Engagement Along the PrEP Care Continuum Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in China: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), including daily oral, on-demand, and long-acting injectable (LAI), is a promising HIV prevention intervention for men who have sex with men (MSM). We conducted a systematic review on engagement with the PrEP continuum among MSM in China. A total of 756 studies were initially identified and 36 studies were included (N = 26,021). In the 20 studies (N = 13,886) examining PrEP awareness, 32.4% (95% CI: 25.1-40.7) of MSM were aware of PrEP. In the 25 studies (N = 18,587) examining willingness, 54.5% (95% CI: 41.9-66.5) MSM indicated they were willing to use PrEP. The pooled prevalence of PrEP uptake from 9 studies (N = 6,575) was 4.9% (95% CI: 1.4-15.8%), while pooled estimates of adequate adherence from five studies (N = 2,344) among MSM on PrEP was 40.7% (95% CI: 20.0-65.2%). Subgroup analyses suggested studies conducted after 2015 (versus before) tended to report higher awareness and uptake. Awareness was highest for daily oral PrEP, followed by on-demand, and LAI PrEP; willingness to use was highest for LAI PrEP. The operationalization of willingness and adherence constructs varied across studies and complicated the interpretation of pooled estimates. This review revealed gaps in the PrEP care continuum among MSM in China, with relatively low awareness and uptake (in contrast to willingness and adherence) as the major potential barriers to widespread implementation and the need for a unified approach to defining and measuring PrEP outcomes.

Behavioral Modeling and its Association with PrEP and ART Use in Ugandan HIV-Serodifferent Couples.

Integrating Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) delivery into Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) programs bridges the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevention gap for HIV-serodifferent couples prior to the partner living with HIV achieving viral suppression. Behavioral modeling is one mechanism that could explain health-related behavior among couples, including those using antiretroviral medications, but few tools exist to measure the extent to which behavior is modeled. Using a longitudinal observational design nested within a cluster randomized trial, this study examined the factor structure and assessed the internal consistency of a novel 24-item, four-point Likert-type scale to measure behavioral modeling and the association of behavioral modeling with medication-taking behaviors among heterosexual, cis-gender HIV-serodifferent couples. In 149 couples enrolled for research, a five-factor model provided the best statistical and conceptual fit, including attention to partner behavior, collective action, role modeling, motivation, and relationship quality. Behavioral modeling was associated with medication-taking behaviors among members of serodifferent couples. Partner modeling of ART/PrEP taking could be an important target for assessment and intervention in HIV prevention programs for HIV serodifferent couples.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Persons Living with HIV in Western Washington: Examining Lived Experiences of Social Distancing Stress, Personal Buffers, and Mental Health.

Pandemic-related stressors may disproportionately affect the mental health of people with HIV (PWH). Stratified, purposive sampling was used to recruit 24 PWH who participated in a quantitative survey on COVID-19 experiences for in-depth interviews (IDIs). IDIs were conducted by Zoom, audio recorded and transcribed. Thematic analysis was used to develop an adapted stress-coping model. Participants experienced acute stress following exposure events and symptoms compatible with COVID-19. Social isolation and job loss were longer-term stressors. While adaptive coping strategies helped promote mental health, participants who experienced multiple stressors simultaneously often felt overwhelmed and engaged in maladaptive coping behaviors. Healthcare providers were important sources of social support and provided continuity in care and referrals to mental health and social services. Understanding how PWH experienced stressors and coped during the COVID-19 pandemic can help healthcare providers connect with patients during future public health emergencies, address mental health needs and support adaptive coping strategies.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and viral suppression among persons living with HIV in western Washington.

The COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing measures elevated stress levels globally, exacerbating mental health challenges for people with HIV (PWH). We examined the effect of COVID-19-related stress on mental health among PWH in western Washington, exploring whether social support and coping self-efficacy were protective. Data on COVID-19-related stress, mental health, social support, and coping self-efficacy were collected using online surveys during the pandemic. Pre-COVID-19 mental health data were available for a subset of participants and were linked with the survey data. In the total sample (N = 373), COVID-19-stress was associated with elevated depression (PHQ-8, ß = 0.21, 95%CI [0.10, 0.32]) and anxiety (GAD-7, ß = 0.28, 95%CI [0.17, 0.39]). Among the subset of respondents with pre-pandemic mental health data (N = 103), COVID-19-related stress was associated with elevated PHQ-8 scores (ß = 0.35, 95%CI [0.15, 0.56]) and GAD-7 scores (ß = 0.35, 95%CI [0.16, 0.54]), adjusted for baseline mental health and other confounders. Coping self-efficacy was negatively associated with GAD-7 scores (ß = -0.01, 95%CI [-0.01, 0.00]), while social support was negatively associated with PHQ-8 scores (ß = -0.06, 95%CI [-0.12, -0.01]). Viral suppression before and during the pandemic did not differ among participants with available data. While COVID-19-related stress predicted elevated depression and anxiety symptoms among PWH, social support and coping self-efficacy were protective.

Key informant views on potential acceptability and feasibility of long-acting antiretroviral treatment for HIV in Kenya.

BACKGROUND: In 2020, 14% of diagnosed persons living with HIV (PLWH) in Kenya were not taking antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 19% of those on ART had unsuppressed viral loads. Long-acting antiretroviral therapy (LA-ART) may increase viral suppression by promoting ART uptake and adherence. We conducted key informant (KI) interviews with HIV experts in Kenya to identify product and delivery attributes related to the acceptability and feasibility of providing LA-ART to PLWH in Kenya. METHODS: Interviews were conducted via Zoom on potential LA-ART options including intra-muscular (IM) injections, subcutaneous (SC) injections, implants, and LA oral pills. KI were asked to discuss the products they were most and least excited about, as well as barriers and facilitators to LA-ART roll-out. In addition, they were asked about potential delivery locations for LA-ART products such as homes, pharmacies, and clinics. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, and data were analyzed using a combination of inductive and deductive coding. RESULTS: Twelve KI (5 women, 7 men) participated between December 2021 and February 2022. Overall, participants reported that LA-ART would be acceptable and preferable to PLWH because of fatigue with daily oral pills. They viewed IM injections and LA oral pills as the most exciting options to ease pill burden and improve adherence. KI felt that populations who could benefit most were adolescents in boarding schools and stigmatized populations such as sex workers. SC injections and implants were less favored, as they would require new training initiatives for patients or healthcare workers on administration. In addition, SC injections would require refrigeration and needle disposal after use. Some KI thought patients, especially men, might worry that IM injections and implants would impact fertility, given their role in family planning. Pharmacies were perceived by most KI as suboptimal delivery locations; however, given ongoing work in Kenya to include pharmacies in antiretroviral delivery, they recommended asking patients their views. CONCLUSION: There is interest and support for LA-ART in Kenya, especially IM injections and LA oral pills. Identifying patient preferences for modes and delivery locations and addressing misconceptions about specific products as they become available will be important before wide-scale implementation.

Condom Use Behaviors, Risk Perception, and Partner Communication Following Oral HIV Self-testing Among Adolescents and Young Adults in Kenya: A Cohort Study.

HIV self-testing (HIVST) can improve testing completion among adolescents and young adults (AYA), although its influence on sexual behaviors is unclear. We evaluated whether HIVST was associated with changes in talking with sexual partners about HIVST, condom use, and HIV risk perception among AYA ages 15-24 years in a study of HIVST distribution through homes, pharmacies, and nightclubs in Nairobi, Kenya. All participants had negative HIVST results. Regression models were used to evaluate changes between pre-HIVST and 4 months post-HIVST. Overall, there was a significant increase in talking with sexual partners about HIVST. There was a significant reduction in number of condomless sex acts among AYA recruited through pharmacies and homes. Unexpectedly, among females, there was a significant decrease in consistent condom use with casual partners. HIVST services for AYA may benefit from including strategies to support condom use and partner communication about self-testing adapted to specific populations and partnerships.

