Prevalence and Factors Associated With Mycoplasma genitalium Infection in At-Risk Female Adolescents in Bronx County, New York.

BACKGROUND: Mycoplasma genitalium infection can adversely affect female reproductive health, but data are limited about prevalence and characteristics of the infection in female adolescents. We employed a sensitive assay to detect M. genitalium infection, and we describe its characteristics in a clinical sample of women younger than 21 years. METHODS: We recruited females aged 13 to 20 years in children's hospital clinics whose clinicians were testing for chlamydia/gonorrhea. Participants completed a questionnaire providing demographics, sexual history, and current symptoms. Urine/endocervical samples were tested for chlamydia/gonorrhea and partitioned for M. genitalium testing using Aptima M. genitalium assay. We reviewed records for the clinic visit to document examination, diagnosis, and results of sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing. We compared prevalence of M. genitalium infection by demographics, sexual history, symptoms, and signs. RESULTS: Of 153 participants mean age 18.07 ± 1.68 years, 58% self-identified as Hispanic, 27% Black, 64% straight/heterosexual, 27% bisexual, 1% gay/lesbian, 29% reported a prior STI diagnosis. Prevalence of M. genitalium was 11.1% (17/153), 13 of 17 were asymptomatic, 2 of 17 had pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), 3 of 17 coinfected with chlamydia or gonorrhea. Prevalence of chlamydia was 6.6% and of gonorrhea 2.6%. A logistic regression model indicated independent associations of bisexual orientation versus all other orientations (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 4.80; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.38-16.67), self-reported prior STI (aOR, 3.83; 95% CI, 1.10-13.37), and self-reported prior PID (aOR, 9.12; 95% CI, 1.02-81.72) with higher odds of M. genitalium infection. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that in at-risk female populations younger than 21 years, M. genitalium is a prevalent STI and symptomatic adolescents may warrant testing and treatment. Further study of harms and benefits of testing asymptomatic bisexual female adolescents or those with prior STI/PID is needed.

Infectious Diseases/Human Immunodeficiency Virus Physician Ambassadors: Advancing Policy to Improve Health.

Infectious diseases/human immunodeficiency virus (ID/HIV) physicians and other healthcare professionals advocate within the healthcare system to ensure adults and children receive effective treatment. These advocacy skills can be used to inform domestic and global infectious diseases policies to improve healthcare systems and public health. ID/HIV physicians have a unique frontline perspective to share with federal policymakers regarding how programs and policies benefit patients and public health. Providing this input is critical to the enactment of legislation that will maximize the response to infectious diseases. This article discusses the advocacy of ID/HIV physicians and other healthcare professionals in federal health policy. Key issues include funding for ID/HIV programs; the protection of public health and access to healthcare; improving research opportunities; and advancing the field of ID/HIV, including supporting the next generation of ID/HIV clinicians. The article also describes best practices for advocacy and provides case studies illustrating the impact of ID/HIV physician advocacy.

Improvements in Depression and Changes in Fatigue: Results from the SLAM DUNC Depression Treatment Trial.

Fatigue and depression are common co-morbid conditions among people with HIV infection. We analyzed a population of HIV-infected adults with depression, who were enrolled in a depression treatment trial, to examine the extent to which improvements in depression over time were associated with improvements in HIV-related fatigue. Data for this analysis come from a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of improved depression treatment on antiretroviral adherence. Fatigue was measured using the HIV-Related Fatigue Scale, and depressive symptoms were measured with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Participants (n = 234) were on average nearly 44 years of age and predominantly male, black or African American, and unemployed. Individuals who experienced stronger depression response (i.e., greater improvement in depression score) had larger decreases in fatigue. However, even among those who demonstrated a full depression response, nearly three-quarters continued to have either moderate or severe fatigue at 6 and 12 months.

Navigating Human Immunodeficiency Virus Screening Recommendations for People on Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis and the Need to Update Testing Algorithms.

Incident HIV infections occurring in people on PrEP may have delayed seroconversion. New CDC guidelines recommend the addition of HIV-1 viral load for screening for all on PrEP. We believe antigen/antibody screening should continue for tenofovir-based PrEP at this time.

ID/HIV Physician Ambassadors: Advancing Policy to Improve Health.

