Asian People Reached by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention HIV Testing Program in the United States: HIV Testing, Linkage to HIV Medical Care, and Interview for Partner Services 2014-2020.

The purpose of this analysis is to describe HIV tests and associated outcomes for Asian people reached by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) HIV testing program. We analyzed CDC-funded HIV tests among Asian individuals in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (2014-2020). Of the 415,560 tests, the positivity of new diagnoses was higher among males (0.49%, aPR = 7.64) than females (0.06%), and in the West (0.42%, aPR = 1.15) than in the South (0.25%). In non-health care settings, positivity was highest among men who have sex with men (MSM; 0.87%) and transgender people (0.46%). Linkage to HIV medical care among Asian people was 87.5%, and 70.7% were interviewed for partner services. Our findings suggest that improvements are crucial, particularly for Asian MSM, in linkage to care and interview for partner services.

Improving HIV Case Finding Through Index Testing: Findings from Health Facilities in 12 Districts of South Africa, October 2019-September 2021.

To assess the importance of index testing in HIV case finding, we analyzed quarterly data from October 2019 to September 2021 from 371 facilities in 12 districts in South Africa. Index testing accounted for 2.6% of all HIV tests (index and non-index) (n = 163,633), but 17.8% of all HIV-positive results, with an HIV-positivity 4-times higher than non-index testing modalities (4.1%). Despite twice as many adult females ≥ 15 years accepting index testing (n = 206,715) compared to adult males ≥ 15 years (n = 102,180), females identified fewer contacts (n = 91,123) than males (n = 113,939). Slightly more than half (51.2%) of all contacts elicited were tested (n = 163,633/319,680), while 19.7% (n = 62,978) of elicited contacts were previously diagnosed as HIV-positive and not eligible for further testing. These findings indicate index testing can be effective in increasing HIV diagnoses in South Africa. Further operational research is needed to address gaps identified in the index testing cascade, including elicitation and testing of contacts.

How the COVID-19 pandemic and the health system's response reduced HIV testing and increased late diagnoses in Mexico.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the disruption in HIV screening and diagnoses due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to investigate the pandemic's subsequent influence on the HIV epidemic. DESIGN: A retrospective examination of testing and confirmed diagnoses time series was undertaken from 2011 to 2022. The analysis encompassed testing, positive tests, positivity rates, and diagnosis outcomes, including new HIV diagnoses, asymptomatic HIV diagnoses, and symptomatic HIV diagnoses. METHODS: We used Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models to estimate the COVID-19 epidemic's impact on screening and diagnosis outcomes. We gauged the pandemic's effect between January 2020 and December 2022 by comparing modeled predicted results with actual outcomes. RESULTS: The advent of COVID-19 prompted a reduction of 50.7% in HIV testing, followed by a monthly escalation in testing afterward, estimated at 30.2 and 65.1% for 2021 and 2022, respectively. Although new diagnoses reported between 2020 and 2022 gradually increased to prepandemic levels, we estimate a gap of 13 207 new diagnoses, with symptomatic detections increasing more than proportionally in 2021 and 2022. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in missed HIV diagnoses and a rise in late HIV diagnoses. Implementing tailored post-COVID-19 strategies to accelerate timely HIV testing and prevention is needed to avert additional burdens and remain on track toward achieving the 2030 HIV management goals.

Tracking missed opportunities for an early HIV diagnosis in a population of people living with HIV with known time of infection.

PURPOSE: The goal of 90-90-90 first requires the expansion of access to HIV testing. Our aim was to record frequencies of HIV indicator conditions (ICs) and identify missed opportunities for an early HIV diagnosis. METHODS: We retrospectively identified ICs in a population of 231 people living with HIV with known infection dates who attended our clinic. The study population was divided into four groups: (1) those self-tested pre-emptively (47/231, 20.3%), (2) those offered targeted testing based on risk factors (67/231, 29%), (3) those tested after an IC (73/231, 31.6%) and (4) those who were not offered testing after an IC (44/231, 19%). HIV acquisition dates were estimated by molecular clock analysis. RESULTS: A total of 169 healthcare contacts (HCCs) were recorded. The most frequent HCC was mononucleosis-like syndrome (20.1%), unexplained weight loss (10.7%) and STIs (10.1%). AIDS-defining conditions were detected in 11.8%. Only 62.4% (73/117) of those with an IC were offered testing after their first HCC. Patients in group 4 had statistically significant delay in diagnosis compared with group 3 (109.1 weeks (IQR 56.4-238.6) vs 71.6 weeks (IQR 32.3-124.6)). The proportion of patients diagnosed as late presenters in each group was: (1) 16/47 (34%), (2) 37/67 (55.2%), (3) 43/73 (58.9%) and (4) 27/44 (61.4%) (p=0.027). CONCLUSIONS: Our study uses a combination of molecular and clinical data and shows evidence that late presentation occurs in a high proportion of patients even in the presence of an IC. Given that risk-based targeted testing has low coverage, IC-guided testing provides a reasonable alternative to facilitate earlier HIV diagnosis and to improve late diagnosis across Europe and globally.

