Public Health Commons^™

Improving Guideline-Based Prep Management In A Philadelphia-Based Academic Family Medicine Office, Brittany Macdonald, Md, Marshall Miller, Md, Nwando Ekezie, Md, Maia Mandel, Md, Christina Boras, Md, Eunice Choe, Md, Meghan Swyryn, Md, Meg Broderick, Md, Pascaline Karanja, Md, Julia Beatini, Md, Julie Jones

Health Equity and Quality Improvement (HEQI) Summit

Background

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) significantly reduces the risk of contracting HIV:

• Reduces risk from sexual contact by 99%
• Reduces risk from injection drug use by at least 74%

Despite its effectiveness, PrEP is underutilized in the USA.

• In 2019, an estimated 224,000 Americans received a prescription for PrEP despite 1.1 million people having indications for PrEP.
• Lack of provider knowledge surrounding PrEP clinical guidelines is a common reason for underutilization.

Investigating Social Network Peer Effects On Hiv Care Engagement Using A Fuzzy-Like Matching Approach: Cross-Sectional Secondary Analysis Of The N2 Cohort Study, Cho-Hee Shrader, Dustin T Duncan, Redd Driver, Juan G Arroyo-Flores, Makella S Coudray, Raymond Moody, Yen-Tyng Chen, Britt Skaathun, Lindsay Young, Natascha Del Vecchio, Kayo Fujimoto, Justin R Knox, Mariano Kanamori, John A Schneider

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Social network data are essential and informative for public health research and implementation as they provide details on individuals and their social context. For example, health information and behaviors, such as HIV-related prevention and care, may disseminate within a network or across society. By harmonizing egocentric and digital networks, researchers may construct a sociocentric-like "fuzzy" network based on a subgroup of the population.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to generate a more complete sociocentric-like "fuzzy" network by harmonizing alternative sources of egocentric and digital network data to examine relationships between participants in the Neighborhoods and Networks (N2) cohort study. Further, we …

A Whole Person Care Approach To Ending The Hiv Epidemic In The Inland Empire, Roberto Daniel Gonzalez Coronado

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

In the last 40 years, the United States has seen remarkable progress in the field of HIV treatment; however, the virus continues to burden the most vulnerable members of society, such as Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) and Intravenous Drug Users (IVDU). Unfortunately, these vulnerable members of society continue to lack stable social conditions to get into proper HIV treatment. These social conditions are referred to as social determinants of health, which are non-medical factors that influence whole-person care. With these members of society continuing to face greater social disparities, their linkage to care and retention to care …

Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia (Ossn) Risk Factors In Lusaka, Zambia: The Role Of Hiv And Socioeconomic Status, Stepfanie N. Siyumbwa, Peter Julius, Tabitha Nkhata, Obvious N. Chilyabanyama, Abraham Mengist, Gleb Haynatzki, Charles Wood

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Objective

To identify and evaluate potential risk factors for OSSN at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka, Zambia.

Methods

Data from 475 patients were analyzed retrospectively, and it included 390 with OSSN and 85 with benign biopsies. Variables with significance values

Results

Several key predictors of OSSN were identified after controlling for confounders in the household cooks sub-population, these were, a lower household income (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.46–0.90, p = .009), a Lab confirmed HIV-positive status (aOR = 3.56, 95% CI: 1.72–7.21, p = .001) and exposure to biomass smoke (aOR = 2.47, 95% …

Optimizing Case Management Manuals: A Ryan White Quality Improvement Project For Northwest Missouri, Megan Mcbane

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Act, established in 1990, has played a critical role in providing essential services for individuals living with HIV, including medication access, adherence support, health coverage, housing, and transportation. In rural Missouri, particularly in the northwest region, HIV case management under the Ryan White program is guided by four separate manuals, creating inefficiencies and burdens for case managers. This paper presents a process evaluation plan utilizing the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework to address these challenges and improve service delivery. The aim of this quality improvement project is to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of HIV case management in …

