goals using DerSimonion-Laird random effects models, stratifying by study population (e.g. studies focusing exclusively on men who have sex with men vs. studies that did not), facility setting (healthcare vs. community site), region (eastern/southern Africa vs. western/central Africa), outcome measurement (e.g. threshold for viral load suppression), median year of data collection (before vs. during or after 2017) and quality criteria. Data from qualitative studies exploring barriers to men's HIV care engagement were summarized using meta-synthesis. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION We screened 14,896 studies and included 129 studies in the meta-analysis, compiling data over the data collection period. Forty-seven studies reported data on knowledge of serostatus, 43 studies reported on antiretroviral therapy use and 74 studies reported on viral suppression. Approximately half of men with HIV reported not knowing their status (0.49 [95% CI, 0.41-0.58; range, 0.09-0.97]) or not being on treatment (0.58 [95% CI, 0.51-0.65; range, 0.07-0.97]), while over three-quarters of men achieved viral suppression on treatment (0.79 [95% CI, 0.77-0.81; range, 0.39-0.97]. Heterogeneity was high, with variation in estimates across study populations, settings and outcomes. The meta-synthesis of 40 studies identified three primary domains in which men described risks associated with engagement in HIV care: perceived social norms, health system challenges and poverty. CONCLUSIONS Psychosocial and systems-level interventions that change men's perceptions of social norms, improve trust in and accessibility of the health system, and address costs of accessing care are needed to better engage men, especially in HIV testing and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria F Nardell
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Oluwatomi Adeoti
- Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Carson Peters
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Iowa College of Public Health, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Bernard Kakuhikire
- Faculty of Business and Management Sciences, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Caroline Govathson-Mandimika
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Lawrence Long
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sophie Pascoe
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Alexander C Tsai
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Mongan Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Center for Global Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ingrid T Katz
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Center for Global Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Global Health Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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8
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Testing for saturation in qualitative evidence syntheses: An update of HIV adherence in Africa. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258352. [PMID: 34665831 PMCID: PMC8525762 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A systematic review of randomised trials may be conclusive signalling no further research is needed; or identify gaps requiring further research that may then be included in review updates. In qualitative evidence synthesis (QES), the rationale, triggers, and methods for updating are less clear cut. We updated a QES on adherence to anti-retroviral treatment to examine if thematic saturation renders additional research redundant. Methods We adopted the original review search strategy and eligibility criteria to identify studies in the subsequent three years. We assessed studies for conceptual detail, categorised as ‘rich’ or ‘sparse’, coding the rich studies. We sought new codes, and appraised whether findings confirmed, extended, enriched, or refuted existing themes. Finally, we examined if the analysis impacted on the original conceptual model. Results After screening 3895 articles, 301 studies met the inclusion criteria. Rich findings from Africa were available in 82 studies; 146 studies were sparse, contained no additional information on specific populations, and did not contribute to the analysis. New studies enriched our understanding on the relationship between external and internal factors influencing adherence, confirming, extending and enriching the existing themes. Despite careful evaluation of the new literature, we did not identify any new themes, and found no studies that refuted our theory. Conclusions Updating an existing QES using the original question confirmed and sometimes enriched evidence within themes but made little or no substantive difference to the theory and overall findings of the original review. We propose this illustrates thematic saturation. We propose a thoughtful approach before embarking on a QES update, and our work underlines the importance of QES priority areas where further primary research may help, and areas where further studies may be redundant.
