scholarly journals HIV incidence after pre-exposure prophylaxis initiation among women and men at elevated HIV risk: A population-based study in rural Kenya and Uganda

PLoS Medicine ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. e1003492
Author(s):  
Catherine A. Koss ◽  
Diane V. Havlir ◽  
James Ayieko ◽  
Dalsone Kwarisiima ◽  
Jane Kabami ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Service Delivery ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Hiv Risk ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Hiv Incidence ◽  
Hiv Rna ◽  
Rural Kenya ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis

Background Oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective for HIV prevention, but data are limited on HIV incidence among PrEP users in generalized epidemic settings, particularly outside of selected risk groups. We performed a population-based PrEP study in rural Kenya and Uganda and sought to evaluate both changes in HIV incidence and clinical and virologic outcomes following seroconversion on PrEP. Methods and findings During population-level HIV testing of individuals ≥15 years in 16 communities in the Sustainable East Africa Research in Community Health (SEARCH) study (NCT01864603), we offered universal access to PrEP with enhanced counseling for persons at elevated HIV risk (based on serodifferent partnership, machine learning–based risk score, or self-identified HIV risk). We offered rapid or same-day PrEP initiation and flexible service delivery with follow-up visits at facilities or community-based sites at 4, 12, and every 12 weeks up to week 144. Among participants with incident HIV infection after PrEP initiation, we offered same-day antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation and analyzed HIV RNA, tenofovir hair concentrations, drug resistance, and viral suppression (<1,000 c/ml based on available assays) after ART start. Using Poisson regression with cluster-robust standard errors, we compared HIV incidence among PrEP initiators to incidence among propensity score–matched recent historical controls (from the year before PrEP availability) in 8 of the 16 communities, adjusted for risk group. Among 74,541 individuals who tested negative for HIV, 15,632/74,541 (21%) were assessed to be at elevated HIV risk; 5,447/15,632 (35%) initiated PrEP (49% female; 29% 15–24 years; 19% in serodifferent partnerships), of whom 79% engaged in ≥1 follow-up visit and 61% self-reported PrEP adherence at ≥1 visit. Over 7,150 person-years of follow-up, HIV incidence was 0.35 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.22–0.49) among PrEP initiators. Among matched controls, HIV incidence was 0.92 per 100 person-years (95% CI 0.49–1.41), corresponding to 74% lower incidence among PrEP initiators compared to matched controls (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR] 0.26, 95% CI 0.09–0.75; p = 0.013). Among women, HIV incidence was 76% lower among PrEP initiators versus matched controls (aIRR 0.24, 95% CI 0.07–0.79; p = 0.019); among men, HIV incidence was 40% lower, but not significantly so (aIRR 0.60, 95% CI 0.12–3.05; p = 0.54). Of 25 participants with incident HIV infection (68% women), 7/25 (28%) reported taking PrEP ≤30 days before HIV diagnosis, and 24/25 (96%) started ART. Of those with repeat HIV RNA after ART start, 18/19 (95%) had <1,000 c/ml. One participant with viral non-suppression was found to have transmitted viral resistance, as well as emtricitabine resistance possibly related to PrEP use. Limitations include the lack of contemporaneous controls to assess HIV incidence without PrEP and that plasma samples were not archived to assess for baseline acute infection. Conclusions Population-level offer of PrEP with rapid start and flexible service delivery was associated with 74% lower HIV incidence among PrEP initiators compared to matched recent controls prior to PrEP availability. HIV infections were significantly lower among women who started PrEP. Universal HIV testing with linkage to treatment and prevention, including PrEP, is a promising approach to accelerate reductions in new infections in generalized epidemic settings. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01864603.

scholarly journals Cohort profile: l’Actuel Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Cohort study in Montreal, Canada