Estimating Gains in HIV Testing by Expanding HIV Screening at Routine Checkups.

Objectives. To estimate gains in the prevalence of individuals who had ever been tested for HIV overall and by subpopulations from increases in the percentage of persons who had a routine checkup and were tested. Methods. We used data from the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to determine the prevalence of individuals who were ever tested for HIV and the prevalence of missed opportunities for HIV testing among those never tested in the United States. We assessed the effect of absolute percentage increases in having ever been tested among those who had a past-year routine checkup on increasing the overall prevalence of having ever been tested. Results. In 2019, 49.5% of US adults had ever been tested for HIV; 34.5% had a missed opportunity. A 50% increase in testing at routine checkups would increase the prevalence of having ever been tested to 84.0%. Increases in the prevalence of having ever been tested (≥ 85%) was highest among persons aged 35 to 54 years, Black persons, persons who were female at birth, persons with health insurance, and persons reporting HIV risk behaviors. Conclusions. Fully incorporating HIV screening into primary care would greatly increase the proportion of US adults who have been tested for HIV. Public Health Implications. Continued efforts to promote HIV testing, including implementing routine screening in clinical settings, will help ensure that all US adults know their HIV status.

Effect of community-led delivery of HIV self-testing on HIV testing and antiretroviral therapy initiation in Malawi: A cluster-randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Undiagnosed HIV infection remains substantial in key population subgroups including adolescents, older adults, and men, driving ongoing transmission in sub-Saharan Africa. We evaluated the impact, safety, and costs of community-led delivery of HIV self-testing (HIVST), aiming to increase HIV testing in underserved subgroups and stimulate demand for antiretroviral therapy (ART). METHODS AND FINDINGS: This cluster-randomised trial, conducted between October 2018 and July 2019, used restricted randomisation (1:1) to allocate 30 group village head clusters in Mangochi district, Malawi to the community-led HIVST intervention in addition to the standard of care (SOC) or the SOC alone. The intervention involved mobilising community health groups to lead the design and implementation of 7-day HIVST campaigns, with cluster residents (≥15 years) eligible for HIVST. The primary outcome compared lifetime HIV testing among adolescents (15 to 19 years) between arms. Secondary outcomes compared: recent HIV testing (in the last 3 months) among older adults (≥40 years) and men; cumulative 6-month incidence of ART initiation per 100,000 population; knowledge of the preventive benefits of HIV treatment; and HIV testing stigma. Outcomes were measured through a post-intervention survey and at neighboring health facilities. Analysis used intention-to-treat for cluster-level outcomes. Community health groups delivered 24,316 oral fluid-based HIVST kits. The survey included 90.2% (3,960/4,388) of listed participants in the 15 community-led HIVST clusters and 89.2% (3,920/4,394) of listed participants in the 15 SOC clusters. Overall, the proportion of men was 39.0% (3,072/7,880). Most participants obtained primary-level education or below, were married, and reported a sexual partner. Lifetime HIV testing among adolescents was higher in the community-led HIVST arm (84.6%, 770/910) than the SOC arm (67.1%, 582/867; adjusted risk difference [RD] 15.2%, 95% CI 7.5% to 22.9%; p < 0.001), especially among 15 to 17 year olds and boys. Recent testing among older adults was also higher in the community-led HIVST arm (74.5%, 869/1,166) than the SOC arm (31.5%, 350/1,111; adjusted RD 42.1%, 95% CI 34.9% to 49.4%; p < 0.001). Similarly, the proportions of recently tested men were 74.6% (1,177/1,577) and 33.9% (507/1,495) in the community-led HIVST and SOC arms, respectively (adjusted RD 40.2%, 95% CI 32.9% to 47.4%; p < 0.001). Knowledge of HIV treatment benefits and HIV testing stigma showed no differences between arms. Cumulative incidence of ART initiation was respectively 305.3 and 226.1 per 100,000 population in the community-led HIVST and SOC arms (RD 72.3, 95% CI -36.2 to 180.8; p = 0.18). In post hoc analysis, ART initiations in the 3-month post-intervention period were higher in the community-led HIVST arm than the SOC arm (RD 97.7, 95% CI 33.4 to 162.1; p = 0.004). HIVST uptake was 74.7% (2,956/3,960), with few adverse events (0.6%, 18/2,955) and at US$5.70 per HIVST kit distributed. The main limitations include the use of self-reported HIV testing outcomes and lack of baseline measurement for the primary outcome. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we found that community-led HIVST was effective, safe, and affordable, with population impact and coverage rapidly realised at low cost. This approach could enable community HIV testing in high HIV prevalence settings and demonstrates potential for economies of scale and scope. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03541382.