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Mweemba O, Zimba C, Chi BH, Chibwe KF, Dunda W, Freeborn K, Maman S, Matenga TFL, Phanga T, Rosenberg N, Mutale W. Contextualising men's role and participation in PMTCT programmes in Malawi and Zambia: A hegemonic masculinity perspective. Glob Public Health 2021; 17:2081-2094. [PMID: 34375155 DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2021.1964559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
This study sought to explore and contextualise the man's role in antenatal services, and the barriers and strategies for engaging men in prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT). We conducted 143 interviews with pregnant and breastfeeding women, male partners, health workers and policy makers in Malawi and Zambia. We employed thematic and critical discourse analysis using the hegemonic masculinity perspective. We found that men's roles in PMTCT reflected hegemonic masculinities. As breadwinners, men supported their partners with material and financial resources. As decision makers, men were involved in decision making on the health of their partners. As social protectors, men supported their partners in accessing and adhering to antenatal care, HIV treatment and care. Barriers and challenges to male involvement in antenatal care were often the result of conflict between the clinic operating hours and men's working hours, the perception of antenatal care services as female spaces, and men's fear of HIV testing. Proposed strategies to increase male engagement in PMTCT included sensitising men about HIV and pregnancy; engaging leaders and employers, providing services outside working hours, and providing incentives. We conclude that men's role and participation in PMTCT services are an extension and adaptation of hegemonic masculinities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Mweemba
- Department of Health Promotion and Education, School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | | | - Benjamin H Chi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kasapo F Chibwe
- Department of Health Promotion and Education, School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Wezi Dunda
- UNC Project-Malawi, Tidziwe Centre, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Kellie Freeborn
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Suzanne Maman
- Department of Health Behaviour, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Tulani Francis L Matenga
- Department of Health Promotion and Education, School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | | | - Nora Rosenberg
- Department of Health Behaviour, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Wilbroad Mutale
- Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
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Tseng PC. Subordinated agency: Negotiating the biomedicalisation of masculinity among gay men living with HIV. SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH & ILLNESS 2021; 43:1486-1500. [PMID: 34170515 DOI: 10.1111/1467-9566.13322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Health practices are shaped by gender relations and constructs. Utilising qualitative data, this study explores a shift in medication practices among gay men living with HIV (GMLH) in light of changing HIV/AIDS responses in Taiwan. In the 1980s and 1990s, the mobilisation of moralising discourses forged a gender hierarchy that subordinated HIV-positive gay males. In the 2000s, new state programmes on HIV/AIDS were implemented to enhance patients' adherence to treatment, but GMLH often expressed ambivalence towards medication, which could lead to HIV disclosure and, consequently, social exclusions under the gender hierarchy. Starting in the 2010s, the knowledge of HIV 'treatment as prevention' and a policy on early treatment have offered a new path for GMLH to navigate gender power dynamics and to strive towards an inclusive social life by taking medicine and optimising health, which facilitates a biomedicalisation of subordinated masculinity. This study contributes to the scholarship on HIV/AIDS by underscoring the significance of biomedicine for configuring masculine identities and practices among a subordinated group of men, as well as by highlighting the gender power relations and everyday 'nonbiomedical' negotiating practices that legitimise biomedicalisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Po-Chia Tseng
- Department of Sociology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
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Misra S, Mehta HT, Eschliman EL, Rampa S, Poku OB, Wang WQ, Ho-Foster AR, Mosepele M, Becker TD, Entaile P, Arscott-Mills T, Opondo PR, Blank MB, Yang LH. Identifying "What Matters Most" to Men in Botswana to Promote Resistance to HIV-Related Stigma. QUALITATIVE HEALTH RESEARCH 2021; 31:1680-1696. [PMID: 33764233 PMCID: PMC9287436 DOI: 10.1177/10497323211001361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Despite a comprehensive national program of free HIV services, men living with HIV in Botswana participate at lower rates and have worse outcomes than women. Directed content analysis of five focus groups (n = 38) and 50 in-depth interviews with men and women with known and unknown HIV status in Gaborone, Botswana in 2017 used the "what matters most" (WMM) and "structural vulnerability" frameworks to examine how the most valued cultural aspects of manhood interact with HIV-related stigma. WMM for manhood in Botswana included fulfilling male responsibilities by being a capable provider and maintaining social status. Being identified with HIV threatened WMM, which fear of employment discrimination could further exacerbate. Our findings indicate how cultural and structural forces interact to worsen or mitigate HIV-related stigma for urban men in Botswana. These threats to manhood deter HIV testing and treatment, but interventions could capitalize on cultural capabilities for manhood to promote stigma resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Supriya Misra
- Department of Public Health, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132, United States
| | - Haitisha T. Mehta
- Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Evan L. Eschliman
- Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th St. NY, NY 10032, United States
| | - Shathani Rampa
- Department of Psychology, University of Botswana, Private Bag UB 00705, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Ohemaa B. Poku
- Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
| | - Wei-Qian Wang
- Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Ari R. Ho-Foster