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. e028768 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoë R Greenwald ◽  
Mathieu Maheu-Giroux ◽  
Jason Szabo ◽  
Judith Alexia B Robin ◽  
Michel Boissonnault ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Level ◽  
Hiv Infections ◽  
Health Clinic ◽  
Moderate Increase ◽  
Hiv Incidence ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThel’Actuel PrEP Cohortwas established to monitor the uptake, effectiveness, safety and changes in sexual risk behaviours among individuals receiving pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for the prevention of HIV. This prospective dynamic cohort is based at Clinique médicale l’Actuel, a large sexual health clinic located in Montreal, Canada.ParticipantsSince the cohort inception in January of 2013 through June 2018, 2156 individuals consulted for PrEP as participants in the l’Actuel PrEP Cohort. Median age was 35 years (IQR: 29–44 years) and the majority (96%) were men who have sex with men. Among 1551 individuals who initiated PrEP care, the median duration of follow-up was 9.2 months (IQR: 3.7–19.6), with substantial variation based on year of cohort entry. Thel’Actuel PrEP Cohortcontains both daily and intermittent ‘on-demand’ PrEP users and has the largest reported population of intermittent PrEP users (n=406) in North America.Findings to dateNo incident HIV infections have occurred among individuals using PrEP over 1637 person-years of follow-up. However, retention in PrEP care is essential as three individuals who discontinued PrEP subsequently acquired HIV, translating to an HIV incidence of 3.9 cases per 100 person-years (95% CI: 1.3 to 12.1). Among a sample of participants with 1 year of follow-up before and after PrEP initiation (n=109), a moderate increase in sexually transmitted infections was observed following PrEP start.Future plansThel’Actuel PrEP Cohortcontinues to grow with new participants starting PrEP monthly and extended follow-up for existing users. The cohort data will be used for ongoing monitoring of PrEP and for population-level modelling of the impact of PrEP on HIV incidence in Montreal.

scholarly journals PrEP Continuation, HIV and STI Testing Rates, and Delivery of Preventive Care in a Clinic-Based Cohort

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 393-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew A. Hevey ◽  
Jennifer L. Walsh ◽  
Andrew E. Petroll
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Preventive Care ◽  
Retention In Care ◽  
Clinical Settings ◽  
Hiv Incidence ◽  
Sti Testing ◽  
Hiv And Sti Testing ◽  
Study Completion ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis

HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been demonstrated to be a safe and effective method of reducing HIV incidence. Questions remain regarding PrEP's efficacy and outcomes in real-world clinical settings. We conducted a retrospective review to assess PrEP outcomes in an academic clinic setting and focused on retention in care, reasons for discontinuation, and receipt of appropriate preventive care (immunizations, HIV testing, and STI testing). One hundred thirty-four patients were seen between 2010 and 2016 over 309 visits. One hundred sixteen patients (87%) started daily PrEP and of those, 88 (76%) attended at least one 6-month follow-up visit. Over 60% of PrEP patients completed all recommended STI screening after starting PrEP. Only 40% of patients had all appropriate immunizations at baseline; 78% had all appropriate immunizations at study completion. This study demonstrated high rates of both retention and of attaining recommended preventive care in a clinical setting outside of the rigors of clinical trials.

scholarly journals 1701. Added Benefits of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Use on HIV Incidence with Minimal Changes in Efficiency in the Context of High Treatment Engagement among Men Who Have Sex with Men

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S833-S833
Author(s):  
Alyson L Singleton ◽  
Brandon D Marshall ◽  
Xiao Zang ◽  
Amy S Nunn ◽  
William C Goedel
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Hiv Transmission ◽  
Treatment Engagement ◽  
Hiv Incidence ◽  
Black African ◽  
African American Msm ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis ◽  
High Treatment