Acceptability Assessment in HIV Prevention and Treatment Intervention and Service Delivery Research: A Systematic Review and Qualitative Analysis.

We reviewed the literature on the assessment of acceptability of HIV prevention and treatment interventions and service delivery strategies. Following PRISMA guidelines, we screened 601 studies published from 2015 to 2020 and included 217 in our review. Of 384 excluded studies, 21% were excluded because they relied on retention as the sole acceptability indicator. Of 217 included studies, only 16% were rated at our highest tier of methodological rigor. Operational definitions of acceptability varied widely and failed to comprehensively represent the suggested constructs in current acceptability frameworks. Overall, 25 studies used formal quantitative assessments (including four adapted measures used in prior studies) and six incorporated frameworks of acceptability. Findings suggest acceptability assessment in recent HIV intervention and service delivery research lacks harmonization and rigor. We offer guidelines for best practices and future research, which are timely and critical in this era of informed choice and novel options for HIV prevention and treatment.

Fertility Desire and Associations with Condomless Sex, Antiretroviral Adherence, and Transmission Potential in a Cohort of Kenyan Women Living with HIV in Sero-discordant Relationships: A Mixed Methods Study.

For women living with HIV (WLH) in serodiscordant partnerships, decisions about childbearing can challenge condom use and antiretroviral adherence. In a prospective cohort of 148 WLH in serodiscordant partnerships, 58 (39%) wanted more children in the future but were not currently trying to conceive (fertility desire), and 32 (22%) were currently trying to become pregnant (fertility intent). Detection of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in vaginal secretions, a marker for recent condomless sex, was lowest in women with fertility desire and highest in women with fertility intent. Detectable viral load followed a similar pattern. Risk of HIV transmission, when condomless sex and PSA detection occurred concurrently, was three to fourfold higher at visits with fertility intent compared to visits with fertility desire. Qualitative interviews underscored the importance women place on childbearing and suggested that they had limited information about the role of antiretroviral therapy in reducing sexual HIV transmission.

The Effect of the Shikamana Peer-and-Provider Intervention on Depressive Symptoms, Alcohol Use, and Other Drug Use Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men in Kenya.

Kenyan gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) face stigma and discrimination, which may adversely impact mental health and limit antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence among GBMSM living with HIV. We evaluated whether the Shikamana peer-and-provider intervention, which improved ART adherence among participants in a small randomized trial, was associated with changes in mental health or substance use. The intervention was associated with a significant decrease in PHQ-9 score between baseline and month 6 (estimated change - 2.7, 95% CI - 5.2 to - 0.2, p = 0.037) compared to standard care. In an exploratory analysis, each one-point increment in baseline HIV stigma score was associated with a - 0.7 point (95% CI - 1.3 to - 0.04, p = 0.037) greater decrease in PHQ-9 score over the study period in the intervention group. Additional research is required to understand factors that influence this intervention's effects on mental health outcomes.

Depression as a mediator between intimate partner violence (IPV) and CD4 cell count among men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV in China.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with adverse mental and physical outcomes among men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV. Few studies focus on psychological IPV, such as verbal threats. This study examined the associations between different forms of IPV and depression and CD4+ cell count, with depression as a mediator for the association between IPV and CD4+ cell count. Data for these analyses were derived from a larger cross-sectional study on HIV-HCV co-infection among MSM in Shanghai, China (N = 1623). We estimated the average causal mediation effects (ACME) and average direct effects (ADE) through three steps. About 16% of participants experienced IPV, with forced sex (7%), verbal threats (5%), and thrown objects (4%) being most common. Verbal threats showed the strongest link with depression and low CD4+ cell count. Depression fully mediated the relationship between verbal abuse and low CD4+ cell count, suggesting it as a potential pathway between psychological IPV and poorer HIV-related health outcomes. More research on psychological IPV is warranted to examine its health impacts. Mental health could be a potential focus of intervention to enhance HIV-related health outcomes among MSM with IPV experience.