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Botswana, Private Bag UB 0022, Gaborone, Botswana; Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Building 421, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | - Mosepele Mosepele
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Botswana, Private Bag UB 0022, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Timothy D. Becker
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Patlo Entaile
- Botswana-UPenn Partnership, University of Botswana, Private Bag UB 0022, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Tonya Arscott-Mills
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Building 421, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | - Phillip R. Opondo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Botswana, Private Bag UB 0022, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Michael B. Blank
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Building 421, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | - Lawrence H. Yang
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, NYU School of Global Public Health, 715 Broadway 12 Floor, New York, NY 10003, United States; Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th St. NY, NY 10032, United States
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12
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Kamya MR, Petersen ML, Kabami J, Ayieko J, Kwariisima D, Sang N, Clark TD, Schwab J, Charlebois ED, Cohen CR, Bukusi EA, Peng J, Jain V, Chen YH, Chamie G, Balzer LB, Havlir DV. SEARCH Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Streamlined Treatment Intervention Reduces Mortality at a Population Level in Men With Low CD4 Counts. Clin Infect Dis 2021; 73:e1938-e1945. [PMID: 33783495 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We tested the hypothesis that patient-centered, streamlined human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care would achieve lower mortality than the standard treatment model for persons with HIV and CD4 ≤ 350/uL in the setting of population-wide HIV testing. METHODS In the SEARCH (Sustainable East Africa Research in Community Health) Study (NCT01864603), 32 communities in rural Uganda and Kenya were randomized to country-guided antiretroviral therapy (ART) versus streamlined ART care that included rapid ART start, visit spacing, flexible clinic hours, and welcoming environment. We assessed persons with HIV and CD4 ≤ 350/uL, ART eligible in both arms, and estimated the effect of streamlined care on ART initiation and mortality at 3 years. Comparisons between study arms used a cluster-level analysis with survival estimates from Kaplan-Meier; estimates of ART start among ART-naive persons treated death as a competing risk. RESULTS Among 13 266 adults with HIV, 2973 (22.4%) had CD4 ≤ 350/uL. Of these, 33% were new diagnoses, and 10% were diagnosed but ART-naive. Men with HIV were almost twice as likely as women with HIV to have CD4 ≤ 350/uL and be untreated (15% vs 8%, respectively). Streamlined care reduced mortality by 28% versus control (risk ratio [RR] = 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI]: .56, .93; P = .02). Despite eligibility in both arms, persons with CD4 ≤ 350/uL started ART faster under streamlined care versus control (76% vs 43% by 12 months, respectively; P < .001). Mortality was reduced substantially more among men (RR = 0.61; 95% CI: .43, .86; P = .01) than among women (RR = 0.90; 95% CI: .62, 1.32; P = .58). CONCLUSIONS After population-based HIV testing, streamlined care reduced population-level mortality among persons with HIV and CD4 ≤ 350/uL, particularly among men. Streamlined HIV care models may play a key role in global efforts to reduce AIDS deaths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moses R Kamya
- Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.,Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Maya L Petersen
- University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Jane Kabami
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | | | | | - Tamara D Clark
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Joshua Schwab
- University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | | | - Craig R Cohen
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - James Peng
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Vivek Jain
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Yea-Hung Chen
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Gabriel Chamie
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Laura B Balzer
- University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Diane V Havlir
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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13
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Schmidt-Sane MM. Provider love in an informal settlement: Men's relationships with providing women and implications for HIV in Kampala, Uganda. Soc Sci Med 2021; 276:113847. [PMID: 33765459 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Uganda has made progress in controlling the HIV epidemic since it first emerged in the 1980s. While new infections in the country are higher among women, men in urban areas face a higher risk of AIDS-related mortality due to starting treatment later and taking medication inconsistently. While gender analyses have been used to describe women's HIV vulnerability, less is known about how masculinity, and especially different forms of masculinity, affect men's vulnerability. This study reports on data from an ethnography (2016-2019) with low-income men in urban Uganda. This study uses gender and power theory to describe how men's relationships with female sex workers in an informal settlement in urban Kampala, Uganda are characterized by female providers ("provider love") and male dependents. Young men in this sample, largely jobless, rely on their relationships for daily survival. As gender roles reverse, young men find themselves unable to attain masculine ideals as expected of Baganda men. Instead, men in this sample face less power in their relationships, a loss of masculine respectability, and diminished reputations in the community. These intersections of gender, economic struggle, power, and intimacy reconfigure men's HIV vulnerability in this setting. Public health programming on HIV/AIDS for men should consider different patterns of masculinity, power, and economic struggle and how they impact HIV outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan M Schmidt-Sane
- Department of Anthropology Case Western Reserve University, Mather Memorial 238 11220 Bellflower Road, Cleveland, OH, 44106, United States.
