Trends and factors associated with HIV testing among women aged 15-49 years in Belize: an analysis using the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2006, 2011, and 2015-2016.

BACKGROUND: Belize has one of the highest human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome prevalence rates in Central America, with women of reproductive age being particularly vulnerable to HIV. Therefore, this study examined the factors associated with HIV testing among women of reproductive age in Belize and trends in HIV testing in 2006, 2011, and 2015-2016. METHODS: Cross-sectional data were analyzed using three Belize Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys. The number of participants were 1,675, 4,096, and 4,699 women aged 15-49 years in 2006, 2011, and 2015-2016, respectively. We used variance-weighted least-squares regression to estimate annual changes. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the associated factors. Analyses were conducted using Stata version 15, and weights were applied for generalization to the population. RESULTS: HIV testing rates increased from 47.7% in 2006 to 66.5% in 2015, with an average annual change of 0.082 (95% confidence interval: 0.07-0.09). Logistic regression models showed that women aged 15-24 years were less likely to have been tested for HIV compared to women aged 25-34 years. Women from the Mayan ethnic group were less likely to have been tested than those from other ethnic groups. Compared to women who spoke Spanish, those who spoke English/Creole were more likely to have been tested for HIV; additionally, those who spoke minority languages were less likely to have been tested. Being married and having given birth were associated with increased odds of HIV testing. Living in rural areas and households with the poorest wealth indices were associated with decreased odds of being tested for HIV. Women with good HIV knowledge and accepting attitudes towards people living with HIV were more likely to be tested. CONCLUSIONS: From 2006 to 2015, HIV testing in women of reproductive age showed an increasing trend in Belize. We recommend interventions to expand HIV testing for women of reproductive age in Belize, particularly those aged 15-24 years, speaking minority languages, living in rural areas, and having a low socioeconomic status.

Sex Differences in HIV Testing among Older Adults in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Despite being sexually active and engaging in risky sexual behaviours similar to young adults, older adults (50 years or older) are less likely to receive HIV testing, and disaggregated data are still scarce about HIV prevention and treatment in this vulnerable population in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This systematic review is aimed at examining sex differences in HIV testing and counseling (HTC) among older adults in SSA. METHODS: A systematic search of four databases, namely, MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), Web of Science, and Global Health, was conducted from 2000 to January 2020. The primary outcome of interest for this study was gender differences in HTC among older adults in SSA. Observational studies including cross-sectional, retrospective, and prospective cohort studies were included. Eligible studies must have reported sex differences in HIV testing uptake in a standard HTC service among older adults in SSA. RESULTS: From the database search, 4143 articles were identified. Five studies were ultimately included in the final review. Of the 1189 participants, 606 (51.1%) and 580 (48.9%) were female and male, respectively. The review findings suggested that both men and women preferred HTC providers that are the same sex as them with women additionally preferring a provider who is also of a similar age. Men and women differed in their pathways to getting tested for HIV. The review documented mixed results with regard to the associations between sex of older adults and uptake of HTC. Older adult HTC uptake data are limited in scope and coverage in sub-Saharan Africa. CONCLUSION: This review revealed shortage of evidence to evaluate optimum HTC utilization among older adults. Few studies examined sex differences in HIV testing among older adults in the region. There is a need for stakeholders working in the area of HIV prevention and treatment to focus on older adult health utilization evidence organization, disaggregated by age and sex. Hence, high-quality research designs are needed on the topic in order to generate good quality evidence for targeted interventions to improve HTC among older adults in sub-Saharan Africa.

HIV Testing Trends Among Persons with Commercial Insurance or Medicaid - United States, 2014-2019.

HIV testing is a critical component of effective HIV prevention and care. CDC recommends routine opt-out HIV testing in health care settings for all sexually active persons aged 13-64 years at least once in their lifetime and risk-based testing regardless of age for those who report behaviors associated with HIV acquisition (1). However, recent studies show low HIV testing rates in clinical settings; HIV testing rates at visits to physician offices did not increase during 2009-2016 (2). The objective of the current study is to estimate temporal trends in HIV testing among persons with commercial insurance or Medicaid from 2014 through 2019 and describe their demographic characteristics in 2019. Weighted data from the IBM MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters database* (commercial insurance) and from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) claims database† (Medicaid) were analyzed to estimate the proportions of persons with commercial insurance or Medicaid who received testing for HIV. Testing rates increased among male and nonpregnant female persons aged ≥13 years with either type of coverage. In 2019, only 4.0% of those with commercial insurance and 5.5% of those with Medicaid received testing for HIV. Testing rates were higher among non-Hispanic Black or African American (Black) persons and Hispanic or Latino (Hispanic) persons. Based on mathematical modeling studies, these annual testing rates would need to increase at least threefold and be sustained over several years (3,4) to achieve the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) in the U.S. initiative goal of ≥95% of persons with HIV being aware of their infection by 2025.§ Interventions need to be implemented to increase routine and risk-based HIV testing in clinical settings to higher levels that can help reduce disparities in HIV diagnoses between Black and Hispanic persons compared with non-Hispanic White (White) persons (5). Increased HIV testing is essential to achieve the goals of the EHE initiative and reduce disparities in HIV diagnoses; public health should partner with health care systems to implement interventions that support increased testing.