Financial incentives and deposit contracts to promote HIV retesting in Uganda: A randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Frequent retesting for HIV among persons at increased risk of HIV infection is critical to early HIV diagnosis of persons and delivery of combination HIV prevention services. There are few evidence-based interventions for promoting frequent retesting for HIV. We sought to determine the effectiveness of financial incentives and deposit contracts in promoting quarterly HIV retesting among adults at increased risk of HIV. METHODS AND FINDINGS: In peri-urban Ugandan communities from October to December 2018, we randomized HIV-negative adults with self-reported risk to 1 of 3 strategies to promote HIV retesting: (1) no incentive; (2) cash incentives (US$7) for retesting at 3 and 6 months (total US$14); or (3) deposit contracts: participants could voluntarily deposit US$6 at baseline and at 3 months that would be returned with interest (total US$7) upon retesting at 3 and 6 months (total US$14) or lost if participants failed to retest. The primary outcome was retesting for HIV at both 3 and 6 months. Of 1,482 persons screened for study eligibility following community-based recruitment, 524 participants were randomized to either no incentive (N = 180), incentives (N = 172), or deposit contracts (N = 172): median age was 25 years (IQR: 22 to 30), 44% were women, and median weekly income was US$13.60 (IQR: US$8.16 to US$21.76). Among participants randomized to deposit contracts, 24/172 (14%) made a baseline deposit, and 2/172 (1%) made a 3-month deposit. In intent-to-treat analyses, HIV retesting at both 3 and 6 months was significantly higher in the incentive arm (89/172 [52%]) than either the control arm (33/180 [18%], odds ratio (OR) 4.8, 95% CI: 3.0 to 7.7, p < 0.001) or the deposit contract arm (28/172 [16%], OR 5.5, 95% CI: 3.3 to 9.1, p < 0.001). Among those in the deposit contract arm who made a baseline deposit, 20/24 (83%) retested at 3 months; 11/24 (46%) retested at both 3 and 6 months. Among 282 participants who retested for HIV during the trial, three (1%; 95%CI: 0.2 to 3%) seroconverted: one in the incentive group and two in the control group. Study limitations include measurement of retesting at the clinic where baseline enrollment occurred, only offering clinic-based (rather than community-based) HIV retesting and lack of measurement of retesting after completion of the trial to evaluate sustained retesting behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Offering financial incentives to high-risk adults in Uganda resulted in significantly higher HIV retesting. Deposit contracts had low uptake and overall did not increase retesting. As part of efforts to increase early diagnosis of HIV among high-risk populations, strategic use of incentives to promote retesting should receive greater consideration by HIV programs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02890459.

Trends in knowledge of HIV status and efficiency of HIV testing services in sub-Saharan Africa, 2000-20: a modelling study using survey and HIV testing programme data.