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14
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Thirlway F, Nyamurungi KN, Matovu JKB, Miti AK, Mdege ND. Tobacco use and cessation in the context of ART adherence: Insights from a qualitative study in HIV clinics in Uganda. Soc Sci Med 2021; 273:113759. [PMID: 33631533 PMCID: PMC7610397 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Sub-Saharan Africa carries a disproportionate burden of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Tobacco use amongst people living with HIV is higher than in the general population even though it increases the risk of life-threatening opportunistic infections including tuberculosis (TB). Research on tobacco use and cessation amongst people living with HIV in Africa is sparse and it is not clear what interventions might achieve lasting cessation. We carried out qualitative interviews in Uganda in 2019 with 12 current and 13 former tobacco users (19 men and 6 women) receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in four contrasting locations. We also interviewed 13 HIV clinic staff. We found that tobacco use and cessation were tied into the wider moral framework of ART adherence, but that the therapeutic citizenship fashioned by ART regimes was experienced more as social control than empowerment. Patients were advised to stop using tobacco; those who did not concealed this from health workers, who associated both tobacco and alcohol use with ART adherence failure. Most of those who quit tobacco did so following the biographical disruption of serious TB rather than HIV diagnosis or ART treatment, but social support from family and friends was key to sustained cessation. We put forward a model of barriers and facilitators to smoking cessation and ART adherence based on engagement with either ‘reputation’ or ‘respectability’. Reputation involved pressure to enjoy tobacco with friends whereas family-oriented respectability demanded cessation, but those excluded by isolation or precarity escaped anxiety and depression by smoking and drinking with their peers. People living with HIV in Uganda hid their tobacco use from health workers. The experience of tuberculosis was the most common trigger to quit smoking. Engagement with ‘respectable’ masculinity promoted smoking cessation. Engagement with ‘reputational’ masculinity made it hard to quit. This model has wider applicability for antiretroviral therapy adherence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances Thirlway
- Department of Sociology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK.
| | - Kellen Namusisi Nyamurungi
- Department of Health Policy Planning and Management, School of Public Health, Makerere University, Kampala P.O Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Joseph K B Matovu
- Department of Community & Public Health Faculty of Health Sciences, Busitema University, Mbale, Uganda; Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Makerere University, Uganda
| | - Andrew Kibuuka Miti
- Department of Health Policy Planning and Management, School of Public Health, Makerere University, Kampala P.O Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Noreen Dadirai Mdege
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
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15
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Schmidt-Sane M, Nielsen J, Chikombero M, Lubowa D, Lwanga M, Gamusi J, Kabanda R, Kaawa-Mafigiri D. Gendered care at the margins: Ebola, gender, and caregiving practices in Uganda's border districts. Glob Public Health 2021; 17:899-911. [PMID: 33517846 DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2021.1879895] [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] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
In July 2019, Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was declared a public health emergency of international concern and neighbouring countries were put on high alert. This paper examines the intersections of gender, caregiving, and livelihood practices in Uganda's border districts that emerged as key factors to consider in preparedness and response. This paper is based on an anthropological study of the Ebola context among Bantu cultures. We report on data from focus group discussions and key informant interviews with various sectors of the community. The study identified intersecting themes reported here: (1) women as primary caregivers in this context; and (2) women as providers, often in occupations that increase vulnerability to Ebola. Findings demonstrate the role that women play inside and outside the home as caregivers of the sick and during burials, and intersections with livelihood-seeking strategies. Because women's caregiving is largely unpaid, women face a double burden of work as they seek other livelihood strategies that sometimes increase vulnerability to Ebola. Epidemic response should address these intersections and the context-specific vulnerabilities of caregivers; it should also be localised and community-centred and able to attend to the cultural as well as the economic needs of a community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Schmidt-Sane
- Department of Anthropology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Center for Social Science Research on AIDS, Makerere University School of Social Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Jannie Nielsen
- Center for Social Science Research on AIDS, Makerere University School of Social Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | | | | | | | | | - David Kaawa-Mafigiri
- Department of Anthropology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Center for Social Science Research on AIDS, Makerere University School of Social Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
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