Sexually Transmitted Infection (Sti) Incidence And Risk Factors Among People With Hiv (Pwh): Insights From A 13-Year Cohort Study In South Carolina, Salome-Joelle Gass, Shujie Chen, Jiajia Zhang Ph.D., Bankole Olatosi

Faculty Publications

The Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative aims to reduce new HIV infections by 90% by 2030 in the United States (US). However, rising sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates exacerbate the bidirectional infection risk between HIV and STIs. Most research on STIs among people with HIV (PWH) has focused on high-risk groups, resulting in limited data on broader populations. This study addresses that gap by examining the incidence and risk factors for gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis in a statewide cohort of PWH in South Carolina. Data from South Carolina’s HIV and STI surveillance systems were linked, and all PWH aged …

Lived Experiences Of Seropositive Msm Who Face Intersectional Stigma Regarding Hiv-Prevention And Care In California, Sagar Bedi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals who are positive for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and identify as MSM (men who have sex with men), a population disproportionately affected by this disease, face complex struggles due to interplay between multiple forms of stigma, disclosure, and HIV risk behaviors. This results in delayed testing, poor treatment adherence, and decreased engagement in care. Despite the growing body of research on HIV among MSM, very few studies have explored the complex ways in which multiple forms of stigma intersect and impact the lives of Seropositive MSM. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perception and lived …

Social Support And Treatment Outcomes Among Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis And Persons Living With Hiv In Nigeria, Abiodun Olusegun Hassan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An estimated 40% of people with tuberculosis (TB) are missed due to underdiagnosis, and among those previously treated TB cases, about a quarter develop drug-resistant TB in Nigeria. The emergence of multi-drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) is stalling the effort towards TB’s control and eradication. Few studies have examined the impact of the psychosocial effect and support systems for TB, particularly for MDR-TB. In this quantitative, cross-sectional study, the predictive relationship between social support given to MDR-TB patients and their treatment outcomes was examined using secondary data of 594 MDR-TB cases enrolled between January 2018 and December 2021. The theoretical framework for …

Telehealth Or In-Person Hiv Care? Qualitative Study Findings On Decision-Making From People With Hiv And Hiv Care Providers In South Carolina During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Valerie Yelverton, Salome Joelle Gass, Daniel Amoatika, Christopher Cooke, Jan Ostermann, Nabil Natafgi, Nicole L. Hair Ph.D., Bankole Olatosi Ph.D., Otis L. Owens, Shan Qiao Ph.D., Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Caroline Derrick, Sharon Weissman, Helmut Albrecht

Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted HIV care services across the United States. Telehealth was rapidly implemented to ensure HIV care continuity. Despite the evidence of unequal telehealth uptake among some people with HIV (PWH), the decision-making processes to determine who received telehealth or in-person care are under-researched. This study assessed which decision criteria and processes determined which HIV care visit type was used by PWH and HIV care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Qualitative in-depth interviews with 18 PWH and 10 HIV care providers from South Carolina assessed PWHs’ and HIV care providers’ decision-making criteria and processes for telehealth HIV care …

Dissemination And Implementation Approach To Increasing Access To Local Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (Prep) Resources With Black Cisgender Women: Intervention Study With Vlogs Shared On Social Media, Mandy J Hill, Laurenia Mangum, Sandra J Coker, Tristen Sutton, Diane M Santa Maria

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Black cisgender women account for only 2% of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)-eligible people in the United States who use PrEP to prevent HIV. Owing to the low PrEP use, Black cisgender women continue to contract HIV more frequently than women from every other racial group. Intervention efforts that can bridge the link between knowing that PrEP prevents HIV and support with access to PrEP are necessary for Black cisgender women.

Objective: The purposes of the vlogs through the campaign were to share information about ways to prevent HIV using PrEP and fact-based education and provide access to PrEP resources with …

Targets To Increase Hiv Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (Prep) Uptake Among Communities In Northeast Georgia, Kaley E. Parchinski, Molly Hirsh, Andrew Cheng, Nia Kalifa, Manvi Manyam

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: This study seeks to identify targets to increase HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake in Athens-Clarke County, GA, a non-urban area with high HIV burden and poor PrEP utilization.