BACKGROUND: Monitoring knowledge of HIV status among people living with HIV is essential for an effective national HIV response. This study estimates progress and gaps in reaching the UNAIDS 2020 target of 90% knowledge of status, and the efficiency of HIV testing services in sub-Saharan Africa, where two thirds of all people living with HIV reside. METHODS: For this modelling study, we used data from 183 population-based surveys (including more than 2·7 million participants) and national HIV testing programme reports (315 country-years) from 40 countries in sub-Saharan Africa as inputs into a mathematical model to examine trends in knowledge of status among people living with HIV, median time from HIV infection to diagnosis, HIV testing positivity, and proportion of new diagnoses among all positive tests, adjusting for retesting. We included data from 2000 to 2019, and projected results to 2020. FINDINGS: Across sub-Saharan Africa, knowledge of status steadily increased from 5·7% (95% credible interval [CrI] 4·6-7·0) in 2000 to 84% (82-86) in 2020. 12 countries and one region, southern Africa, reached the 90% target. In 2020, knowledge of status was lower among men (79%, 95% CrI 76-81) than women (87%, 85-89) across sub-Saharan Africa. People living with HIV aged 15-24 years were the least likely to know their status (65%, 62-69), but the largest gap in terms of absolute numbers was among men aged 35-49 years, with 701 000 (95% CrI 611 000-788 000) remaining undiagnosed. As knowledge of status increased from 2000 to 2020, the median time to diagnosis decreased from 9·6 years (9·1-10) to 2·6 years (1·8-3·5), HIV testing positivity declined from 9·0% (7·7-10) to 2·8% (2·1-3·9), and the proportion of first-time diagnoses among all positive tests dropped from 89% (77-96) to 42% (30-55). INTERPRETATION: On the path towards the next UNAIDS target of 95% diagnostic coverage by 2025, and in a context of declining positivity and yield of first-time diagnoses, disparities in knowledge of status must be addressed. Increasing knowledge of status and treatment coverage among older men could be crucial to reducing HIV incidence among women in sub-Saharan Africa, and by extension, reducing mother-to-child transmission. FUNDING: Steinberg Fund for Interdisciplinary Global Health Research (McGill University); Canadian Institutes of Health Research; Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Fonds the recherche du Québec-Santé; UNAIDS; UK Medical Research Council; MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis; UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

Screening for HIV Among Patients at Tuberculosis Clinics - Results from Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment Surveys, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, 2015-2016.

The World Health Organization and national guidelines recommend HIV testing and counseling at tuberculosis (TB) clinics for all patients, regardless of TB diagnosis (1). Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (PHIA) survey data for 2015-2016 in Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe were analyzed to assess HIV screening at TB clinics among persons who had positive HIV test results in the survey. The analysis was stratified by history of TB diagnosis* (presumptive versus confirmed†), awareness§ of HIV-positive status, antiretroviral therapy (ART)¶ status, and viral load suppression among HIV-positive adults, by history of TB clinic visit. The percentage of adults who reported having ever visited a TB clinic ranged from 4.7% to 9.7%. Among all TB clinic attendees, the percentage who reported that they had received HIV testing during a TB clinic visit ranged from 48.0% to 62.1% across the three countries. Among adults who received a positive HIV test result during PHIA and who did not receive a test for HIV at a previous TB clinic visit, 29.4% (Malawi), 21.9% (Zambia), and 16.2% (Zimbabwe) reported that they did not know their HIV status at the time of the TB clinic visit. These findings represent missed opportunities for HIV screening and linkage to HIV care. In all three countries, viral load suppression rates were significantly higher among those who reported ever visiting a TB clinic than among those who had not (p<0.001). National programs could strengthen HIV screening at TB clinics and leverage them as entry points into the HIV diagnosis and treatment cascade (i.e., testing, initiation of treatment, and viral load suppression).

Male partner involvement in HIV testing and counseling among partners of pregnant women in the Delanta District, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Only screening a pregnant mother is not satisfactory to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT). A male partner's involvement in HIV testing and counseling is also critical for PMTCT, however, it is one of the biggest challenges in Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess a male partner's involvement in HIV testing and counseling and associated factors among partners of pregnant women in the Delanta District, Northern Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted in the Delanta District from March 15 to May 10, 2018. During the study period, 609 male partners were involved. A binary and multiple logistic regression model was used to examine the association between variables. RESULTS: Out of all, 325 (53.7% at 95% CI: 49.6 to 57.5) of male partners were involved in HIV testing and counseling in the District. Male partners who were living together, ever heard about HIV from health professionals, pregnant women's antenatal care (ANC) visit, partner visited the PMTCT clinic with wife, and partner and wife discussion before HIV testing and counseling were factors associated with male partner involvement. CONCLUSION: The proportion of male partner involvement was found to be low as compared to the national standards. Local health authorities and health care workers need to develop and conduct interventions that help partners with their wife to live together, improve their awareness about HIV and testing, ANC visit by pregnant women, and encourage having home discussion before HIV testing through counseling, by so doing finally raise the level of male partner involvement in HIV testing and counseling.

The Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing and Diagnosis in Oregon.

ABSTRACT: Human immunodeficiency virus, Neisseria gonorrhoeae/Chlamydia trachomatis, and syphilis testing decreased with the implementation of mitigation measures for SARS-CoV-2 and did not return to 2019 levels by September 2020. However, primary and secondary syphilis diagnoses increased during mitigation measures. Sexual health services are essential during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Home-Based Intervention to Test and Start (HITS): a community-randomized controlled trial to increase HIV testing uptake among men in rural South Africa.

INTRODUCTION: The uptake of HIV testing and linkage to care remains low among men, contributing to high HIV incidence in women in South Africa. We conducted the "Home-Based Intervention to Test and Start" (HITS) in a 2x2 factorial cluster randomized controlled trial in one of the World's largest ongoing HIV cohorts in rural South Africa aimed at enhancing both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for HIV testing. METHODS: Between February and December 2018, in the uMkhanyakude district of KwaZulu-Natal, we randomly assigned 45 communities (clusters) (n = 13,838 residents) to one of the four arms: (i) financial incentives for home-based HIV testing and linkage to care (R50 [$3] food voucher each); (ii) male-targeted HIV-specific decision support application, called EPIC-HIV; (iii) both financial incentives and male-targeted HIV-specific decision support application and (iv) standard of care (SoC). EPIC-HIV was developed to encourage and serve as an intrinsic motivator for HIV testing and linkage to care, and individually offered to men via a tablet device. Financial incentives were offered to both men and women. Here we report the effect of the interventions on uptake of home-based HIV testing among men. Intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis was performed using modified Poisson regression with adjustment for clustering of standard errors at the cluster levels. RESULTS: Among all 13,838 men ≥ 15 years living in the 45 communities, the overall population coverage during a single round of home-based HIV testing was 20.7%. The uptake of HIV testing was 27.5% (683/2481) in the financial incentives arm, 17.1% (433/2534) in the EPIC-HIV arm, 26.8% (568/2120) in the arm receiving both interventions and 17.8% in the SoC arm. The probability of HIV testing increased substantially by 55% in the financial incentives arm (risk ratio (RR)=1.55, 95% CI: 1.31 to 1.82, p < 0.001) and 51% in the arm receiving both interventions (RR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.21 to 1.87 p < 0.001), compared to men in the SoC arm. The probability of HIV testing did not significantly differ in the EPIC-HIV arm (RR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.76 to 1.20, p = 0.70). CONCLUSIONS: The provision of a small financial incentive acted as a powerful extrinsic motivator substantially increasing the uptake of home-based HIV testing among men in rural South Africa. In contrast, the counselling and testing application which was designed to encourage and serve as an intrinsic motivator to test for HIV did not increase the uptake of home-based testing.

Perceptions of an HIV self-testing intervention and its potential role in addressing the barriers to HIV testing among at-risk heterosexual men: a qualitative analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Voluntary HIV testing rates are still low in several Asian countries including Singapore. HIV self-testing (HIVST) has the potential to increase testing, leading to earlier diagnosis and better prognosis. However, the views of at-risk individuals, especially heterosexual men (HSM), who are not coming forward for testing are still poorly understood. In this study, we examined the barriers and facilitators to and delivery preferences for HIVST in order to implement an effective intervention in Singapore. METHODS: From May 2017 to June 2018, 48 in-depth interviews were conducted with HSM aged 21-66 years and at risk of HIV infection. Participants were purposively sampled based on ethnicity, age and testing behaviour. Recruitment was done mainly at brothels and entertainment establishments in Singapore. Participants gave their views on HIV testing, factors affecting HIVST use and their preferred HIVST service delivery model. RESULTS: Most participants preferred HIVST over conventional testing for its convenience, privacy, anonymity and autonomy, but older men still preferred conventional testing. Low self-perceived risk, low awareness and self-efficacy for HIVST, and non-comprehensive test for other STIs were reported as barriers to HIVST. There were mixed opinions on kit preference. A blood-based kit was favoured for higher accuracy, while the oral-fluid-based kit was favoured for ease of use. Participants wanted a human touch for post-test counselling and linkage to care only if they self-tested positive. Traditional media, internet and social media, and venue-based outreach were potential advertising platforms mentioned. CONCLUSIONS: A locally acceptable and feasible HIVST intervention must address the barriers and facilitators of using HIVST in order to improve HIV testing rates among this at-risk population who might otherwise delay or fail to present for testing.

