Human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome prevalence, incidence, and mortality in China, 1990 to 2017: a secondary analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 data.

BACKGROUND: Despite almost two decades of well-funded and comprehensive response efforts by the Chinese Government, human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) remains a major problem in China. Yet, few studies have recently examined long-term trends in HIV/AIDS prevalence, incidence, and mortality at the national level. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, incidence, and mortality trends for HIV/AIDS over the past 28 years in China. METHODS: We conducted a descriptive, epidemiological, secondary analysis of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 data. To evaluate trends in prevalence, incidence, and mortality over the study period from 1990 to 2017, we calculated values for annual percentage change (APC) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using joinpoint regression analysis. RESULTS: A significant increase in HIV/AIDS prevalence was observed for 1990 to 2009 (APC: 10.7; 95% CI: 10.4, 11.0; P < 0.001), and then remained stable for 2009 to 2017 (APC: 0.7; 95% CI: -0.3, 1.7; P = 0.1). A significant increase in HIV incidence was also observed for 1990 to 2005 (APC: 13.0; 95% CI: 12.6, 13.4; P < 0.001), and then a significant decrease was detected for 2005 to 2017 (APC: -6.5; 95% CI: -7.0, -6.1; P < 0.001). A significant increase in AIDS-related mortality rate was detected for 1990 to 2004 (APC: 10.3; 95% CI: 9.3, 11.3; P < 0.001), followed by a period of stability for 2004 to 2013 (APC: 1.3; 95% CI: -0.7, 3.3; P = 0.2), and then another significant increase for 2013 to 2017 (APC: 15.3; 95% CI: 8.7, 22.2; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Although prevalence has stabilized and incidence has declined, AIDS-related mortality has risen sharply in recent years. These findings suggest more must be done to bring people into treatment earlier, retain them in treatment more effectively, actively seek to reenter them in treatment if they dropout, and improve the quality of treatment and care regimens.

The Enigma of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Epidemic in China.

Nearly 17 years ago China launched its National HIV/AIDS Response Program, yet the epidemic still is not slowing. New cases and new deaths increase every year-in 2005, 40 711 people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV; PLWH) were diagnosed and 5729 died, whereas in 2019, 148 598 PLWH were diagnosed and 31 522 died. Moreover, the estimated PLWH population in China has risen to >1.25 million. However, epidemic data are worryingly complex and difficult to interpret, presenting challenges to the redirection and refocusing of efforts toward achievement of control. Here we present three "windows" into China's epidemic data. From these viewpoints, it appears we still do not know how much infection exists, how much transmission is occurring, and in what contexts transmission happens. The enigma that is China's HIV epidemic must be better understood. A new research agenda must be developed and executed if we are to change the future of HIV in China.

Spectrum of malignancies among the population of adults living with HIV infection in China: A nationwide follow-up study, 2008-2011.

BACKGROUND: Although increasingly studied in high-income countries, there is a paucity of data from the Chinese population on the patterns of cancer among people living with HIV (PLHIV). METHODS: We conducted a nationwide follow-up study using routinely collected data for adult PLHIV diagnosed on or before 31 December 2011 and alive and in care as of 1 January 2008. Participants were observed from 1 January 2008 (study start) to 30 June 2012 (study end). Main outcome measures were gender-stratified age-standardized incidence rates for China (ASIRC) and standardized incidence ratios (SIR) for all malignancy types/sites observed. RESULTS: Among 399,451 subjects, a majority was aged 30-44 years (49.3%), male (69.8%), and Han Chinese (67.9%). A total of 3,819 reports of cancer were identified. Overall, ASIRC was 776.4 per 100,000 for males and 486.5 per 100,000 for females. Malignancy sites/types with highest ASIRC among males were lung (226.0 per 100,000), liver (145.7 per 100,000), and lymphoma (63.1 per 100,000), and among females were lung (66.8 per 100,000), lymphoma (48.0 per 100,000), stomach (47.8 per 100,000), and cervix (47.6 per 100,000). Overall SIR for males was 3.4 and for females was 2.6. Highest SIR was observed for Kaposi sarcoma (2,639.8 for males, 1,593.5 for females) and lymphoma (13.9 for males, 16.0 for females). CONCLUSIONS: These results provide evidence of substantial AIDS-defining and non-AIDS-defining cancer burden among adult Chinese PLHIV between 2008 and 2011. Although further study is warranted, China should take action to improve cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment for this vulnerable population.

