HIV in Lebanon: Reasons for Testing, Engagement in Care, and Outcomes in Patients with Newly Diagnosed HIV Infections

Abstract Background Spatial visualization of HIV surveillance data could improve the planning of programs to address the HIV epidemic. The objectives of the study were to describe the characteristics and the spatial distribution of newly diagnosed HIV infection in Catalonia and to identify factors associated with HIV infection rates. Methods Surveillance data from the national registry were presented in the form of descriptive and ring maps and used to study the spatial distribution of new HIV diagnoses in Catalonia (2012–2016) and associated risk factors at the small area level (ABS, acronym for “basic health area” in Catalan). Incident cases were modeled using the following as predictors: type of municipality, prevalence of young men and migrant groups, GBMSM activity indicators, and other variables at the aggregated level. Results New HIV diagnoses are heterogeneously distributed across Catalonia. The predictors that proved to be significantly associated with a higher rate of new HIV diagnoses were ABS located in the city of Barcelona (IRR, 2.520; P < 0.001), a higher proportion of men aged 15–44 years (IRR, 1.193; P = 0.003), a higher proportion of GBMSM (IRR, 1.230; P = 0.030), a higher proportion of men from Western Europe (IRR, 1.281; P = 0.003), a higher proportion of men from Latin America (IRR, 1.260; P = 0.003), and a higher number of gay locations (IRR, 2.665; P < 0.001). No association was observed between the HIV diagnosis rate and economic deprivation. Conclusions Ring maps revealed substantial spatial associations for the rate of new HIV diagnoses. New HIV diagnoses are concentrated in ABS located in urban areas. Our results show that, in the case of HIV infection, the socioeconomic deprivation index on which the Catalan government bases its budget allocation policies among the ABS should not be the only criterion used.

Download Full-text

Late diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus infections in high-risk groups in Karachi, Pakistan

International Journal of STD & AIDS ◽

10.1177/0956462418785264 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 29 (14) ◽

pp. 1400-1406

Author(s):

Zahra Hasan ◽

Sharaf Shah ◽

Rumina Hasan ◽

Shoaib Rao ◽

Manzoor Ahmed ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽

High Risk ◽

Early Diagnosis ◽

Hiv Infection ◽

Hiv Infections ◽

Risk Groups ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

Immunodeficiency Virus ◽

Hiv 1

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection prevalence in Pakistan has been increasing in high-risk groups, including people who inject drugs (PWID) and transgender hijra sex workers (TG-HSWs) nationwide. Effective control of HIV requires early diagnosis of the infection. We investigated recency of HIV infections in newly-diagnosed cases in PWID and TG-HSWs. This was an observational study with convenience sampling. Overall, 210 HIV-positive subjects comprising an equal number of PWID and TG-HSWs were included. Antibody avidity was tested using the Maxim HIV-1 Limiting Antigen Avidity (LAg) EIA (Maxim Biomedical, Inc. Rockville, Maryland, USA). The mean age of study subjects was 29.5 years: PWID, 28.5 years and TG-HSWs, 30.4 years. Study subjects were married, 27%, or unmarried. Eighteen percent of individuals had recently-acquired HIV infections: 19% of PWID and 17% of TG-HSWs. Eighty-two percent of individuals had long-term HIV infections: 81% of PWID and 83% of TG-HSWs. This is the first study identification of recent HIV-1 infections in Pakistan. We show that most newly-diagnosed HIV patients in the high-risk groups studied had long-term infections. There is an urgent need for intervention in these groups to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment of HIV infection to reduce transmission in Pakistan.

Download Full-text

Recent HIV infections among newly diagnosed HIV cases in Italy

Clinica Chimica Acta ◽

10.1016/j.cca.2019.03.1179 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 493 ◽

pp. S561

Author(s):

B. Suligoi ◽

V. Regine ◽

L. Pugliese

Keyword(s):

Hiv Infections ◽

Newly Diagnosed

Download Full-text

The Changing Demographics of Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Southern Alberta from 1982 to 2006

Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology ◽

10.1155/2012/501340 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 23 (2) ◽

pp. e36-e40

Author(s):

Liana Hwang ◽

Jesse Raffa ◽

Michael John Gill

Keyword(s):