CROI 2021: Epidemiologic Trends in the HIV and SARS-CoV-2 Pandemics and HIV Prevention Research.

At the 2021 virtual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections ,several speakers described the disparities in both HIV and SARS-CoV-2 in-fections and outcomes in racial and ethnic minorities. A household survey suggested that there may have been more than 39 million SARS-CoV-2 infections in the United States by October 30, 2020, with an estimated infection fatality ratio of 0.64%; this compares with an estimated 7.3 million confirmed cases at that time. Several presentations found severe disruptions in HIV testing, prevention, and treatment services during COVID-19-related lockdowns; models suggest that severe interruption of antiretroviral therapy services could lead to a 1.5- to 3-fold increase in mortality. HIV testing remains the gateway to both treatment and prevention, and innovative strategies to improve testing uptake were presented. Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) agents may delay detection of HIV infection using standard testing algorithms. Data were presented on promising investigational PrEP agents, including cabotegravir, islatravir, and the dapivirine vaginal ring. Progress is being made in point-of-care assays to measure PrEP adherence with tenofovir-based regimens. HIV incidence remains low in populations of PrEP users, with higher rates among persons who never refilled their prescription. More work remains to be done to increase PrEP uptake among populations most heavily impacted by HIV.

HIV testing among people with and without substance use disorder in emergency departments: A nationwide cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine HIV testing trends during emergency department (ED) visits among those with and without substance use disorder (SUD) and examine factors associated with test receipt. METHODS: We identified individuals age ≥ 15 with an ED visit between 2014 and 2018 in the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS), a representative sample of United States ED visits. We examined HIV testing trends by SUD status and used multivariable logistic regression accounting for NHAMCS's complex survey design to identify factors associated with HIV testing. RESULTS: We identified 6399 SUD and 75,498 non-SUD ED visits. Of SUD visits, 1.4% [95% Confidence Interval (95%CI 0.9-1.9)] resulted in HIV testing compared to 0.6% (95%CI 0.4-0.7) of non-SUD visits. During the second half of the study (Q3, 2016 - Q4, 2018), HIV testing increased from 1.1% (95%CI 0.6-1.6) to 1.7% (95%CI 1.0-2.5) among those with SUD and from 0.5% (95%CI 0.3-0.6) to 0.6% (95%CI 0.5-0.8) among those without SUD. In adjusted models, SUD status was associated with increased odds of HIV testing [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) 1.6 (95%CI 1.1-2.2)]. Those receiving toxicology testing (AOR 2.2, 95%CI 1.6-3.2), Black (AOR 3.6, 95%CI 2.6-4.9) and Hispanic people (AOR 2.7, 95%CI 1.9-3.7), insured by Medicaid (AOR 1.6, 95%CI 1.2-2.2) or self-pay (AOR 1.7, 95%CI 1.1-2.8), and with venipuncture (AOR 3.0, 95%CI 2.2-4.1) also had greater odds of HIV testing. CONCLUSION: HIV testing in the ED was rare, but slightly more common in individuals with SUD. Efforts to increase ED HIV testing among people with SUD are needed.

Highly variable trends in rates of newly diagnosed HIV cases in U.S. hotspots, 2008-2017.

The U.S. Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative was announced in early 2019 and rapidly became a focal point for domestic HIV prevention and treatment programs. Using publicly available data from CDC, we examined historical trends in the average annual percent change (AAPC) in HIV diagnosis rates for the 57 EHE high incidence "hotspots" using Joinpoint analysis. We then assessed the ecologic association of various hotspot characteristics with changes in these rates over time using a multivariable regression model. From 2008-2017, the overall rate of newly diagnosed HIV cases in the U.S. declined from 19 to 14 per 100,000 persons, with the AAPC declining significantly in the U.S. overall (-3.1%; 95% CI: -3.7, -2.4) and in the 57 hotspots (-3.3%; 95% CI: -4.6, -2.8). There were large (AAPC <-5.0), moderate (-5.0 to -2.5) and small (-2.5 to 0.0) rates of decline in 14, 19 and 17 hotspots respectively, with increasing trends (AAPC >0.0) noted in seven hotspots. In the multivariable regression analysis, higher initial HIV diagnosis rate and location in the Northeast region were significantly associated with declining AAPC rates whereas no significant differences were found by hotspot gender, age, or race/ethnicity distribution. This analysis demonstrates that the rate of decline in HIV diagnosis rates in hotspots across the U.S. has been highly variable. Further exploration is warranted to assess the correlation between programmatic factors such as HIV testing and antiretroviral therapy and pre-exposure prophylaxis coverage with HIV trends across the hotspots.