HIV screening among patients seeking care at Xuanwu Hospital: A cross-sectional study in Beijing, China, 2011-2016.

OBJECTIVES: One-third of people living with HIV in China are still unaware of their status, so we sought to better understand HIV testing in the general hospital setting in China. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the electronic medical records of all patients who attended Xuanwu Hospital in Beijing, January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2016. HIV screening and detection rates and characteristics of patients diagnosed with HIV were assessed. RESULTS: Overall, 235,961 patients were screened, for a screening rate of 1.4%. Although most were outpatients (98.4%), screening rate was higher among inpatients (70.0% versus 0.4%), and highest in internal medicine (36.1%) and surgery (33.3%) departments. A total of 140 patients were diagnosed with HIV, for a detection rate of 5.93 per 10,000. Detection rates were highest among outpatients (9.34 per 10,000), and patients attending the dermatology and sexually transmitted infection (STI) department (153.85 per 10,000). Most diagnoses were made among males (91.4%), aged 20-39 (67.1%), who reported becoming infected through homosexual contact (70.0%). CONCLUSIONS: HIV screening in China's general hospitals needs to be improved. More focus should be placed on screening outpatients, especially in the dermatology and STI department, and young men.

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus Care Continuum in China: 1985-2015.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care continuum attrition is a major global public health challenge. Few studies have examined this problem in resource-limited settings. We aimed to assess cumulative, current, and historical achievement along China's HIV continuum of care. Methods: A nationwide, serial cross-sectional study of all individuals with HIV infection diagnosed in China between 1 January 1985 and 31 December 2015 was conducted using data from China's HIV/AIDS information systems. Biennial estimates of the number of persons living with HIV were also used. We defined 7 steps in HIV care continuum as infected (estimated), diagnosed, linked, retained, enrolled, receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), and virally suppressed. Cumulative, 30-year performance, and biennial performance during the most recent 10 years were examined. Results: A total of 573529 persons diagnosed with HIV infection were included. Cumulatively, 94% were linked, 88% were retained, 73% were enrolled, 67% were receiving ART, and 44% were suppressed. Greatest attrition was observed for adolescents, minorities, and those who reported injecting drug use as their route of infection. Improvement was observed from 2005 to 2015. As of the end of 2015, 68% among those infected were diagnosed, 67% among diagnosed were receiving ART, and 65% among those receiving ART were virally suppressed. After adjusting for those without viral load testing, the proportion suppressed increased to 89%. Conclusions: Despite dramatic improvements, China faces serious challenges in achieving the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS 90-90-90 targets, because of substantial attrition along its continuum of HIV care.