Methods: A cross sectional survey of adults attending HIV outreach screenings in Athens, GA between November 2022 and March 2023 describes participant demographics and validated scales measuring PrEP knowledge, attitudes, stigma, descriptive norms, and intentions.

Results: Of 136 total participants, key demographic groups included Black (N=84, 61.8%), Latinx (N=10, 8.1%), LGBTQ+ (N=25, 18.4%), and persons who use injection drugs (N=19, 15%); overall, less than half of the PrEP knowledge items were …

An Adaptive Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence Intervention For Youth With Hiv Through Text Message And Cell Phone Support With And Without Incentives: A Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial (Smart), Marvin E Belzer, Karen Macdonell, Demetria Cain, Samiran Ghosh, Richard Zhao, Julie Mcavoy-Banerjea, Sitaji Gurung, Sylvie Naar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Youth living with HIV have low rates of medication adherence. Youth ages 15-24 years with adherence ≤ 80% or with HIV RNA PCRs (VL) ≥ 200 recruited through social media and clinical sites were randomized to brief weekday cell phone support (CPS) calls or daily, two-way, personalized text message (SMS) reminders for 3 months. Those with VL ≥ 200 or adherence ≤ 80% were rerandomized to receive SMS or CPS with monthly incentives for those utilizing the intervention at least 75% of days for 3 months. Those with VL < 200 or adherence > 80% after the initial 3 months were rerandomized to usual care …

Pitavastatin Is Well-Tolerated With No Detrimental Effects On Physical Function, Kristine M Erlandson, Triin Umbleja, Heather J Ribaudo, Jennifer A Schrack, Edgar T Overton, Carl J Fichtenbaum, Kathleen V Fitch, Jhoanna C Roa, Marissa R Diggs, Kenneth Wood, Markella V Zanni, Gerald S Bloomfield, Carlos Malvestutto, Judith A Aberg, Maria C Rodriguez-Barradas, Rosalba Gomez Morones, Katherine Breaux, Pamela S Douglas, Steven K Grinspoon, Todd T Brown

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Little is known about the potential benefits or harms of statins on physical function among people with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH).

Methods: REPRIEVE was a double-blind randomized controlled trial evaluating pitavastatin for primary prevention of major adverse cardiovascular events in PWH. Time to complete 10 chair rises, 4-m gait speed, grip strength, and a modified short physical performance test were assessed annually for up to 5 years in the ancillary study PREPARE and analyzed using linear mixed models.

Findings: Of 602 PWH, 52% were randomized to pitavastatin and 48% to placebo. Median age was 51 years; 18% were female …

Association Of Racial Residential Segregation And Other Social Determinants Of Health With Hiv Late Presentation, Fanghui Shi, Jiajia Zhang Ph.D., Shujie Chen, Xueying Yang Ph.D., Zhenlong Li, Sharon Weissman, Bankole Olatosi Ph.D., Xiaoming Li Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Understanding social determinants of HIV late presentation with advanced disease (LPWA) beyond individual-level factors could help decrease LPWA and improve population-level HIV outcomes. This study aimed to examine county-level social determinants of health (SDOH) with HIV late presentation. We aggregated datasets for analysis by linking statewide HIV diagnosis data from the South Carolina (SC) Enhanced HIV/AIDS Reporting System and multiple social contextual datasets (e.g., the American Community Survey). All adult (18 years and older) people with HIV diagnosed from 2014 to 2019 in SC were included. Linear mixed models with forward selection were employed to explore the association of county-level …

Decriminalizing Disease: A Health Justice Approach To Infectious Diseases And Criminal Law, Sean E. Bland

Arkansas Law Review

Infectious diseases, also called communicable diseases, are largely a public health issue and should not be criminalized. This Article seeks to re-frame the discussion around the legal framework for infectious diseases in a way that moves beyond a punishment mindset and toward a health justice mindset. The focus in this Article is on health justice rather than traditional understandings of public health, defined as the science and practice of improving the health of people and their communities. The Article makes three novel contributions. First, it applies a health justice framework to the critique of infectious disease criminalization. Second, the Article …

