Introduction: The spread and prevalence of the HIV epidemic has resulted in extensive social, cultural and economic consequences in sub-Saharan Africa. It is estimated that about 60% of adults living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa are women. South Africa, with 5.2 million HIV infected people, is estimated to have the largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world. HIV among older women is not well documented, despite high prevalence rates amongst women 45 years and older. Moreover, few HIV-related interventions are directed to the elderly in South Africa. HIV risk factors among older women have also not been well documented. It is important to determine the factors associated with older women, and how they affect their HIV infection rates. Understanding these factors may lead to better HIV prevention strategies. This study aimed to determine the HIV prevalence in older South African women and to determine the factors associated with HIV infection in older South African women living in Soweto, Johannesburg. Materials and Methods: We did an analytical cross-sectional study on a convenience sample of 500 women (45 years and older) recruited from various venues in Soweto, a large urban African setting in Johannesburg, South Africa, and who accepted to be tested for HIV. Private face-to-face interviews were conducted and included an assessment of socio-demographic characteristics and behavioural factors thought to be associated with HIV. Results: 449 women were included in the study and 52 (11.6%) women were found to be HIV positive. Increased odds of HIV infection was associated with condom use (OR=3.75, 95%CI: 1.71–8.19), transactional sex (OR=2.44, 95%CI: 1.04–5.69) and marital status. Compared to a married woman, a woman was more likely to be HIV positive if she was single, widowed or “cohabiting”. Decreased odds of HIV infection was associated with age (OR=0.90, 95%CI: 0.85–0.96) and education. With respect to a woman with less than 5 years of education, a woman was less likely to be HIV infected if she had more than 5 years of education. Conclusion: Further research needs to be done to determine the exact HIV prevalence amongst older women, as well as risk factors associated with HIV infection. It is also important that older women be encouraged to use condoms, as they are known to be an effective barrier to HIV infection. There is need for HIV-related interventions targeted to older women.

Comparison of HIV seroprevalence between males and females at clinic and community level in Mpumalanga South Africa. Background: Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted in Embalenhle community (February 2002) and Dunusa community mobile clinics (November 2001), to establish prevalence of HIV and STIs (Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhea). Methods: Multiple logistic regression models were fitted to the combined data from the two sites, to identify factors associated with HIV prevalence and also to check whether the effects were consistent over the two sites. Results: HIV Prevalence was 33.5% (30.2%vs.35.9% in males and females respectively, p=0.124) at community site and 34.8% at clinic site (22.8%vs.47.4% in males and females respectively, p=0.001). The models show a significant site by sex interaction i.e. the effect of sex differs in the 2 sites (p=0.036). After adjusting for agegroup and Neisseria gonorrhea, predicted probabilities from the logistic regression model shows that the sex difference is much greater in community mobile clinics (23%vs.44.1% in males and females respectively) than at the community site (29.9%vs.34.9% in males and females respectively). After adjusting for site and Neisseria gonorrhea, the model showed an agegroup by sex interaction (p<0.001). Predicted probabilities show a difference, where HIV in males is higher than in females; in males in the 25-34 year age group from 18-24 years (36.3 vs 18.2 % respectively), while in females the prevalence is very similar in the 18-24 year and 25-34 year age groups. There were no interactions between Neisseria gonorrhea and other variables. Conclusions: The different HIV–age distribution for males and females are consistent with the results of previous studies. We found that the sex difference in prevalence was much smaller at the community level than at the clinic level. The traditional interpretation of national antenatal surveillance data assumes a fairly large difference in male and female seroprevalence (a ratio of 7:10 is used in extrapolating results of the South African National antenatal seroprevalence survey to males). These results suggest that more work is needed in checking that assumption.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2002. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Thesis (D.P.H.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF file (viewed on June 25, 2009). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2008. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Sept. 17, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 54-62).