Testing and linkage to HIV care in China: a cluster-randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Multistage, stepwise HIV testing and treatment procedures can result in lost opportunities to provide timely antiretroviral therapy (ART). Incomplete engagement of patients along the care cascade translates into high preventable mortality. We aimed to identify whether a structural intervention to streamline testing and linkage to HIV health care would improve testing completeness, ART initiation, and viral suppression and reduce mortality. METHODS: We did a cluster-randomised, controlled trial in 12 hospitals in Guangxi, China. All hospitals were required to be level 2A county general hospitals and ART delivery sites. We selected the 12 most similar hospitals in terms of structural characteristics, past patient caseloads, and testing procedures. Hospitals were randomly assigned (1:1) to either the One4All intervention or standard of care. Hospitals were randomised in a block design and stratified by the historical rate of testing completeness of the individual hospital during the first 6 months of 2013. We enrolled patients aged 18 years or older who were identified as HIV-reactive during screening in study hospitals, who sought inpatient or outpatient care in a study hospital, and who resided in the study catchment area. The One4All strategy incorporated rapid, point-of-care HIV screening and CD4 counts, and in-parallel viral load testing, to promote fast and complete diagnosis and staging and provide immediate ART to eligible patients. Participants in control hospitals received standard care services. All enrolled patients were assessed for the primary outcome, which was testing completeness within 30 days, defined as completion of three required tests and their post-test counselling. Safety assessments were hospital admissions for the first 90 days and deaths up to 12 months after enrolment. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02084316. FINDINGS: Between Feb 24 and Nov 25, 2014, we enrolled 478 patients (232 in One4All, 246 in standard of care). In the One4All group, 177 (76%) of 232 achieved testing completeness within 30 days versus 63 (26%) of 246 in the standard-of-care group (odds ratio 19·94, 95% CI 3·86-103·04, p=0·0004). Although no difference was observed between study groups in the number of hospital admissions at 90 days, by 12 months there were 65 deaths (28%) in the in the One4All group compared with 115 (47%) in the standard-of-care group (Cox proportional hazard ratio 0·44, 0·19-1·01, p=0·0531). INTERPRETATION: Our study provides strong evidence for the benefits of a patient-centred approach to streamlined HIV testing and treatment that could help China change the trajectory of its HIV epidemic, and help to achieve the goal of an end to AIDS. FUNDING: US National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network and China's National Health and Family Planning Commission.

Tracking the evolution of drug abuse in China, 2003-10: a retrospective, self-controlled study.

AIM: To characterize trends in drug abuse in China before and after the 2005 initiation of the 'People's War on Drugs'. DESIGN: Retrospective self-controlled study. SETTING: Annual, nation-wide surveillance from 2003 to 2010 of all registered drug users in China's National Surveillance System on Drug Abuse (NSSDA). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1,184,124 drug users registered in NSSDA were involved in this study and were classified into three groups based on registered dates-pre-war group (n=230,278) registered 2003-04, phase I group (n=518,651) registered 2005-07 and phase II group (n=435,195) registered 2008-10. MEASUREMENTS: Indicators included proportions of:(i) new and relapsed drug users, (ii) heroin and synthetic drug users among new users, (iii) people aged 35 years or younger and (iv) women. Comparisons were made across groups using annual data to describe temporal trends. FINDINGS: Between 2003 and 2010 the proportion of heroin users decreased by 52.3% and synthetic drugs use increased 860.7% among new users, while a 12.8% decrease in the proportion of heroin users and a 918.8% increase in synthetic drug use in all users was detected. Compared with the pre-war group, the proportion of relapsed users decreased 2.6% and 29.1% in the phase I and phase II groups, respectively, but a significant increase in the proportion of new users was found in phase I (OR=1.24, CI=1.15-1.35, p<0.0001), followed by an apparent decrease in phase II compared with phase I (OR=0.75, CI=0.70-0.80, p<0.0001). Similarly, the proportion of heroin users decreased 15.1 and 24.2% among new drug users in phase I and phase II in comparison with the pre-war group. CONCLUSION: The decrease in proportions of drug users in China between 2003/4 and 2008/10 may suggest some positive influence of the 'People's War on Drugs', especially in the decreased proportion of relapsed users. In contrast, there was a rapid increase in new synthetic drug use over the same period.

Sexual dysfunction improved in heroin-dependent men after methadone maintenance treatment in Tianjin, China.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) is correlated with sexual dysfunction in heroin-dependent men and to determine the prevalence and risk factors of sexual dysfunction among men on MMT. METHODS: The study included a retrospective survey and a cross-sectional survey which contained interviews of 293 men who are currently engaged in MMT. The results of the two surveys were compared. For a subset of 43 participants, radioimmunoassay was additionally conducted using retrospective and prospective blood samples to test the levels of plasma testosterone and luteinizing hormone. Other study evaluations were the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-15), and Self-rating Depression Scale. RESULTS: Sexual dysfunction in all five IIEF-15 domains (erectile function, orgasmic function, sexual desire, intercourse satisfaction, and overall satisfaction) was strongly associated with long-term use of heroin. A decrease in the severity of sexual dysfunction was associated with MMT initiation. Erectile dysfunction, lack of sexual desire, inability to orgasm, and lack of intercourse satisfaction were significantly correlated with increasing age of the participants. Methadone dose and duration of methadone treatment were not found to be associated with sexual dysfunction. The level of plasma testosterone significantly declined during methadone treatment, but results from multivariate analysis indicated low levels of testosterone were not the main cause of sexual dysfunction. No correlation between reported depression status and sexual function was found. CONCLUSIONS: While high levels of sexual dysfunction were reported by heroin-dependent men in our study before and after MMT initiation, MMT appears to be correlated with improved sexual function in the population of the study.