Adapting A Mobile Health Intervention To Improve Prep Adherence Among Young Black Msm In Fulton County, Georgia, Kassidy Maust

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) in the southern United States, particularly in Fulton County, Georgia, face disproportionately high rates of HIV and unique structural barriers to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake and adherence. Sustained adherence among YBMSM remains low due to intersecting structural, social, and behavioral barriers. To address these disparities, this paper presents an adapted implementation of the evidence-based M-Cubed (Mobile Messaging for Men) mHealth intervention. Prior studies of M-Cubed and similar mHealth interventions have shown promising outcomes in increasing PrEP adherence among Black MSM populations. The adapted intervention integrates culturally tailored messaging specific to behaviors …

Mobile Health Intervention Tools Promoting Hiv Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Among Adolescent Girls And Young Women In Sub-Saharan Africa: Scoping Review, Alex Emilio Fischer, Homaira Hanif, Jacob B. Stocks, Aimee E. Rochelle, Karen Dominguez, Eliana Gabriela Armora Langoni, H. Luz Mcnaughton Reyes, Gustavo F. Doncel, Kathryn E. Muessig

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology Faculty Publications

Background:

In 2022, 3100 adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa experienced new HIV infections each week. HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is effective at preventing HIV but has limited uptake and persistence. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions can improve medication adherence; however, their utility to improve PrEP adherence among adolescent girls and young women is not well established.

Objective:

This scoping review synthesizes evidence supporting mHealth for PrEP among adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa and identifies strategies for further evaluation.

Methods:

We searched PubMed and Google Scholar databases, expert referrals, and reference lists using the following eligibility …

Understanding The Impact Of Pharmacist Prescriptive Authority On Hiv Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis At The State Level, Cameron G. King

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

HIV transmission, with relative risk reductions of up to 99%. However, real world data have revealed that even with large increases in PrEP use, new HIV diagnoses may only slightly decline. This disparity suggests that access to PrEP may be suboptimal, especially among high-risk subgroups, who are often hard to maintain on the continuum of HIV care. Pharmacists, because of their accessibility, trusted role in their communities, and growing scope of practice, could serve as an intervention point to improve access to PrEP.

A previously validated algorithm using National Drug Codes (NDCs) and the International Classification of Disease, 10^{th …}

Evaluating Hiv Testing Strategies And Screening In The University Of Kentucky’S Target 4 Project, Emily E. Wagoner

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

The University of Kentucky’s Target 4 project aims to expand HIV testing and provide accessible, confidential services throughout Kentucky, focusing on individuals at highest risk for HIV and Hepatitis C. In December 2023, the Target 4 project implemented a new, expanded HIV screening form, increasing the number of questions from seven to eighteen. This study analyzes the impact of the new screening form on risk factor identification and HIV positivity rates in Region 9, a 16-county area in central Kentucky, from September 2021 to November 2023. Data from 11,187 encounters before the implementation of the new screening form and 2,585 …

Longitudinal Viral Load Clustering For People With Hiv Using Functional Principal Component Analysis, Yunqing Ma, Xueying Yang Ph.D., Jiayang Xiao, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Bankole Olatosi Ph.D., Jiajia Zhang Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Background: Longitudinal measures of viral load (VL) are critical in monitoring the HIV status. While multiple lab indicators exist for monitoring measures of VL, research on clustering historical/longitudinal VL measures is limited. Analyzing longitudinal VL patterns rather than aggregated measures offers deeper insights into HIV status. This study uses functional data clustering to classify longitudinal VL patterns and characterize each cluster by demographics, comorbidities, social behaviors, and CD4 count.

Methods: Adult PWH diagnosed from 2005 to 2015 in South Carolina with a 5-year minimum follow-up were included. We compared functional principal component analysis (FPCA), K-means, hierarchical clustering, and Gaussian mixture …

Temporal Changes In Racial Disparities Of Hiv Linkage To Care From 2013 To 2020: A Statewide Cohort Analysis, Fanghui Shi, Katherine E. Weaver, Chen Zhang, Bankole Olatosi Ph.D., Jiajia Zhang Ph.D., Sharon Weissman, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Xueying Yang

Faculty Publications

Background: Racial disparities have historically existed regarding HIV care outcomes, including linkage to care. This study aims to explore the contribution of contextual features (e.g., socioeconomic and structural environmental factors) to the temporal change of county-level racial disparities in linkage to care.