Three-year outcome of rapid HIV testing at public health centers in Seoul, Republic of Korea: a short report.

Before 2014, the only test used for anonymous voluntary human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening at public health centers (PHCs) in the Republic of Korea was an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which takes around 3 days to obtain results. In 2014, to encourage voluntary anonymous HIV screening tests, the Seoul Metropolitan Government adopted a rapid HIV screening test at PHCs. The rapid HIV screening test was introduced at four PHCs in 2014 and all 25 PHCs after 2015. We compared the numbers of HIV screening tests and confirmed positive individuals before and after introduction of the rapid HIV screening test. In 2012-2013, before the introduction of rapid HIV screening test, an average of 330 HIV screening tests were performed monthly (355 in 2012 and 305 in 2013) and 69 individuals were confirmed to have HIV in 2012 and 93 in 2013. After the introduction of the rapid HIV screening test, anonymous voluntary HIV screening increased to a monthly average of 447 tests in 2014, 2099 in 2015, and 2409 in 2016. These identified 38 new cases in 2014, 116 in 2015, and 143 in 2016. Adoption of the rapid HIV screening test has increased the number of HIV screening tests and confirmed cases.

The Role of Targeted HIV Screening in the Emergency Department: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection continues to expand worldwide, and a significant proportion of infection is still undiagnosed. Recent studies have addressed the impact and feasibility of 'opt-out' HIV screening in Emergency Departments (EDs) in urban settings at high HIV prevalence, whereas little is known about the yield of implementing 'targeted' HIV testing, especially in low-prevalence areas. OBJECTIVE: The present study undertakes a scoping review of research carried out on the implementation of targeted HIV screening of adult in EDs to determine the impact, feasibility and acceptability of HIV testing in different HIV prevalence settings. DESIGN: Online databases (EMBASE, MEDLINE) were used to identify papers published between 2000 to 2020. A three-concept search was employed with HIV (HIV, Human immunodeficiency virus infection, HIV infections), targeted testing (Target, screening or testing) and emergency medicine (Emergency Service, emergency ward, A&E, accident and emergency or Emergency Department) (28th February 2020). Only full-text articles written in English, French, Spanish or Italian and using impact and/or feasibility and/or acceptability of the program as primary or secondary outcomes were analysed. RESULTS: The search provided 416 articles. Of these, 12 met inclusion criteria and were included in the final review. Most of the included studies were carried out in the United States (n=8; 67%) and in areas of high HIV prevalence (n=11; 92%). Three (20%) were randomized control studies. While the rate of newly diagnosed HIV cases varied widely (0.03-2.2%), likely due to methodological heterogeneity between studies, the linkage of new HIV diagnosis was often high (80-100%) and median CD4+ cell count was always greater than 200 cells per microliter. Targeted HIV screening was found to be cost-effective (out of 2 studies) and well accepted by participants (out 2 studies). CONCLUSIONS: Targeted HIV screening at the ED can be impactful, feasible and well accepted, but often requires extra funding and staff. Most previous work has focused on areas of high disease prevalence.

HIV testing and self-testing coverage among men and women in South Africa: an exploration of related factors.

OBJECTIVES: Uptake of HIV testing is critical to halting the spread of HIV. Our study aimed to examine the coverage of HIV testing and self-testing and the individual-level, household-level and community-level factors associated with HIV testing and self-testing awareness. METHODS: We analysed data of 12 312 men and women from 2016 SADHS and used multilevel mixed-effects models to examine the factors associated with uptake of HIV testing and self-testing awareness. RESULTS: About 80% of participants had ever tested for HIV, and 64% had tested in the past year. Only 49% of adolescents aged 15-19 years had ever tested for HIV compared with over 80% of adults. Self-testing awareness was low (22%), and only 2.9% of respondents had ever self-tested for HIV. The odds of having ever tested for HIV were significantly higher among respondents who were aged 25-29 (AOR: 4.02; 95% CI: 3.27-4.95), had a higher level of education (AOR: 3.18; 95% CI: 2.19-4.61), were married (AOR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.36-1.94), had high media exposure (AOR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.06-1.44) and had ever had sex (AOR: 5.57; 95% CI: 4.67-6.64), but lower among men (AOR: 0.39; 95% CI: 0.35-0.44). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, HIV testing coverage is high in South Africa relative to most countries in sub-Saharan Africa, but falls short of the UNAIDS first 95. We found no evidence of socioeconomic and geographic inequalities in access to HIV testing. However, adolescents had a lower level of HIV testing uptake, suggesting a need for interventions to expand testing in this age group.