ID/HIV physicians and other healthcare professionals advocate within the healthcare system to ensure adults and children receive effective treatment. These advocacy skills can be used to inform domestic and global infectious disease policies to improve healthcare systems and public health. ID/HIV physicians have a unique frontline perspective to share with federal policymakers regarding how programs and policies benefit patients and public health. Providing this input is critical to the enactment of legislation that will maximize the response to infectious diseases. This article discusses the advocacy of ID/HIV physicians and other healthcare professionals in federal health policy. Key issues include funding for ID/HIV programs; the protection of public health and access to health care; improving research opportunities; and advancing the field of ID/HIV, including supporting the next generation of ID/HIV clinicians. The article also describes best practices for advocacy and provides case studies illustrating the impact of ID/HIV physician advocacy.

The effect of antidepressant treatment on HIV and depression outcomes: results from a randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a major barrier to HIV treatment outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To test whether antidepressant management decision support integrated into HIV care improves antiretroviral adherence and depression morbidity. DESIGN: Pseudo-cluster randomized trial. SETTING: Four US infectious diseases clinics. PARTICIPANTS: HIV-infected adults with major depressive disorder. INTERVENTION: Measurement-based care (MBC) - depression care managers used systematic metrics to give HIV primary-care clinicians standardized antidepressant treatment recommendations. MEASUREMENTS: Primary - antiretroviral medication adherence (monthly unannounced telephone-based pill counts for 12 months). Primary time-point - 6 months. Secondary - depressive severity, depression remission, depression-free days, measured quarterly for 12 months. RESULTS: From 2010 to 2013, 149 participants were randomized to intervention and 155 to usual care. Participants were mostly men, Black, non-Hispanic, unemployed, and virally suppressed with high baseline self-reported antiretroviral adherence and depressive severity. Over follow-up, no differences between arms in antiretroviral adherence or other HIV outcomes were apparent. At 6 months, depressive severity was lower among intervention participants than usual care [mean difference -3.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) -5.6, -1.7], probability of depression remission was higher [risk difference 13%, 95% CI 1%, 25%), and suicidal ideation was lower (risk difference -18%, 95% CI -30%, -6%). By 12 months, the arms had comparable mental health outcomes. Intervention arm participants experienced an average of 29 (95% CI: 1-57) more depression-free days over 12 months. CONCLUSION: In the largest trial of its kind among HIV-infected adults, MBC did not improve HIV outcomes, possibly because of high baseline adherence, but achieved clinically significant depression improvements and increased depression-free days. MBC may be an effective, resource-efficient approach to reducing depression morbidity among HIV patients.

Integrating routine HIV screening into a primary care setting in rural North Carolina.

Blacks living in the southern United States are disproportionately affected by HIV infection. Identifying and treating those who are infected is an important strategy for reducing HIV transmission. A model for integrating rapid HIV screening into community health centers was modified and used to guide implementation of a testing program in a primary care setting in a small North Carolina town serving a rural Black population. Anonymous surveys were completed by 138 adults who were offered an HIV test; of these, 61% were female and 89.9% were Black. One hundred patients (72%) accepted the test. Among those Black survey respondents who accepted an offer of testing, 58% were women. The most common reason for declining an HIV test was lack of perceived risk; younger patients were more likely to get tested. Implementation of the testing model posed challenges with time, data collection, and patient flow.

Safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of gardasil given concomitantly with Menactra and Adacel.

OBJECTIVES: Multinational phase III trials of a human papillomavirus vaccine, Gardasil, have shown the vaccine to be generally well-tolerated, efficacious, and immunogenic. We evaluated the immunogenicity and safety of Gardasil administered concomitantly with Menactra and Adacel. METHODS: In this open-label study, boys (n = 394) and girls (n = 648) aged 10 to 17 were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio as follows: group A (concomitant administration) received a 0.5-mL dose of Gardasil at day 1, month 2, and month 6 and a 0.5-mL dose of Menactra and Adacel on day 1; group B (nonconcomitant administration) received Gardasil at day 1, month 2, and month 6 and Menactra and Adacel at month 1. Antibody levels for all vaccine components were measured. Systemic, injection-site, and serious adverse experiences (AEs) were monitored. RESULTS: Immune responses after concomitant administration of the 3 vaccines were noninferior to nonconcomitant administration. Seroconversion for Gardasil was > or = 99% in both groups A and B. For Menactra and Adacel, concomitant administration of the vaccines was demonstrated to be noninferior to nonconcomitant administration. Concomitant administration was generally well-tolerated. No participants withdrew because of an AE. One serious AE of transient muscular weakness of <24 hours' duration after the third Gardasil injection was reported in group B and was deemed possibly vaccine-related by the investigator. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, concomitant administration was generally well-tolerated and did not interfere with the immune response to the respective vaccines. Concomitant administration should minimize the number of visits required to deliver each vaccine individually, leading to increased compliance and more effective disease prevention.