Methods: This is a statewide population-based retrospective cohort study. The patient-level variables in the South Carolina HIV registry system were used to calculate the aggregated county-level linkage to care percentage. Then, we used four indices to measure racial disparities in the county-level percentage of timely linkage to care, i.e., the Black-White ratio, index of disparity (ID), weighted ID, …

Promotion Of Hiv Clearance By Sensitization Of Hiv Reservoirs To Cell Death, Min Li, Baichao Sun, Jing Dong, Jian-Rong Li, Laurie J Minze, Min Chen, Chao Cheng, Jin Wang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: HIV integrates its proviral DNA into the host genome to establish persistent infection. To promote HIV clearance, we have designed an approach for selective elimination of host cells harboring replication-competent HIV (SECH), through inhibition of autophagy and anti-apoptotic molecules during viral reactivation. SECH approach can clear HIV-infected cells in approximately 50% humanized mice. However, the mechanisms for the resistance of reservoirs to depletion in mice with failure in HIV clearance are unclear.

Methods: We have performed single cell transcriptome analyses of HIV-infected T cells that escaped the treatments, in order to identify cellular pathways that could be targeted to …

Toward Improving Retention In Hiv Care After Pregnancy: Lessons From A Post-Pandemic Cohort In The United States, Alexandra H Latham, Andrea Lugo Morales, Elizabeth Barba Gutierrez, Michael Jochum, Sarah Conrad, Eva H Clark, Kassandra Goytia, Megan Alam, Jessica Gerard, Jennifer Mckinney

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: People living with HIV (PLWH) often experience low rates of retention in HIV care (RIC) and suboptimal viral suppression postpartum. Understanding contemporary barriers to RIC is crucial to identify risk factors for loss to care and thereby improve support during this vulnerable transition. This work aimed to identify factors associated with adequate RIC, defined as two HIV care visits ≥90 days apart in the first year postpartum.

Methods: Electronic records were retrospectively reviewed for PLWH who delivered from 2019 to 2023 and received prenatal care within a single county health system. Variables were collected related to both maternal and …

Harnessing Big Heterogeneous Data To Evaluate The Potential Impact Of Hiv Responses Among Key Populations In Sub-Saharan Africa: Protocol For The Boloka Data Repository Initiative, Refilwe Nancy Phaswana Mafuya, Edith Phalane, Amrita Rao, Kalai Willis, Katherine Rucinski, K. Alida Voet, Amal Abdulrahman, Claris Siyamayambo, Betty Sebati, Mohlago Seloka, Musa Jaiteh, Lerato Lucia Olifant, Katharine Journeay, Haley Sisel, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Bankole Olatosi Ph.D., Neset Hikmet, Prashant Duhoon, Francois Wolmarans, Yegnanew A. Shiferaw, Lifutso Motsieloa, Mashudu Rampilo, Stefan Baral

Faculty Publications

Background: In South Africa, there is no centralized HIV surveillance system where key populations (KPs) data, including gay men and other men who have sex with men, female sex workers, transgender persons, people who use drugs, and incarcerated persons, are stored in South Africa despite being on higher risk of HIV acquisition and transmission than the general population. Data on KPs are being collected on a smaller scale by numerous stakeholders and managed in silos. There exists an opportunity to harness a variety of data, such as empirical, contextual, observational, and programmatic data, for evaluating the potential impact of HIV …