An EMR-based alert with brief provider-led ART adherence counseling in Haiti: effects on information, motivation, and behavioral skills (IMB) and patient-provider communication (PPC).

We examined the secondary effects of an antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence intervention on information, motivation, and behavioral skills (IMB) and patient-provider communication (PPC). Data were from a sample of 116 patients enrolled in a quasi-experimental mixed-methods study at two large ART clinics in Haiti. We examined changes in IMB and PPC scores after the intervention and the association between baseline PPC and endline IMB.The intervention was associated with increased scores in information (ß = 0.89, 95% CI [0.07, 1.70]) and motivation (ß = 2.55, 95% CI [0.38, 4.72]) but a decreased score in behavioral skills (ß = -2.39, 95% CI [-4.29, -0.49]), after controlling for demographic and clinical variables. Baseline PPC was associated with higher endline IMB total scores (ß = 0.17, 95% CI [0.02, 0.31]), controlling for demographic variables, clinical variables, and baseline IMB score. At the subscale level, baseline PPC was associated with higher endline motivation score (ß = 0.09, 95% CI [0.01, 0.17]), marginally associated with higher endline information score (ß = 0.04, 95% CI [0.00, 0.08]), after controlling for demographic and clinical variables.The intervention was beneficial to patients' adherence related motivation. Favorable patient-provider communication is associated with more motivation to adhere to ART.

"They have given you the morale and confidence:" adolescents and young adults want more community-based oral HIV self-testing options in Kenya.

Community-based delivery of oral HIV self-testing (HIVST) may expand access to testing among adolescents and young adults (AYA). Eliciting youth perspectives can help to optimize these services. We conducted nine focus group discussions (FGDs) with HIV negative AYA aged 15-24 who had completed oral HIVST following community-based distribution through homes, pharmacies, and bars. FGDs were stratified by distribution point and age (15-17, 18-24). Participants valued HIVST because it promoted greater autonomy and convenience compared to traditional clinic-based testing. AYA noted how HIVST could encourage positive behavior change, including using condoms to remain HIV negative. Participants recommended that future testing strategies include individualized, ongoing support during and after testing. Support examples included access to trained peer educators, multiple community-based distribution points, and post-test support via phones and websites. Multiple distribution points and trained peer educators' involvement in all steps of distribution, testing, and follow-up can enhance future community-based HIVST programs.

Randomized controlled trial of a theory-informed mHealth intervention to support ART adherence and viral suppression among women with HIV in Mombasa, Kenya: preliminary efficacy and participant-level feasibility and acceptability.

BACKGROUND: Mobile Health ("mHealth") interventions have shown promise in improving HIV treatment outcomes for stigmatized populations. This paper presents the findings from a randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy, participant-level feasibility and acceptability of a theory-informed mHealth intervention, Motivation Matters!, designed to improve viral suppression and ART adherence among HIV-seropositive women who engage in sex work in Mombasa, Kenya. METHODS: A total of 119 women were randomized between the intervention and standard of care control. The primary outcome examined viral suppression (≤ 30 copies/mL) six months following ART initiation. ART adherence was assessed monthly using a visual analogue scale. Participant-level feasibility was measured through response rates to study text messages. Acceptability was assessed through qualitative exit interviews. RESULTS: Six months following treatment initiation, 69% of intervention and 63% of control participants were virally suppressed (Risk Ratio [RR] = 1.09, 95% Confidence Interval [95% CI] (0.83, 1.44). Among women who were viremic at baseline and endorsed engagement in sex work, 74% of women in the intervention arm compared with 46% of women in the control arm achieved viral suppression at month six RR = 1.61, 95% CI (1.02, 2.55). Adherence was higher in intervention versus control participants every month. All participants responded to at least one message, and there was a 55% overall response rate to intervention text messages. Qualitative exit interviews suggested high acceptability and perceived impact of the intervention. CONCLUSION: The improvements in ART adherence and viral suppression, combined with encouraging data on feasibility and acceptability, provides preliminary evidence that Motivation Matters! could support ART adherence and viral suppression in women who engage in sex work. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02627365, 10/12/2015; http://clinicaltrials.gov ).