Hiv Testing ◽

Hiv Infections ◽

Hiv Care ◽

Screening Methods ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

Female Population ◽

Opt Out ◽

Hiv Test ◽

Southern Alberta ◽

The Impact

INTRODUCTION: Women account for a growing proportion of HIV infections in Canada. This has implications with respect to prevention, diagnosis and treatment.OBJECTIVE: To describe the female population presenting for HIV care in southern Alberta and to examine the impact of opt-out pregnancy screening.METHODS: A retrospective review of demographic and clinical characteristics of all patients presenting to the Southern Alberta HIV Clinic (SAC) care program from 1982 to 2006, was performed.RESULTS: The proportion of newly diagnosed patients who were female increased from 7.5% before 1998 to 21.5% after 1998. Women were more likely to be from vulnerable populations, such as intravenous drug users (31.3% versus 13.7%, P<0.001), aboriginals/Métis (21.5% versus 8.7%, P<0.001), blacks (28.9% versus 4.9%, P<0.001) and immigrants (36.6% versus 14.7%, P<0.001). Heterosexual intercourse was the main risk factor for HIV acquisition (43.7%). Women were less likely than men to have requested HIV testing (20.9% versus 37.8%, P<0.001). Opt-out pregnancy screening accounted for 12.7% of HIV-positive tests in women, following its introduction in 1998. Of the women diagnosed by pregnancy screening, 62.1% were from HIV-endemic countries. There was an association between reason for testing and CD4 count at presentation; women who requested their HIV test had higher median CD4 counts than those diagnosed because of illness (478 cells/mL, interquartile range [IQR]=370 cells/mL versus 174 cells/mL, IQR=328 cells/mL, P<0.001) or pregnancy screening (478 cells/mL, IQR=370 cells/mL versus 271 cells/mL, IQR=256 cells/mL, P=0.001).CONCLUSIONS: Women were less likely than men to have requested HIV testing and were more likely to be diagnosed by population-based screening methods. Women, especially vulnerable groups, account for a growing number and proportion of newly diagnosed HIV infections in Alberta. The implications of expanded screening in this population merit further consideration.

Download Full-text

HIV and AIDS in Poland in 2017

Przeglad Epidemiologiczny ◽

10.32394/pe.73.17 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 179-192

Author(s):

Katarzyna Szmulik ◽

Marta Niedźwiedzka-Stadnik ◽

Magdalena Rosińska

Keyword(s):

Hiv Testing ◽

Low Frequency ◽

Linkage To Care ◽

Hiv Infections ◽

Hiv And Aids ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

Hiv Diagnosis ◽

Annual Survey ◽

Diagnosis Rate ◽

Epidemiological Situation

AIM. The aim of the study was to assess the epidemiological situation of newly diagnosed HIV infections and AIDS cases and death among AIDS cases in Poland in 2017 in comparison to the changes in preceding years. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Analysis of the epidemiological situation was based on reports of newly detected HIV cases and AIDS cases and the results of the annual survey of HIV testing conducted among the laboratories throughout the country. RESULTS. In 2017 there were 1,419 HIV cases newly diagnosed in Poland (diagnosis rate: 3.69 per 100,000), including 51 among non-Polish citizens. The frequency of newly detected HIV infections increased by nearly 8% compared to the previous year and by almost 28% compared to the median in 2011-2015 years. The total number of AIDS cases was 108 (incidence 0.28 per 100,000), and 20 people died from AIDS disease (0.05 per 100,000). New HIV diagnoses were reported mainly among people in age 20 to 39 years (69.5%) and among men (88.5%). Among cases with known transmission route, 69.5% concerned among men who had sexual contact with men (MSM). The percentage of MSM cases, similarly to heterosexual cases decrease in comparison to previous year, relatively by 5.7% and 6.4%. The percentage of AIDS cases diagnosed at the same time with HIV diagnosis increased by 6% percentage points in comparison with 2016 year (from 68% to 74% AIDS cases). CONCLUSION. The most HIV cases are diagnosed among MSM, so prophylactic activities are still needed in this key population. It is also need to increase the number of new cases linkage-to-care and to improve the low frequency in HIV testing rate in all population.