Abstract Background Although there is ongoing debate over the need for substantial increases in PrEP use when antiretroviral treatment confers the dual benefits of reducing HIV-related morbidity and mortality and the risk of HIV transmission, no studies to date have quantified the potential added benefits of PrEP use in settings with high treatment engagement across variable sub-epidemics in the United States. Methods We used a previously published agent-based network model to simulate HIV transmission in a dynamic network of 17,440 Black/African American and White MSM in Atlanta, Georgia from 2015 to 2024 to understand how the magnitude of reductions in HIV incidence attributable to varying levels of PrEP use (0–90%) changes in potential futures where high levels of treatment engagement (i.e. the UNAIDS ‘90-90-90’ goals and eventual ‘95-95-95’ goals) are achieved and maintained, as compared to current levels of treatment engagement in Atlanta (Figure 1). Model inputs related to HIV treatment engagement among Black/African American and White men who have sex with men in Atlanta. A comparison of current levels of treatment engagement (Panel A) to treatment engagement at ‘90-90-90’ (Panel B) and ‘95-95-95’ goals (Panel C). Results Even at achievement and maintenance of ‘90-90-90’ goals, 75% PrEP coverage reduced incidence rates by an additional 67.9% and 74.2% to 1.53 (SI: 1.39, 1.70) and 0.355 (SI: 0.316, 0.391) per 100 person-years for Black/African American and White MSM, respectively (Figure 2), compared to the same scenario with no PrEP use. Additionally, an increase from 15% PrEP coverage to 75% under ‘90-90-90’ goals only increased person-years of PrEP use per HIV infection averted, a measure of efficiency of PrEP, by 8.1% and 10.5% to 26.7 (SI: 25.6, 28.0) and 73.3 (SI: 70.6, 75.7) among Black/African American MSM and White MSM, respectively (Figure 3). Overall (Panel A) and race-stratified (Panel B and Panel C) marginal changes in HIV incidence over ten years among Black/African American and White men who have sex with men in Atlanta across scenarios of varied levels of treatment engagement among agents living with HIV infection and levels of pre-exposure prophylaxis use among HIV-uninfected agents. Note: All changes are calculated within each set of treatment scenarios relative to a scenario where no agents use pre-exposure prophylaxis. Person-years of pre-exposure prophylaxis use per HIV infection averted among Black/African American (Panel A) and White (Panel B) men who have sex with men in Atlanta across scenarios of varied levels of treatment engagement among agents living with HIV infection and levels of pre-exposure prophylaxis use among HIV-uninfected agents. Note: The number of HIV infections averted is calculated within each set of treatment scenarios relative to a scenario where no agents use pre-exposure prophylaxis. Conclusion Even in the context of high treatment engagement, substantial expansion of PrEP use still contributes to meaningful decreases in HIV incidence among MSM with minimal changes in person-years of PrEP use per HIV infection averted, particularly for Black/African American MSM. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

scholarly journals Influence of serosorting and intervention-mediated changes in serosorting on the population-level HIV transmission impact of pre-exposure prophylaxis among men who have sex with men: a mathematical modelling study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linwei Wang ◽  
Nasheed Moqueet ◽  
Anna Simkin ◽  
Jesse Knight ◽  
Huiting Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Condom Use ◽  
Hiv Transmission ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Poor Adherence ◽  
Hiv Incidence ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Prep Implementation ◽  
Mixing Patterns ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis

ABSTRACTBackgroundHIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) may change serosorting patterns. We examined the influence of serosorting on the population-level HIV transmission impact of PrEP, and how impact could change if PrEP users stopped serosorting.MethodsWe developed a compartmental HIV transmission model parameterized with bio-behavioural and HIV surveillance data among men who have sex with men in Canada. We separately fit the model with serosorting and without serosorting (random partner-selection proportional to availability by HIV-status (sero-proportionate)), and reproduced stable HIV epidemics (2013-2018) with HIV-prevalence 10.3%-24.8%, undiagnosed fraction 4.9%-15.8%, and treatment coverage 82.5%-88.4%. We simulated PrEP-intervention reaching stable coverage by year-1 and compared absolute difference in relative HIV-incidence reduction 10-year post-intervention (PrEP-impact) between: models with serosorting vs. sero-proportionate mixing; and scenarios in which PrEP users stopped vs. continued serosorting. We examined sensitivity of results to PrEP-effectiveness (44%-99%) and coverage (10%-50%).FindingsModels with serosorting predicted a larger PrEP-impact compared with models with sero-proportionate mixing under all PrEP-effectiveness and coverage assumptions (median (inter-quartile-range): 8.1%(5.5%-11.6%)). PrEP users” stopping serosorting reduced PrEP-impact compared with when PrEP users continued serosorting: reductions in PrEP-impact were minimal (2.1%(1.4%-3.4%)) under high PrEP-effectiveness (86%-99%); however, could be considerable (10.9%(8.2%-14.1%)) under low PrEP effectiveness (44%) and high coverage (30%-50%).InterpretationModels assuming sero-proportionate mixing may underestimate population-level HIV-incidence reductions due to PrEP. PrEP-mediated changes in serosorting could lead to programmatically-important reductions in PrEP-impact under low PrEP-effectiveness (e.g. poor adherence/retention). Our findings suggest the need to monitor sexual mixing patterns to inform PrEP implementation and evaluation.FundingCanadian Institutes of Health ResearchRESEARCH IN CONTEXTEvidence before this studyWe searched PubMed for full-text journal articles published between Jan 1, 2010, and Dec 31, 2017, using the MeSH terms “pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)” and “homosexuality, male” and using key words (“pre-exposure prophylaxis” or “preexposure prophylaxis” or “PrEP”) and (“men who have sex with men” or “MSM”) in titles and abstracts. Search results (520 records) were reviewed to identify publications which examined the population-level HIV transmission impact or population-level cost-effectiveness of PrEP in high-income settings. We identified a total of 18 modelling studies of PrEP impact among men who have sex with men (MSM) and four studies were based on the same model with minor variations (thus only the most recent one was included). Among the 15 unique models of PrEP impact, three included serosorting. A total of nine models have assessed the individual-level behaviour change among those on PrEP and its influence on the transmission impact of PrEP. Specifically, the models examined increases in number of partners and reductions in condom use. Most models predicted that realistic increases in partner number or decreases in condom use would not fully offset, but could weaken, PrEP”s impact on reducing HIV transmission. We did not identify any study that examined the influence of serosorting patterns on the estimated transmission impact of PrEP at the population-level, or what could happen to HIV incidence if the use of PrEP changes serosorting patterns.Added value of this studyWe used a mathematical model of HIV transmission to estimate the influence of serosorting and PrEP-mediated changes in serosorting on the transmission impact of PrEP at the population-level among MSM. We found the impact of PrEP was higher under epidemics with serosorting, compared with comparable epidemics simulated assuming sero-proportionate mixing. Under epidemics with serosorting, when PrEP users stopped serosorting (while other men continue to serosort among themselves) we found a reduced PrEP impact compared with scenarios when PrEP users continued to serosort. The magnitude of reduction in PrEP impact was minimal if PrEP-effectiveness was high; however, could be programmatically-meaningful in the context of low PrEP-effectiveness (e.g., poor adherence or retention) and high PrEP coverage. To our knowledge, our study is the first to directly examine the influence of serosorting and PrEP-mediated changes in serosorting on the transmission impact of PrEP and its underlying mechanism.Implications of all the available evidenceOur findings suggest that models which do not consider baseline patterns of serosorting among MSM could potentially underestimate PrEP impact. In addition to monitoring individual-level behavioural change such as condom use, our findings highlight the need to monitor population-level sexual mixing patterns and their changes over time among MSM in the design and evaluation of PrEP implementation.

scholarly journals Changes in Body Mass Index and Quality of Life—Population-Based Follow-up Study COURAGE and COURAGE-POLFUS, Poland

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Zawisza ◽  
Beata Tobiasz-Adamczyk ◽  
Aleksander Galas ◽  
Katarzyna Jabłońska ◽  
Tomasz Grodzicki
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Weight Loss ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Population Based Study ◽  
Weight Loss Programs