Patient and health worker perspectives on quality of HIV care and treatment services in Haiti.

BACKGROUND: Poor quality of care is a barrier to engagement in HIV care and treatment in low- and middle-income country settings. This study involved focus group discussions (FGD) with patients and health workers in two large urban hospitals to describe quality of patient education and psychosocial support services within Haiti's national HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART) program. The purpose of this qualitative study was to illuminate key gaps and salient "ingredients" for improving quality of care. METHODS: The study included 8 FGDs with a total of 26 male patients and 32 female patients and 15 smaller FGDs with 57 health workers. The analysis used a directed content analysis method, with the goal of extending existing conceptual frameworks on quality of care through rich description. RESULTS: Dimension of safety, patient-centeredness, accessibility, and equity were most salient. Patients noted risks to privacy with both clinic and community-based services as well as concerns with ART side effects, while health workers described risks to their own safety in providing community-based services. While patients cited examples of positive interactions with health workers that centered their needs and perspectives, they also noted concerns that inhibited trust and satisfaction with services. Health workers described difficult working conditions that challenged their ability to provide patient-centered services. Patients sought favored relationships with health workers to help them navigate the health care system, but this undermined the sense of fairness. Both patients and health workers described frustration with lack of resources to assist patients in dire poverty, and health workers described great pressure to help patients from their "own pockets." CONCLUSIONS: These concerns reflected the embeddedness of patient - provider interactions within a health system marked by scarcity, power dynamics between patients and health workers, and social stigma related to HIV. Reinforcing a respectful and welcoming atmosphere, timely service, privacy protection, and building patient perception of fairness in access to support could help to build patient satisfaction and care engagement in Haiti. Improving working conditions for health workers is also critical to achieving quality.

"Gender-based Violence (GBV) and HIV, they are like sister and brother": barriers and facilitators to GBV screening and referral in public HIV treatment settings in Uganda.

BACKGROUND: People living with HIV are vulnerable to gender-based violence (GBV), which can negatively impact HIV treatment outcomes. National guidelines in Uganda recommend GBV screening alongside HIV treatment services. We explored barriers and facilitators to providers implementing GBV screening and referral in public antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinics in Uganda. METHODS: We conducted qualitative in-depth interviews. Providers were purposively sampled from 12 ART clinics to represent variation in clinical specialty and gender. We used the Theoretical Domains Framework to structure our deductive analysis. RESULTS: We conducted 30 in-depth interviews with providers implementing GBV screening and/or referral. Respondents had a median age of 36 (IQR: 30, 43) years and had been offering post-GBV care to clients for a median duration of 5 (4, 7) years. 67% of respondents identified as female and 57% were counselors. Facilitators of GBV screening and referral included providers having access to post-GBV standard operating procedures and screening tools, trainings offered by the Ministry of Health, facility-sponsored continuing medical education units and support from colleagues. Respondents indicated that referrals were uncommon, citing the following barriers: negative expectations regarding the quality and quantity of referral services; lack of financial resources to support clients, facilities, and referral partners throughout the referral process; and sociocultural factors that threatened client willingness to pursue post-GBV support services. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this evaluation support the refinement of GBV screening and referral implementation strategies that leverage facilitators and address barriers to better support individuals living with HIV and who may have heightened vulnerability to GBV.