[Changing trends of HIV testing and HIV self-testing in men who have sex with men on a gay social networking app].

Objective: To understand the changing trends of HIV testing rates, with a focus on HIV self-testing, and to evaluate the impact of HIV self-testing on expanding HIV testing among MSM in China in past few years. Methods: MSM were recruited online nationwide via a gay social networking app (Blued) from 2013 to 2016 and 2018. The survey collected information about socio-demographic backgrounds, sexual behaviors, and prior HIV testing experiences, including HIV self-testing. Trend analyses were conducted. Results: Respectively, 1 342, 1 424, 1 173, 2 105 and 699 MSM were recruited nationwide from 2013 to 2016, and in 2018. The mean age was (30.6±6.6)years in 2013 and showed a decreasing trend afterwards. The HIV testing rate was 60.0% (805/1 342) in 2013 and there was a rising trend from 2013 to 2016, and 2018 (trend Z =19.3, P <0.001), reaching a peak at 77.3% (540/699) in 2018. Further, the HIV self-testing rate increased from 19.3% (259/1 342) in 2013 to 58.1% (406/699) in 2018 (χ2=237.5, P <0.001). The proportion of MSM who had HIV self-testing among prior HIV testers significantly increased from 32.2% (259/805) to 75.2% (406/540) during the study period (trend Z =14.3, P <0.001). Conclusions: The HIV testing rate, HIV self-testing rate and proportion of men who had HIV self-testing among former HIV testers among web-based Chinese MSM showed substantial increases from 2013 to 2016,and 2018. This suggests that HIV self-testing may have a significant effect on the expansion of HIV testing coverage in MSM, and has important public health implications for HIV/AIDS prevention in China.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Testing, Diagnosis, Linkage to Care, and Prevention Services Among Persons Who Inject Drugs, United States, 2012-2017.

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing and early diagnosis is associated with effective disease management and reduction in HIV transmission among persons who inject drugs (PWID). We examined trends in HIV testing outcomes among PWID during 2012-2017. METHODS: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-funded HIV testing data submitted by 61 health departments and 150 directly-funded community-based organizations during 2012-2017 were analyzed. We calculated estimated annual percentage changes (EAPC) to assess trends for HIV testing and testing outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 19 739 857 CDC-funded HIV tests were conducted during 2012-2017. Of these, 529 349 (2.7%) were among PWID. The percentage of newly diagnosed HIV increased from .7% in 2012 to .8% in 2017 (EAPC, 4.15%). The percentage interviewed for partner services increased from 46.7% in 2012 to 66.3% in 2017 (EAPC, 1.81%). No significant change was identified in trends for linkage to HIV medical care ≤90 days after diagnosis (EAPC, 0.52%) or referral to HIV prevention services (EAPC, 0.98%). CONCLUSIONS: Human immunodeficiency virus testing data revealed an increasing trend in newly diagnosed HIV among PWID but not linkage to HIV medical care or referral to prevention services. Expanding efforts to increase HIV testing and enhance linkage to services can lead to reductions in HIV transmission and improved health outcomes.

Impact of WHO guidelines on trends in HIV testing and ART initiation among children living with HIV in Zambia.

BACKGROUND: About 13 years since the introduction of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for children living with HIV (CLHIV) in Zambia, HIV/AIDS testing and treatment guidelines for children have evolved over the years with limited documentation of long-term trends in the numbers testing HIV positive and initiating ART. We examined trends in HIV testing and ART initiation in Zambia. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using routinely collected patient level data from 496 health facilities across Zambia. We used Poisson regression to derive incident rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for background characteristics and used a Cuzick non-parametric test for trends to test the 13-year trends. Median time from testing to ART initiation in days and incidence rates were derived using life tables in survival analysis. We used multi-level random effects Poisson regression model to determine variations in time from HIV testing to ART initiation by facility. RESULTS: Overall, the cumulative proportion of the children who tested positive and initiated antiretroviral therapy (ART for HIV) from 2004 to 2017 was 69% (n = 99 592). During the period under review proportions of ART initiation increased from 52% in 2004-2006 to 97% in 2016-2017 (P < 0.001) and time from testing to ART initiation reduced from a median of 17 days IQR (1-161) in 2004 to one day IQR (1-14), P < 0.001 in 2016-2017. CLHIV were 15 times more likely to be initiated on ART in 2016-17 compared to period 2004-6 (IRR = 15.2, 95% CI 14.7-15.7). Time to ART initiation increased with age and was higher in rural health facilities compared to urban facilities. About 11% of the variability in time to ART initiation in children could be attributed to differences between facilities. CONCLUSIONS: The substantial increase in ART initiation and reduction in time to ART initiation among CLHIV identified in this study, reflects improvements in the paediatric HIV programme in Zambia in relation to health care delivery and adherence to national testing and treatment guidelines that were adapted from WHO guidelines. However, age-related differentials in rates of ART initiation suggests that urgent interventions are needed to sustain and further improve programme performance.