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst., 2002. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Os estimadores para parÃmetros populacionais em amostras coletadas pelo mÃtodo de amostragem Respondent Driven Sampling (RDS) sÃo sensÃveis à presenÃa de observaÃÃes ignoradas e tendem a subestimar os parÃmetros populacionais. A ausÃncia de um quadro de amostragem bem definido para a coleta de amostras em populaÃÃes consideradas escondidas e/ou de acesso difÃcil fez com que o RDS se tornasse uma importante ferramenta de vigilÃncia comportamental e biolÃgica nessas populaÃÃes com maior risco para o HIV, em especial no Brasil. Considerado um mÃtodo de amostragem em cadeia de referÃncia, o RDS utiliza informaÃÃes sobre as conexÃes das redes sociais para obter estimadores contingentes assintoticamente imparciais das caracterÃsticas populacionais e a precisÃo desses estimadores. Estudo multicÃntrico de corte transversal para vigilÃncia epidemiolÃgica e comportamental em populaÃÃes de HSH com 18 anos ou mais foi realizado em dez cidades brasileiras (Manaus, Recife, Salvador, Campo Grande, BrasÃlia, Curitiba, ItajaÃ, Santos, Belo Horizonte e Rio de Janeiro) no ano de 2009 e, coleta, em cada municÃpio, uma amostra pelo RDS. Neste estudo, foi oferecido o teste rÃpido para diagnÃstico da infecÃÃo por HIV Ãqueles que aceitam participar de um prÃ-aconselhamento. Todos os participantes foram inquiridos sobre a realizaÃÃo de testes anti-HIV anteriores ao da pesquisa e sobre qual o diagnÃstico obtido. Com a simulaÃÃo de uma variÃvel dicotÃmica (exemplo: sorologia para HIV positiva ou negativa) sem observaÃÃes ignoradas na rede de recrutamento do Rio de Janeiro e posteriores exclusÃes de 18 recrutados, encontra-se que, a amostra com ignorados à avaliada com base em um nÃmero de observaÃÃes significativamente menor que o da amostra original e o parÃmetro em questÃo (prevalÃncia do HIV) à subestimado. Ainda, com a imputaÃÃo Ãnica das sorologias ignoradas, no contexto descritivo, observam-se, nas amostras com imputaÃÃo, marcadores biolÃgicos que indicam valores mais acurados. No estudo multicÃntrico, para o grupo de participantes que autorrelatou sorologia positiva ou negativa para o HIV e realizou teste rÃpido na pesquisa, observa-se para os autorrelatos elevada concordÃncia (0,88) e sensibilidade de 100% com o padrÃo-ouro teste rÃpido para diagnÃstico do HIV. Finalmente, estimando a prevalÃncia para o HIV nas amostras observadas por municÃpio e geral, e, com a proposta da imputaÃÃo pelo autorrelato do HIV positivo e posterior atribuiÃÃo de sorologia HIV +/- mediante trÃs propostas de imputaÃÃes: todos sÃo negativos, proximidade dos participantes na rede de recrutamento e pela regressÃo logÃstica. Encontra-se nas amostras coletadas a estimativa geral da prevalÃncia do HIV igual a 11,1% sendo, por municÃpio, a menor prevalÃncia em Santos (2,6%) e a maior no Rio de Janeiro (17,6%). Com as imputaÃÃes as prevalÃncias tendem a aumentar e as maiores estimativas sÃo encontradas com a imputaÃÃo por meio da regressÃo logÃstica em sete de nove municÃpios avaliados por essa metodologia. A estimativa geral do HIV pela regressÃo logÃstica à 14,2% sendo, por municÃpio, a menor prevalÃncia no Recife (5,2%) e a maior em BrasÃlia (23,7%). A imputaÃÃo da sorologia de infecÃÃo por HIV pela regressÃo logÃstica ocorre por municÃpio e por intermÃdio de um modelo com acurÃcia mÃnima igual a 70%. / The estimators for population parameters in samples collected by sampling Respondent Driven Sampling (RDS) are sensitive to the presence of observations ignored and tends to underestimate the population parameters. The absence of a clearly defined sampling frame for the collection of samples from populations considered hidden and/or difficult access made the RDS became an important tool for biological and behavioral surveillance in these populations at higher risk for HIV, especially Brazil. Considered a method of sampling in the reference chain, RDS uses information about the connections of social networks for specific asymptotically unbiased estimators of population characteristics and accuracy of these estimators. Multicenter cross-sectional epidemiological and behavioral surveillance for MSM populations in 18 years or more was conducted in 10 cities (Manaus, Recife, Salvador, Campo Grande, Brasilia, Curitiba, ItajaÃ, Santos, Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro) in 2009 