High Acceptance and Completion of HIV Self-testing Among Diverse Populations of Young People in Kenya Using a Community-Based Distribution Strategy.

Oral HIV self-testing (HIVST) may expand access to testing among hard-to-reach reach adolescents and young adults (AYA). We evaluated community-based HIVST services for AYA in an urban settlement in Kenya. Peer-mobilizers recruited AYA ages 15-24 through homes, bars/clubs, and pharmacies. Participants were offered oral HIVST, optional assistance and post-test counseling. Outcomes were HIVST acceptance and completion (self-report and returned kits). Surveys were given at enrollment, post-testing, and 4 months. Log-binomial regression evaluated HIVST preferences by venue. Among 315 reached, 87% enrolled. HIVST acceptance was higher in bars/clubs (94%) than homes (86%) or pharmacies (75%). HIVST completion was 97%, with one confirmed positive result. Participants wanted future HIVST at multiple locations, include PrEP, and cost ≤ $5USD. Participants from bars/clubs and pharmacies were more likely to prefer unassisted testing and peer-distributers compared to participants from homes. This differentiated community-based HIVST strategy could facilitate engagement in HIV testing and prevention among AYA.

The systematic development of attributes and levels for a discrete choice experiment of HIV patient preferences for long-acting antiretroviral therapies in the United States.

INTRODUCTION: Patient preferences for long-acting antiretroviral therapies (LA-ART) should inform development of regimens with optimal adherence and acceptability. We describe a systematic process used to identify attributes and levels for a discrete choice experiment (DCE) designed to elicit preferences for potential LA-ART options in the US. METHODS: Our approach was conducted in four stages: data collection, data reduction, removing inappropriate attributes, and optimizing wording. We started with 8 attributes defining potential LA-ART products based on existing literature and knowledge of products in development. We conducted 12 key informant interviews with experts in HIV treatment. The list of attributes, the set of plausible levels for each attribute, and restrictions on combinations of attribute levels were updated iteratively. RESULTS: Despite uncertainty about which products will become available, key informant discussions converged on 4 delivery modes (infusions and patches were not considered immediately feasible) and 6 additional attributes. Treatment effectiveness and frequency of clinical monitoring were dropped. Oral lead-in therapy was split into two attributes: pre-treatment time undetectable and pre-treatment negative reaction testing. We omitted product-specific systemic and local side effects. In addition to mode, the final set of attributes included: frequency of dosing; location of treatment; pain; pre-treatment time undetectable; pre-treatment negative reaction testing; and late-dose leeway. CONCLUSIONS: A systematic process successfully captured elements that are both feasible and relevant to evaluating the acceptability of potential LA-ART alternatives to patients.

Adaptation of a social vulnerability index for measuring social frailty among East African women.

BACKGROUND: The number of older women living with HIV in Africa is growing, and their health outcomes may be adversely impacted by social frailty, which reflects deficits in social resources that accumulate over the lifespan. Our objective was to adapt a Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) originally developed in Canada for use in a study of older women living with or without HIV infection in Mombasa, Kenya. METHODS: We adapted the SVI using a five-step process: formative qualitative work, translation into Kiswahili, a Delphi procedure, exploration of potential SVI items in qualitative work, and a rating and ranking exercise. Four focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted (three with women living with HIV and one with HIV-negative women), and two expert panels were constituted for this process. RESULTS: Themes that emerged in the qualitative work were physical impairment with aging, decreased family support, a turn to religion and social groups, lack of a financial safety net, mixed support from healthcare providers, and stigma as an added burden for women living with HIV. Based on the formative FGD, the expert panel expanded the original 19-item SVI to include 34 items. The exploratory FGD and rating and ranking exercise led to a final 16-item Kenyan version of the SVI (SVI-Kenya) with six domains: physical safety, support from family, group participation, instrumental support, emotional support, and financial security. CONCLUSIONS: The SVI-Kenya is a holistic index to measure social frailty among older women in Kenya, incorporating questions in multiple domains. Further research is needed to validate this adapted instrument.