OBJECTIFS: Le recours au dépistage du VIH est essentiel pour enrayer la propagation du VIH. Notre étude vise à examiner la couverture du dépistage du VIH et de l'auto-dépistage et les facteurs au niveau individuel, familial et communautaire associés au dépistage du VIH et à la sensibilisation à l'auto-dépistage. MÉTHODES: Nous avons analysé les données de 12.312 hommes et femmes de la SADHS 2016 et utilisé des modèles à effets mixtes à plusieurs niveaux pour examiner les facteurs associés à l'adoption du dépistage du VIH et à la sensibilisation à l'auto-dépistage. RÉSULTATS: Environ 80% des participants ont déjà subi un test de dépistage du VIH et 64% l'ont fait au cours de l'année écoulée. Seuls 49% des adolescents âgés de 15 à 19 ans avaient déjà subi un test de dépistage du VIH contre plus de 80% des adultes. La connaissance de l'auto-dépistage était faible (22%) et seulement 2,9% des personnes interrogées s'étaient déjà autotestées pour le VIH. Les chances d'avoir déjà subi un test de dépistage du VIH étaient significativement plus élevées chez les répondants âgés de 25 à 29 ans (AOR: 4,02; IC95%: 3,27 à 4,95), ayant un niveau d'éducation plus élevé (AOR: 3,18; IC95%: 2,19- 4,61), étaient mariés (AOR: 1,63; IC95%: 1,36-1,94), avaient une exposition médiatique élevée (AOR: 1,23; IC95%: 1,06-1,44) et avaient déjà eu des relations sexuelles (AOR: 5,57; IC95%: 4,67-6,64), mais plus faible chez les hommes (AOR: 0,39; IC95%: 0,35-0,44). CONCLUSION: La couverture du dépistage du VIH est élevée en Afrique du Sud par rapport à la plupart des pays d'Afrique subsaharienne, mais elle est en deçà des recommandations de l'ONUSIDA. Nous n'avons trouvé aucune preuve d'inégalités socioéconomiques et géographiques dans l'accès au dépistage du VIH. Cependant, les adolescents ont un niveau de dépistage du VIH plus faible, ce qui suggère la nécessité d'interventions pour étendre le dépistage dans ce groupe d'âge.

Protocolo Brasileiro para Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis 2020: sífilis adquirida / Brazilian Protocol for Sexually Transmitted Infections 2020: acquired syphilis / Protocolo Brasileño para Infecciones de Transmisión Sexual 2020: sífilis adquirida

O Protocolo Clínico e Diretrizes Terapêuticas para Atenção Integral às Pessoas com Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis, publicado pelo Ministério da Saúde do Brasil em 2020, contempla a atualização sobre sífilis adquirida. O documento apresenta a utilização de testes rápidos, a segurança e a eficácia da administração da benzilpenicilina benzatina, o seguimento dos casos, o manejo clínico e laboratorial da neurossífilis, a abordagem de parcerias sexuais, a assistência e o acompanhamento de gestantes diagnosticadas e as especificidades da coinfecção sífilis e HIV, além de uma síntese sobre a notificação dos casos. É necessário capacitar gestores e profissionais de saúde de forma contínua, com vistas à integração entre assistência e vigilância, ao fortalecimento de ações efetivas de controle da sífilis, à abrangência da busca de parcerias sexuais e ao amplo acesso de populações mais vulneráveis aos serviços de saúde.

The Clinical Protocol and Therapeutic Guidelines for Comprehensive Care for People with Sexually Transmitted Infections, published by the Ministry of Health of Brazil in 2020, includes the update on acquired syphilis. The document comprises rapid tests use, safety and efficacy of the administration of benzathine benzylpenicillin, follow-up of cases, clinical and laboratory management of neurosyphilis, approach to sexual partnerships, assistance and monitoring of diagnosed pregnant women, and specificities of syphilis and HIV co-infection, as well as a summary of the notification of cases. It is necessary to train health managers and professionals on a continuous basis, with a view to integrating care and surveillance, strengthening effective syphilis control actions, increasing the search for sexual partnerships, and expanding the access of the most vulnerable populations to health services.

