An Innovative United States-Mexico Community Outreach Initiative for Hispanic and Latino People in the United States: A Collaborative Public Health Network.

Collaborative partnerships are a useful approach to improve health conditions of disadvantaged populations. The Ventanillas de Salud (VDS) ("Health Windows") and Mobile Health Units (MHUs) are a collaborative initiative of the Mexican government and US public health organizations that use mechanisms such as health fairs and mobile clinics to provide health information, screenings, preventive measures (eg, vaccines), and health services to Mexican people, other Hispanic people, and underserved populations (eg, American Indian/Alaska Native people, geographically isolated people, uninsured people) across the United States. From 2013 through 2019, the VDS served 10.5 million people (an average of 1.5 million people per year) at Mexican consulates in the United States, and MHUs served 115 461 people from 2016 through 2019. We describe 3 community outreach projects and their impact on improving the health of Hispanic people in the United States. The first project is an ongoing collaboration between VDS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to address occupational health inequities among Hispanic people. The second project was a collaboration between VDS and CDC to provide Hispanic people with information about Zika virus infection and health education. The third project is a collaboration between MHUs and the University of Arizona to provide basic health services to Hispanic communities in Pima and Maricopa counties, Arizona. The VDS/MHU model uses a collaborative approach that should be further assessed to better understand its impact on both the US-born and non-US-born Hispanic population and the public at large in locations where it is implemented.

Choice of antiretroviral drugs for postexposure prophylaxis for children: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: This systematic review aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of antiretroviral options for postexposure prophylaxis (PEP). Recognizing the limited data on the safety and efficacy of antiretroviral drugs for PEP in children, this review was extended to include consideration of data on the use of antiretroviral drugs for treatment of infants and children living with human immunodeficiency virus. METHODS: The PEP literature was assessed to identify studies reporting safety and completion rates for children given PEP, and this information was complemented by safety and efficacy data for drugs used in antiretroviral therapy. The proportion of patients experiencing each outcome was calculated and data were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. RESULTS: Three prospective cohort studies reported outcomes of children given zidovudine (ZDV) plus lamivudine (3TC) as a 2-drug PEP regimen. The proportion of children completing the full 28-day course of PEP was 64.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 41.2%-86.8%), whereas the proportion discontinuing due to adverse events was 4.5% (95% CI, .4%-8.6%). One randomized trial compared abacavir (ABC) plus lamivudine (3TC) and ZDV+3TC as part of a dual or triple first-line antiretroviral therapy regimen; this study showed better efficacy in the ABC-containing combinations and no difference in the time to first serious adverse event. Three randomized trials compared lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) to nevirapine (NVP) for antiretroviral therapy and showed a lower risk of treatment discontinuations associated with LPV/r vs NVP (hazard ratio, 0.56 [95% CI, .41-.75]) but no difference in drug-related adverse events. The overall quality of the evidence was rated as very low. CONCLUSIONS: This review supports ZDV+3TC+LPV/r as the preferred 3-drug regimen for PEP in children.

Strengthening the network of mentored, underrepresented minority scientists and leaders to reduce HIV-related health disparities.

OBJECTIVES: We reviewed data for the Minority HIV/AIDS Research Initiative (MARI), which was established in 2003 to support underrepresented minority scientists performing HIV prevention research in highly affected communities. METHODS: MARI was established at the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control as a program of competitively awarded, mentored grants for early career researchers conducting HIV prevention research in highly affected racial/ethnic and sexual minority communities. We have described progress from 2003 to 2013. RESULTS: To date, MARI has mentored 27 scientist leaders using low-cost strategies to enhance the development of effective HIV prevention interventions. These scientists have (1) developed research programs in disproportionately affected communities of color, (2) produced first-authored peer-reviewed scientific and programmatic products (including articles and community-level interventions), and (3) obtained larger, subsequent funding awards for research and programmatic work related to HIV prevention and health disparities work. CONCLUSIONS: The MARI program demonstrates how to effectively engage minority scientists to conduct HIV prevention research and reduce racial/ethnic investigator disparities and serves as a model for programs to reduce disparities in other public health areas in which communities of color are disproportionately affected.

Associations of medically documented psychiatric diagnoses and risky health behaviors in highly active antiretroviral therapy-experienced perinatally HIV-infected youth.