Abstract The study aimed to verify an association between changes in body mass index (BMI) and quality of life (QoL) in a 4-year follow-up in a population-based study in Poland. The results covered data from 1557 adults from the general Polish population who participated in the follow-up survey, performed in two waves: 2011 (COURAGE in Europe); 2015/2016 (COURAGE-POLFUS). Anthropometric measurements and a structured questionnaire including the WHOQOL-AGE scale were used. Regression models were applied to verify whether the observed BMI–QoL association is linear or U-shaped. The inverse U-shaped association between BMI changes and QoL among Polish adults was found using a univariable model. This association was observed in women, whereas in men a linear relationship was found. At the population level, weight loss (BMI decrease of 5–10%) was associated with better QoL in healthy people. The reverse was true in sick people, whose weight loss was observed to be an indicator of poorer QoL. In conclusion, the study suggests an inverse U-shaped association between BMI and quality of life. Better QoL may be considered an additional benefit of public weight loss programs for healthy adults. Further studies focusing on people with some chronic diseases are needed.

Does qualitative viral load testing shorten the window period for diagnosing HIV in individuals attending for post-exposure prophylaxis?

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (9) ◽  
pp. 816-819
Author(s):  
Gary Whitlock ◽  
Nneka Nwokolo ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Viral Load ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Fourth Generation ◽  
Post Exposure Prophylaxis ◽  
Hiv Incidence ◽  
Post Exposure ◽  
Window Period ◽  
Hiv Test ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis

A fourth-generation HIV test is conventionally performed at baseline for individuals given HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). However, early HIV infection may be missed by fourth-generation tests especially in settings of high HIV incidence, meaning that recently infected individuals are potentially at risk of transmitting HIV. In 2013, HIV incidence in PEP recipients at the 56 Dean Street clinic was 7.6 per 100 person-years. We therefore wished to see if using a point-of-care PCR HIV test in such individuals would shorten the testing window period and pick up early infections that would be undiagnosed by conventional tests. We compared HIV detection in PEP recipients using the Cepheid GeneXpert® HIV-1 Qual viral load (Qual VL) assay with the standard HIV tests used in our clinical service. Between March 2017 and August 2018, a Qual VL assay was performed in addition to standard baseline HIV tests in consented PEP recipients. Of 494 consented PEP recipients, 476 had valid Qual VL assay results. Of these, 474 (99.6%) had a negative Qual VL result and were also negative on standard baseline HIV tests. Two (0.4%) tested positive for HIV on Qual VL. One of these patients was also HIV-positive on all baseline HIV tests. The other had discordant baseline point-of-care HIV test results. Although no additional HIV infections were diagnosed in PEP recipients using Qual VL, in one individual, it provided confirmation of new HIV infection more quickly than the standard HIV testing pathway.

scholarly journals Migration in Namibia and its association with HIV acquisition and treatment outcomes

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0256865
Author(s):  
Andrea Low ◽  
Karam Sachathep ◽  
George Rutherford ◽  
Anne-Marie Nitschke ◽  
Adam Wolkon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Viral Load ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Hiv Prevalence ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Viral Load Suppression ◽  
Recent Infection ◽  
Effective Prevention ◽  
Hiv Test