El Protocolo Clínico y Directrices Terapéuticas para Atención Integral a las Personas con Infecciones de Transmisión Sexual, publicado por el Ministerio de Salud de Brasil en 2020, incluye la actualización sobre la sífilis adquirida. El documento comprende las pruebas rápidas, la seguridad y eficacia de la administración de bencilpenicilina benzatina, el seguimiento de casos, el manejo clínico y de laboratorio de la neurosífilis, el enfoque de las parejas sexuales, la asistencia y seguimiento de embarazadas diagnosticadas y las especificidades de la coinfección sífilis y VIH, bien como un resumen de la notificación de casos. Es necesario capacitar a los gestores y profesionales de la salud de manera continua, con miras a integrar la atención y la vigilancia, a fortalecer las acciones efectivas de control de la sífilis, a expandir la búsqueda de las parejas sexuales y a ampliar el acceso de las poblaciones más vulnerables a los servicios de salud.

Prenatal care coverage and correlates of HIV testing in sub-Saharan Africa: Insight from demographic and health surveys of 16 countries.

BACKGROUND: Prenatal screening of pregnant women for HIV is central to eliminating mother-to-child-transmission (MTCT) of HIV. While some countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have scaled up their prevention of MTCT programmes, ensuring a near-universal prenatal care HIV testing, and recording a significant reduction in new infection among children, several others have poor outcomes due to inadequate testing. We conducted a multi-country analysis of demographic and health surveys (DHS) to assess the coverage of HIV testing during pregnancy and also examine the factors associated with uptake. METHODS: We analysed data of 64,933 women from 16 SSA countries with recent DHS datasets (2015-2018) using Stata version 16. Adjusted and unadjusted logistic regression models were used to examine correlates of prenatal care uptake of HIV testing. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. RESULTS: Progress in scaling up of prenatal care HIV testing was uneven across SSA, with only 6.1% of pregnant women tested in Chad compared to 98.1% in Rwanda. While inequality in access to HIV testing among pregnant women is pervasive in most SSA countries and particularly in West and Central Africa sub-regions, a few countries, including Rwanda, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia have managed to eliminate wealth and rural-urban inequalities in access to prenatal care HIV testing. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the between countries and sub-regional disparities in prenatal care uptake of HIV testing in SSA. Even though no country has universal coverage of prenatal care HIV testing, East and Southern African regions have made remarkable progress towards ensuring no pregnant woman is left untested. However, the West and Central Africa regions had low coverage of prenatal care testing, with the rich and well educated having better access to testing, while the poor rarely tested. Addressing the inequitable access and coverage of HIV testing among pregnant women is vital in these sub-regions.

Update: Routine screening for antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus, civilian applicants for U.S. military service and U.S. Armed Forces, active and reserve components, January 2015-June 2020.

This report provides an update through June 2020 of the results of routine screening for antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among civilian applicants for military service and among members of the active and reserve components of the U.S. Armed Forces. During January 2015- June 2020, full-year seroprevalences among applicants for service remained stable and ranged from 0.30 to 0.34 per 1,000 tested. Seroprevalences also peaked in 2015 for active component service members of the Army, Navy, and Air Force and among reservists of the Navy and Marine Corps. Overall, across the services, HIV antibody seroprevalences were highest among Army reservists, Army National Guard members, and Navy reservists and lowest among Air National Guard members, Marine Corps active component members, and Air Force reservists. Across active and reserve components of all services, HIV antibody seroprevalences continued to be higher among men than women.

A System-Level Intervention to Encourage Collaboration Between Juvenile Justice and Public Health Agencies to Promote HIV/STI Testing.

Justice-involved youth are at high risk for HIV and STIs, and justice agencies are uniquely poised to offer HIV/STI testing. However, testing in these settings is not routine and represents a missed opportunity. This study describes a system-level implementation intervention designed to increase access to HIV/STI testing through juvenile justice (JJ) and public health agency collaboration across six counties in six states in the United States. Local change teams, active facilitation, and training were utilized to facilitate agency partnerships and development of HIV/STI practice change protocols. Five counties established health and JJ partnerships and four counties successfully implemented their protocols. Sites with HIV/STI education and testing protocols behaviorally screened 98.5% of youth and tested 41.2% of those youth; 0% were HIV+ and 43.2% had an STI. The intervention provides a feasible, scalable solution, through promoting partnerships between JJ and health agencies, to link youth to testing and treatment services.