Ethical and practical considerations for cell and gene therapy toward an HIV cure: findings from a qualitative in-depth interview study in the United States.

BACKGROUND: HIV cure research involving cell and gene therapy has intensified in recent years. There is a growing need to identify ethical standards and safeguards to ensure cell and gene therapy (CGT) HIV cure research remains valued and acceptable to as many stakeholders as possible as it advances on a global scale. METHODS: To elicit preliminary ethical and practical considerations to guide CGT HIV cure research, we implemented a qualitative, in-depth interview study with three key stakeholder groups in the United States: (1) biomedical HIV cure researchers, (2) bioethicists, and (3) community stakeholders. Interviews permitted evaluation of informants' perspectives on how CGT HIV cure research should ethically occur, and were transcribed verbatim. We applied conventional content analysis focused on inductive reasoning to analyze the rich qualitative data and derive key ethical and practical considerations related to CGT towards an HIV cure. RESULTS: We interviewed 13 biomedical researchers, 5 community members, and 1 bioethicist. Informants generated considerations related to: perceived benefits of CGT towards an HIV cure, perceived risks, considerations necessary to ensure an acceptable benefit/risk balance, CGT strategies considered unacceptable, additional ethical considerations, and considerations for first-in-human CGT HIV cure trials. Informants also proposed important safeguards to developing CGT approaches towards an HIV cure, such as the importance of mitigating off-target effects, mitigating risks associated with long-term duration of CGT interventions, and mitigating risks of immune overreactions. CONCLUSION: Our study identified preliminary considerations for CGT-based HIV cure across three key stakeholder groups. Respondents identified an ideal cure strategy as one which would durably control HIV infection, protect the individual from re-acquisition, and eliminate transmission to others. Known and unknown risks should be anticipated and perceived as learning opportunities to preserve and honor the altruism of participants. Preclinical studies should support these considerations and be transparently reviewed by regulatory experts and peers prior to first-in-human studies. To protect the public trust in CGT HIV cure research, ethical and practical considerations should be periodically revisited and updated as the science continues to evolve. Additional ethics studies are required to expand stakeholder participation to include traditionally marginalized groups and clinical care providers.

Intimate Partner Violence Among Chinese Transwomen: Associations With Sexual Risk Behaviors and HIV Testing.

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an emerging risk factor for HIV infection. Given the high vulnerability of and limited research on transwomen in China, we described IPV, sexual risk behaviors, HIV, and sexually transmitted infection (STIs) testing rates and results, and investigated the pathways that link IPV to HIV infection among this population. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey and collected blood samples for HIV and syphilis testing among transwomen in Shanghai, China (n = 199). With logistic regression, we examined sexual risk behaviors and HIV/STI testing history among participants with and without IPV experience. RESULTS: More than half of the respondents reported IPV (57.3%), and the prevalence of unprotected sex ranged from 51.9% (with sex workers) to 87.8% (oral sex); 85.9% had ever tested for HIV and 49.3% for other STIs. Self-reported positivity results were as follows: HIV (2.3%), herpes simplex virus type 2 (8.3%), gonorrhea (18.8%), and syphilis (17.8%). Laboratory-confirmed positivity values were 5.0% for HIV and 6.5% for syphilis. Respondents with a history of IPV were significantly less likely to report HIV testing in the past 12 months (adjusted odds ratio, 0.20; 95% confidence interval, 0.10-0.38). CONCLUSIONS: Transwomen self-reported a high prevalence of IPV, which was related to a lower probability of HIV testing. The prevalence of HIV and other STIs was lower than reported in previous studies of Chinese transwomen, whereas the HIV/STI testing rates were higher. Findings suggest transwomen in China are at risk for IPV and need enhanced HIV prevention services to promote HIV testing in an IPV setting.