The Longitudinal Epidemiologic Study to Gain Insight into HIV/AIDS in Children and Youth (LEGACY) study is a prospective, multisite, longitudinal cohort of U.S. HIV-infected youth. This analysis was limited to perinatally HIV-infected youth (n=197), 13 years and older, with selected variables completely abstracted from HIV diagnosis through 2006. We evaluated relationships between ever having one or more nonsubstance related medically documented psychiatric diagnoses and three risky health behaviors (substance abuse, preadult sexual activity, and treatment adherence problems) recorded between 2001 and 2006. Logistic regression was used for all binary outcomes and participant age was included as a covariate when possible. All 197 participants included in the analysis were prescribed antiretroviral therapy during the study period; 110 (56%) were female, 100 (51%) were black non-Hispanic, and 86 (44%) were Hispanic; mean age at the last visit was 16.8 years, ranging from 13 to 24 years. One hundred forty-six (74%) participants had a history of at least one risky health behavior. There were 108 (55%) participants with at least one medically documented psychiatric diagnosis, 17 (9%) with at least one record of substance abuse, 12 (6%) with documented preadult sexual activity, and 142 (72%) participants with reported adherence problems. In the final model, a history of at least one psychiatric diagnosis was associated with having at least one of the three risky behaviors (odds ratio [OR]=2.33, p=0.015). There is a need for a continued close partnership between HIV specialty care providers and mental health services treating perinatally HIV-infected youth with an added focus on improving treatment adherence.

Declines in low birth weight and preterm birth among infants who were born to HIV-infected women during an era of increased use of maternal antiretroviral drugs: Pediatric Spectrum of HIV Disease, 1989-2004.

OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to determine trends in low birth weight and preterm birth among US infants born to HIV-infected women. METHODS: We used data from the longitudinal Pediatric Spectrum of HIV Disease, a large HIV cohort, to assess trends in low birth weight and preterm birth from 1989 to 2004 among 11,321 study infants. Among women with prenatal care, we also assessed risk factors, including maternal antiretroviral therapy during pregnancy, that were predictive of low birth weight and preterm birth using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. RESULTS: Overall, 11,231 of 14,464 infants who were enrolled in Pediatric Spectrum of HIV Disease were tested during the neonatal period. From 1989 to 2004, testing increased from 32% to 97%. The proportion of HIV-exposed infants who had low birth weight decreased from 35% to 21% and occurred in all racial/ethnic groups. Prevalence of preterm birth decreased from 35% to 22% and occurred in all groups. Any maternal antiretroviral therapy use increased from 2% to 84%. Among 8793 women who had prenatal care, low birth weight was associated with a history of illicit maternal drug use, unknown maternal HIV status before delivery, symptomatic maternal HIV disease, black race, Hispanic ethnicity, and infant HIV infection. Antiretroviral therapy or lack of it was not associated with low birth weight. Among women with prenatal care, preterm birth was associated with a history of illicit maternal drug use, symptomatic maternal HIV disease, no antiretroviral therapy, receipt of a 3-drug highly active antiretroviral therapy regimen with protease inhibitors, black race, and infant HIV infection. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of infants who had low birth weight or were born preterm declined during an era of increased maternal antiretroviral therapies. These Pediatric Spectrum of HIV Disease trends differ from the overall increases in both outcomes among the US population.

Report from the CDC. Use of preventive health services by Hispanic/Latino women in two urban communities: Atlanta, Georgia and Miami, Florida, 2000 and 2001.

PURPOSE: During the 1990s, a 58% increase in the Hispanic/Latino population, fueled by the century's largest immigration wave and the highest fertility of any group, resulted in Hispanics becoming the largest U. S. minority group. To assess use of preventive services by Hispanics in Atlanta, Georgia, the largest Hispanic new destination, and Miami, Florida, the largest established Hispanic community in the Southeast, survey data were analyzed. METHODS: Miami-Ft. Lauderdale and Atlanta metropolitan area data from the 2000 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and from anonymous surveys conducted at health festivals in Miami and Atlanta in 2001 were analyzed. RESULTS: Female non-Hispanic white and black NHIS respondents were more likely than Hispanic counterparts to report annual household income >$20,000 (77.3%, 70.8% vs. 67.7%), usual source of healthcare (61.5%, 56.4% vs. 50.2%), or ever having had Pap screening (88.8%, 86.7% vs. 80.7%) or oral contraceptive use (55.7%, 59.7% vs. 33.7%). Miami-Ft. Lauderdale Hispanics were less likely than Atlanta respondents to be monolingual Spanish speakers, to lack usual source of healthcare, or to have less than 12 years of education. Of 295 female health festival respondents, the 160 Miami participants were more likely than Atlanta participants to have health insurance, monthly income >$1000, and prior Pap screening (p < 0.01) but less likely to have used contraception (p = 0.07). Most Hispanics felt they had inadequate healthcare; 15.0% reported being denied healthcare because of inability to pay. CONCLUSIONS: Low income, uninsured status, and language barriers were associated with lower use of preventive services among Hispanics in these Southeastern communities, particularly Atlanta, a new destination.