Mortality among methadone maintenance clients in China: a six-year cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the overall mortality of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) clients in China and its associated factors. METHODS: A total of 1,511 MMT clients, all of whom enrolled in China's first eight MMT clinics between March and December 2004, were included in this cohort study and followed for approximately six years, until June 2010. Mortality and its predictors were examined using Cox proportional hazards regression models. RESULTS: A total of 154 deaths were observed within 5,391 person-years (PY) of follow-up for an all-cause mortality rate of 28.6 per 1,000 PY. The leading causes of death were drug overdose (33.8%), HIV/AIDS-unrelated disease (21.4%), and HIV/AIDS (16.9%). The all-cause mortality rate of clients engaged in MMT for one year or less was roughly three times that of clients who stayed in MMT for four years or more (14.0 vs. 4.6, p<0.0001), HIV-positive subjects was nearly four times mortality rate than that of HIV-negative individuals (28.1 vs.6.8, p<0.0001). ART-naive HIV-positive subjects had approximately two times higher mortality rate than those receiving ART (31.2 vs. 17.3, <0.0001). After adjusting for confounding variables, we found that being male (HR = 1.63, CI: 1.03-2.57, p = 0.0355) and being HIV-positive (HR = 5.16, CI: 3.70-7.10, p<0.0001) were both associated with higher risk of death whereas increased durations of methadone treatment were associated with a lower risk of death (HR = 0.26, CI: 0.18-0.38, p<0.0001 for two to three years, HR = 0.08, CI: 0.05-0.14, p<0.0001 for four or more years). CONCLUSION: Overall mortality was high among MMT clients in China. Specific interventions aimed at decreasing mortality among MMT clients are needed. Our study supports the need for keeping client at MMT longer and for expanding ART coverage and suggests the potential benefits of integrated MMT and ART services for drug users in China.

Referring heroin users from compulsory detoxification centers to community methadone maintenance treatment: a comparison of three models.

BACKGROUND: Both compulsory detoxification treatment and community-based methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) exist for heroin addicts in China. We aim to examine the effectiveness of three intervention models for referring heroin addicts released from compulsory detoxification centers to community methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) clinics in Dehong prefecture, Yunnan province, China. METHODS: Using a quasi-experimental study design, three different referral models were assigned to four detoxification centers. Heroin addicts were enrolled based on their fulfillment to eligibility criteria and provision of informed consent. Two months prior to their release, information on demographic characteristics, history of heroin use, and prior participation in intervention programs was collected via a survey, and blood samples were obtained for HIV testing. All subjects were followed for six months after release from detoxification centers. Multi-level logistic regression analysis was used to examine factors predicting successful referrals to MMT clinics. RESULTS: Of the 226 participants who were released and followed, 9.7% were successfully referred to MMT(16.2% of HIV-positive participants and 7.0% of HIV-negative participants). A higher proportion of successful referrals was observed among participants who received both referral cards and MMT treatment while still in detoxification centers (25.8%) as compared to those who received both referral cards and police-assisted MMT enrollment (5.4%) and those who received referral cards only (0%). Furthermore, those who received referral cards and MMT treatment while still in detoxification had increased odds of successful referral to an MMT clinic (adjusted OR = 1.2, CI = 1.1-1.3). Having participated in an MMT program prior to detention (OR = 1.5, CI = 1.3-1.6) was the only baseline covariate associated with increased odds of successful referral. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that providing MMT within detoxification centers promotes successful referral of heroin addicts to community-based MMT upon their release.