and collected in each municipality, a sample through RDS. This study offered the rapid test for diagnosis of HIV infection to those who agreed to participate in a pre-counseling. All participants were asked about testing for HIV prior to the research and about which the diagnosis obtained. By simulating a dichotomous variable (eg, HIV serology positive or negative) without comment ignored in recruiting network in Rio de Janeiro and later recruited 18 deletions, that is, the unknown sample is evaluated from a number of observations significantly smaller than the original sample and the parameter in question (HIV prevalence) is underestimated. Still, with the allocation of single serology ignored in the descriptive context, it is observed in samples with attribution, biological markers indicating that more accurate values. Multicentre study for the group of participants who self-reported positive or negative serology for HIV rapid test and performed the research notes to self-reports, high correlation (0.88) and 100% sensitivity with gold standard rapid test for HIV diagnosis. Finally, estimating the prevalence of HIV in the samples observed by county and general, and the proposed allocation of the self-reported HIV positive and HIV serology subsequent assignment of + / - through three proposed charges: are all negative, proximity of the participants in the network recruitment and by logistic regression. It is found in samples collected from the estimated overall HIV prevalence was equal to 11.1%, by municipality, the lower prevalence in Santos (2.6%) and highest in Rio de Janeiro (17.6%).With the charges tend to increase the prevalence and the highest estimates are found with the imputation logistic regression in 7 of 9 municipalities assessed by this methodology. The estimated overall HIV logistic regression is 14.2% and, by municipality, the lower prevalence in Recife (5.2%) and highest in Brasilia (23.7%). The allocation of serology for HIV by the Logistic Regression occurs by municipality and by a model with a minimum accuracy of 70%.

A infecção pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana na Amazônia tem-se mostrado como um dos mais recentes desafios para o enfrentamento da epidemia de HIV/aids no Brasil. Estudos epidemiológicos baseados em dados de incidência mostram tendência de crescimento da epidemia na região Norte do país. O Serviço de Assistência Especializada de Santarém é referência em assistência às pessoas com HIV/aids de 25 municípios das mesorregiões do baixo Amazonas e sudoeste do Pará. Os objetivos do presente trabalho consistem em descrever as características sociodemográficas, clínicas e laboratoriais de pessoas vivendo com HIV à admissão nesse serviço de referência, comparando-as entre os períodos: 1999 a 2002(P1), 2003 a 2006(P2) e 2007 a 2010(P3) e analisar as tendências de incidência de aids em Santarém entre 1999 e 2010. As informações referentes às variáveis de interesse foram obtidas em revisão de prontuários. Foram calculados os coeficientes de incidência padronizados a partir dos casos notificados de aids em Santarém, obtidos em bases de dados nacionais e locais. A análise de tendência de incidência foi realizada por modelos de regressão polinomial. A maioria dos 527 sujeitos (62,4%) foi admitida em P3, com 24,1% e 13,5% em P2 e P1, respectivamente. Observou-se aumento significativo da participação de indivíduos não procedentes de Santarém em P3 em comparação a P1. Verificou-se diferença significativa entre os sexos com relação ao motivo de realização da testagem pelo fato do conhecimento da soropositividade do parceiro ter motivado a testagem entre as mulheres em P1 e P2. Enquanto a presença de sinais e sintomas sugestivos de HIV/aids motivou o teste em homens durante todo o período avaliado. Houve redução significativa das medianas de linfócitos T CD4+ à admissão em P3, em relação a P1 e P2. Foram notificados 336 casos novos de aids em Santarém no período de 1999 a 2010. Foi encontrada tendência significativa de crescimento da epidemia em Santarém em ambos os sexos, e nas categorias de exposição ao HIV heterossexual e homo/bissexual no sexo masculino. O crescimento da demanda assistencial no serviço de Santarém, com incremento do número de pacientes procedentes de municípios menores e, admitidos em estadios tardios da infecção, associada à tendência de crescimento de incidência de aids em Santarém no período