Background In the 21st century, understanding how population migration impacts human health is critical. Namibia has high migration rates and HIV prevalence, but little is known about how these intersect. We examined the association between migration and HIV-related outcomes using data from the 2017 Namibia Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (NAMPHIA). Methods and findings The NAMPHIA survey selected a nationally representative sample of adults in 2017. All adults aged 15–64 years were invited to complete an interview and home-based HIV test. Recent infection (<130 days) was measured using HIV-1 LAg avidity combined with viral load (>1000 copies/mL) and antiretroviral analyte data. Awareness of HIV status and antiretroviral use were based on self-report and/or detectable antiretrovirals in blood. Viremia was defined as having a viral load ≥1000 copies/mL, including all participants in the denominator regardless of serostatus. We generated community viremia values as a weighted proportion at the EA level, excluding those classified as recently infected. Significant migrants were those who had lived outside their current region or away from home >one month in the past three years. Recent cross-community in-migrants were those who had moved to the community <two years ago. Separate analyses were done to compare significant migrants to non-migrants and recent cross-community in-migrants to those who in-migrated >two years ago to determine the association of migration and timing with recent infection or viral load suppression (VLS). All proportions are weighted. Of eligible adults, we had HIV results and migration data on 9,625 (83.9%) of 11,474 women and 7,291 (73.0%) of 9,990 men. Most respondents (62.5%) reported significant migration. Of cross-community in-migrants, 15.3% were recent. HIV prevalence was 12.6% and did not differ by migration status. Population VLS was 77.4%. Recent cross-community in-migration was associated with recent HIV infection (aOR: 4.01, 95% CI 0.99–16.22) after adjusting for community viremia. Significant migration (aOR 0.73, 95% CI: 0.55–0.97) and recent cross-community in-migration (aOR 0.57, 95% CI: 0.35–0.92) were associated with lower VLS, primarily due to lack of awareness of HIV infection. The study was limited by lack of precise data on trajectory of migration. Conclusions Despite a high population-level VLS, Namibia still has migrant populations that are not accessing effective treatment for HIV. Targeting migrants with effective prevention and testing programs in communities with viremia could enable further epidemic control.

scholarly journals How to Identify Potential Candidates for HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis: An AI Algorithm Reusing Real-World Hospital Data

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Charles Duthe ◽  
Guillaume Bouzille ◽  
Emmanuelle Sylvestre ◽  
Emmanuel Chazard ◽  
Cedric Arvieux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Hiv Risk ◽  
Hiv Infections ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Hospital Data ◽  
Sexual Health Care ◽  
Patients At Risk ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis

HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is effective in Men who have Sex with Men (MSM), and is reimbursed by the social security in France. Yet, PrEP is underused due to the difficulty to identify people at risk of HIV infection outside the “sexual health” care path. We developed and validated an automated algorithm that re-uses Electronic Health Record (EHR) data available in eHOP, the Clinical Data Warehouse of Rennes University Hospital (France). Using machine learning methods, we developed five models to predict incident HIV infections with 162 variables that might be exploited to predict HIV risk using EHR data. We divided patients aged 18 or more having at least one hospital admission between 2013 and 2019 in two groups: cases (patients with known HIV infection in the study period) and controls (patients without known HIV infection and no PrEP in the study period, but with at least one HIV risk factor). Among the 624,708 admissions, we selected 156 cases (incident HIV infection) and 761 controls. The best performing model for identifying incident HIV infections was the combined model (LASSO, Random Forest, and Generalized Linear Model): AUC = 0.88 (95% CI: 0.8143-0.9619), specificity = 0.887, and sensitivity = 0.733 using the test dataset. The algorithm seems to efficiently identify patients at risk of HIV infection.

The electronic identification protects privacy and has consistent HIV incidence with the traditional real-name follow-up among Chinese MSM: A 24-month prospective cohort study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Wei ◽  
Xiangjun Zhang ◽  
Jing Zhang ◽  
Zhenxing Chu ◽  
Wenqing Geng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Cox Regression ◽  
Retention Rates ◽  
Kappa Statistics ◽  
Hiv Incidence ◽  
Predictive Values ◽  
The Real ◽  
Hiv Seroconversion ◽  
Sex With Men