Download Full-text

EuroHIV publishes latest data on HIV/AIDS surveillance in Europe

Weekly releases (1997–2007) ◽

10.2807/esw.06.06.02025-en ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 6 (6) ◽

Author(s):

B Twisselmann

Keyword(s):

Drug Users ◽

Hiv Infections ◽

Hiv Prevalence ◽

World Health ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

The West ◽

European Centre ◽

Epidemiological Monitoring ◽

The World ◽

Surveillance Report

The European Centre for the Epidemiological Monitoring of AIDS (EuroHIV programme – http://www.eurohiv.org/) has published its latest half-yearly surveillance report (1). The report contains information on cases of AIDS and newly diagnosed HIV infections reported by 30 June 2001 in the 51 countries of the World Health Organization’s European Region, together with data on HIV prevalence among injecting drug users (IDUs) in 20 countries for 1996-2000. For the purposes of this report, the 51 countries have been grouped into three areas – the West, the Centre, and the East – and most data are presented and discussed in this context.

Download Full-text

The HIV infection in Europe: large East-West disparity

Eurosurveillance ◽

10.2807/esm.08.03.00403-en ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 57-64 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

C Semaille ◽

J Alix ◽

A M Downs ◽

F F Hamers

Keyword(s):

Hiv Infection ◽

Central Europe ◽

Drug Users ◽

Western Europe ◽

Hiv Infections ◽

The Other ◽

Bisexual Men ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

Heterosexual Contact ◽

East West

In 2001, western Europe faces an endemic situation for AIDS (22.8 cases per million population) and for HIV infection (54.9 cases per million), the most affected groups remaining injecting drug users and the homo/bisexual men. However, numbers of new HIV diagnoses are increasing among persons infected through heterosexual contact. Central Europe have been relatively spared, with AIDS incidence under 6 cases per million per year, and new HIV diagnoses between 7 and 10 cases per million. On the other hand, eastern Europe shows an epidemic increase in the number of newly diagnosed HIV infections (233 cases in 1994, around 100 000 reported cases in 2001, ie 349 cases per million population) affecting all countries.

Download Full-text

Integrating HBV, HCV and HIV screening in tuberculosis entry screening for migrants in the Netherlands

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckz185.503 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽

Author(s):

J Bil ◽

P A G Schrooders ◽

M Prins ◽

P M Kouw ◽

J H E Klomp ◽

...

Keyword(s):

The Netherlands ◽

Hiv Infections ◽

Hbv Infection ◽

Hcv Rna ◽

Hiv Screening ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

Chronic Hbv Infection ◽

Hbv Prevalence ◽

Chronic Hbv ◽

Chronic Hcv

Abstract We evaluated uptake and diagnostic outcomes of voluntary hepatitis B (HBV) and C virus (HCV) screening offered during routine tuberculosis entry screening to migrants in Gelderland and Amsterdam, the Netherlands, between 2013 and 2015. In Amsterdam, HIV screening was also offered. Overall, 54% (461/859) accepted screening. Prevalence of chronic HBV infection (HBsAg-positive) and HCV exposure (anti-HCVpositive) in Gelderland was 4.48% (9/201; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.37-8.29) and 0.99% (2/203; 95% CI: 0.27-3.52), respectively, all infections were newly diagnosed. Prevalence of chronic HBV infection, HCV exposure and chronic HCV infection (HCV RNA-positive) in Amsterdam was 0.39% (1/256; 95% CI: 0.07-2.18), 1.17% (3/256; 95% CI: 0.40-3.39) and 0.39% (1/256; 95% CI: 0.07-2.18), respectively, with all chronic HBV/HCV infections previously diagnosed. No HIV infections were found. In univariate analyses, newly diagnosed chronic HBV infection was more likely in participants migrating for reasons other than work or study (4.35% vs 0.83%; odds ratio (OR) = 5.45; 95% CI: 1.12-26.60) and was less likely in participants in Amsterdam than Gelderland (0.00% vs 4.48%; OR = 0.04; 95% CI: 0.00-0.69). Regional differences in HBV prevalence might be explained by differences in the populations entering compulsory tuberculosis screening. Prescreening selection of migrants based on risk factors merits further exploration.

Download Full-text