Longitudinal Assessments Of Viral Rebound Among People With Hiv In South Carolina: A Population-Based Cohort Study, Jiayang Xiao, Xueying Yang Ph.D., Yunqing Ma, Bankole Olatosi Ph.D., Sharon Weissman, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Jiajia Zhang Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Routinely monitoring viral rebound (VR) is important in the life course of people with HIV (PWH). This study examined risk factors for time to the first VR, the number of VRs and their association with VR history in men who have sex with men (MSM). It includes 8176 adult PWH diagnosed from January 2005 to December 2018, followed until July 2021. We used the Cox model for time to the first VR, the Poisson model for a number of VRs, and logistic regression for VR history in MSM. Younger individuals (50–59 years vs 18–29 years, aHR: 0.43, 95% CI: [0.34, …

A Pilot Rct Of Mhealth & Chw Intervention For Art Adherence, Shivesh Shourya

Public Health Theses

Despite the availability of antiretroviral therapy (ART), only 66% of people with HIV in the U.S. achieve viral suppression, often due to suboptimal ART adherence. Barriers such as limited access to care and forgetfulness impact adherence, which must be ≥95% to prevent viral rebound. Combining community health worker (CHW) support with mobile health (mHealth) technologies may help address these barriers and improve outcomes. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the remotely delivered Community Health Worker and mHealth to Improve Viral Suppression (CHAMPS) intervention, which combines the WiseApp, CHW support, and the CleverCap smart pill bottle. …

Predictors Of Viral Suppression Among People Living With Hiv (Plhiv) On Antiretroviral Treatment In Almaty, Kazakhstan, Ainur Kussainova

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

ABSTRACT

Introduction

The Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) region is experiencing the world’s fastest-growing HIV epidemic, with Kazakhstan among the countries most affected. Despite progress in HIV testing and treatment, Kazakhstan continues to face significant challenges in achieving optimal viral suppression among PLHIV. While 82% of PLHIV in Kazakhstan know their HIV status, only 73% are on ART, and just 67% of those on treatment achieve viral suppression. Adherence to ART remains a critical barrier, influenced by a complex interplay of individual, social, and structural factors, including mental health disorders such as depression, substance use, stigma and discrimination. Understanding …

Polygenic Risk Scores Of Grip Strength In Men And Women With Or At Risk For Hiv, Sreevidya Sadananda Sadasiva Rao

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Background: Adequate hand function among older adults is necessary for the successful completion of activities of daily living and can affect whether an older adult is able to live independently. Current research highlights grip strength, the strength people have in their hands, as a robust predictor of morbidity and mortality, and explores the decline in grip strength over time. A person’s family history and genes (DNA) affect how much grip strength they have. Previous studies have identified genes that affect grip strength, mainly in European ancestry populations. In this study, we examined whether these genetic elements predict grip strength in …

Review Of Epidemiology, Prevention And Management Of Blood-Borne Viruses Experienced By Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Peoples, Katiska Davis, Eliza Lock, Laura Thum, Gemma Crawford, Roanna Lobo, Odette Aung Thein, Shane Kavanagh, Jonathan Hallett

Journal of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet

This review examines the epidemiology, prevention, and management of blood-borne viruses (BBVs) experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia with a focus on hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV. The review highlights the disproportionate burden of BBVs among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia, influenced by historical, social, and cultural factors stemming from colonisation. Key findings include higher prevalence rates of hepatitis B and C compared to non-Indigenous Australians, with some progress in reducing new infections through vaccination and treatment programs. However, significant gaps remain in screening, linkage to care, and treatment uptake. The review …

Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity And Virologic Failure Among People With Hiv: A Cohort Study In All Of Us Research Program, Fanghui Shi, Ruilie Cai, Buwei He, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Xueying Yang Ph.D., Sharon Weissman, Bankole Olatosi Ph.D., Jiajia Zhang Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Background: Sexual and gender minorities (SGMs) are at higher risk of HIV incidence compared to their heterosexual cisgender counterparts. Despite the high HIV disease burden among SGMs, there was limited data on whether they are at higher risk of virologic failure, which may lead to potential disease progression and increased transmission risk. The All of Us (AoU) Research Program, a national community-engaged program aiming to improve health and facilitate health equity in the United States by partnering with one million participants, provides a promising resource for identifying a diverse and large volunteer TGD cohort. Leveraging various data sources available through …