BACKGROUND Men who have sex with men (MSM) usually face stigma and discrimination in relation to their sexual orientation and have the fear of identification disclosure, which may prevent them from taking HIV tests and participating in research studies. The traditionally used real-name identification methods might lead to biased estimates in HIV incidence. OBJECTIVE This study evaluated an electronic identification (eID) method in estimating HIV incidence among MSM using a social media application that allowed good protection of privacy than the real-name identification. METHODS From January 2018 to January 2020, a WeChat OpenID identifier was used to generate and assign eID for MSM who attended the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University for voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) services. The inclusion criteria were men aged 18 years and older who had consensual anal or oral sex with men in the previous 12 months and agreed to WeChat authorization. The eID group was compared with the real-name identification group (PID) that we acquired through HIV testing information regarding participants’ demographic and behavioral characteristics and HIV incidence. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and Kappa statistics were used to compare the consistency of the two groups. Cox regression was used to assess factors that were associated with HIV infection during the follow-up period. RESULTS Of 1499 WeChat OpenID users, 1133 participants were identified and linked to their traditional PID and some participants used multiple OpenIDs. The Kappa consistency between eID and traditional PID method were 0.753. At baseline, 4.2% participants in eID group received an HIV positive testing result, which was comparable to PID group (5.4%, Kappa=0.992). Thirty-five participants infected HIV during the follow-up period. The incidence of HIV infection was 7.3/100 person-years for eID group (95% CI, 5.4-10.1) and 5.8/100 person-years for PID group (95% CI, 4.2-8.0), and the consistency was high (Kappa=0.712, P>.05). The retention rates between eID and PID group were also accordant (Kappa=0.722). Number of sexual partners, recent unprotected anal sex, and recent party drug use were associated with HIV seroconversion. CONCLUSIONS The eID method that allowed anonymous tests and multiple visits had consistent results compared to the traditional real-name PID method. This method can be scaled up in future prevention and testing programs in HIV high risk populations with high privacy and confidentiality demands.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A population based analysis of tumors up to 15 cm.

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (4_suppl) ◽  
pp. 322-322
Author(s):  
Rosanna Yeung ◽  
Thomas Rackley ◽  
Britta Weber ◽  
Richard Lee ◽  
Marie-Laure Camborde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Local Control ◽  
Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy ◽  
Local Treatment ◽  
Progression Free Survival ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Percutaneous Ethanol Injection ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Ethanol Injection ◽  
Multidisciplinary Rounds

322 Background: Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) has an emerging role for patients with hepatocellular (HCC). The purpose of this study is to describe the efficacy of HCC SBRT at a population level without any tumor size restriction. Methods: A retrospective study of the first 49 HCC patients treated with SBRT between March 2011-July 2015 at the British Columbia Cancer Agency was conducted. All patients were either ineligible for or failed standard local therapies (partial hepatectomy, radiofrequency ablation, percutaneous ethanol injection, transarterial chemoembolization, or radioembolization) and discussed in a multidisciplinary rounds setting. Local control (LC), progression free survival (PFS) (defined as freedom from failure elsewhere in the liver) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed at 1 and 2 years. Changes to Child’s Pugh (CP) score at 3 months post-SBRT were also analyzed. Results: Median follow-up was 14 months with 35 patients (71%) alive at last follow-up. Fifty-two separate HCC lesions were treated with a median size of 4.2 cm (range: 1.3-15.6 cm) and a planning treatment volume (PTV) of 114 cm3 (range: 22-1776 cm3). Over half of the lesions (55%) were ≥ 4cm. Thirty-six patients (74%) had previous local therapies. Prior to SBRT, 57% of patients were CP A5, 33% were CP B6, 8% were CP B7, and 1 patient (2%) was CP B8. At 3 months post-SBRT, 35% of patients had an increased CP score, with a mean increase of 1.8 points. The most common dose and fractionation was 45Gy in 3 or 5 fractions. Median V90 (dose to 90% of the PTV) was 99.8% (range: 74.1-100%). LC for all patients was 96% at 1 and 2 years. LC was comparable between moderate to large tumors ( ≥ 4cm) and those < 4cm (1 and 2 year LC: 96% for ≥ 4cm vs 95% for < 4cm). OS for all patients at 1 year was 67% and 62% at 2 years. PFS was 53% and 38% at 1 and 2 years respectively. The median PFS was 13.7 months with 13 patients (27%) undergoing further local treatment due to regional progression including 4 patients who had liver transplants. Conclusions: SBRT provides high local control for patients with HCC of even moderate to large size. Regional progression is prominent in HCC patients and SBRT does not appear to preclude further local treatments.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document