estudado, sugerem que as intervenções programáticas implementadas na região podem ter contribuído para o reconhecimento de maior número de casos de aids, porém ainda não possibilitaram o diagnóstico mais precoce. Acredita-se que estratégias de vigilância epidemiológica de segunda geração poderiam subsidiar de modo mais eficiente as intervenções programáticas voltadas ao controle da epidemia em uma região caracterizada por apresentar fatores individuais, sociais e programáticos que conferem vulnerabilidade acrescida à infecção pelo HIV. / Infection with human immunodeficiency virus within the Amazon region has been shown as one of the latest challenges confronting the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Brazil. Epidemiological studies based on incidence data show an increasing trend in AIDS incidence in the Brazilian North region. The specialized HIV/AIDS outpatient clinic of Santarém is the reference healthcare setting that provides care for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) from 25 municipalities of the Lower Amazon and southwestern Pará regions. The aims of this study are to describe socio-demographic, clinical and laboratory features of PLHA at time of admission to this reference clinic, comparing them among the following periods: 1999 to 2002 (P1), 2003 and 2006 (P2) and 2007 and 2010 (P3), and to analyze AIDS incidence trends in Santarém between 1999 and 2010. Information about variables of interest was obtained by review of medical records. Standardized AIDS incidence rates were calculated, based on cases reported in Santarém, using data obtained from national and local databases. Incidence trend analysis was performed by polynomial regression. Out of 527 records, 62.4% of patients were admitted to the clinic in P3, 24.1% and 13.5% in P2 and P1, respectively. A significant increase was seen in the participation of individuals from cities other than Santarém in P3, as compared to P1. There was a significant gender difference in the reason to be tested for HIV, as women were more likely to have been tested due to a seropositive partner in P1 and P2, whereas existing signs and symptoms of HIV/AIDS predominated among men as the reason for testing throughout the study period. A significant reduction in median CD4+ cell counts at admission was noticed comparing P3 to P1 and P2. 336 AIDS cases were reported in Santarém from 1999 to 2010. An increasing AIDS incidence trend was found for both genders, and for both heterosexual and homo/bisexual among males. The increasing local demand for HIV/AIDS care, with larger numbers of cases coming from smaller cities and admitted in later stages of HIV infection, taken together with the increasing AIDS incidence trend in Santarém during the study period suggest that even though programmatic interventions may have succeeded in identifying more AIDS cases, they were not able to lead to an earlier diagnosis. We believe that the implementation of second generation surveillance strategies in this region could guide programmatic interventions for the control of the epidemic more efficiently, in a context characterized by individual, social and programmatic factors related to a high vulnerability to HIV infection.

A infecção pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana na Amazônia tem-se mostrado como um dos mais recentes desafios para o enfrentamento da epidemia de HIV/aids no Brasil. Estudos epidemiológicos baseados em dados de incidência mostram tendência de crescimento da epidemia na região Norte do país. O Serviço de Assistência Especializada de Santarém é referência em assistência às pessoas com HIV/aids de 25 municípios das mesorregiões do baixo Amazonas e sudoeste do Pará. Os objetivos do presente trabalho consistem em descrever as características sociodemográficas, clínicas e laboratoriais de pessoas vivendo com HIV à admissão nesse serviço de referência, comparando-as entre os períodos: 1999 a 2002(P1), 2003 a 2006(P2) e 2007 a 2010(P3) e analisar as tendências de incidência de aids em Santarém entre 1999 e 2010. As informações referentes às variáveis de interesse foram obtidas em revisão de prontuários. Foram calculados os coeficientes de incidência padronizados a partir dos casos notificados de aids em Santarém, obtidos em bases de dados nacionais e locais. A análise de tendência de incidência foi realizada por modelos de regressão polinomial. A maioria dos 527 sujeitos (62,4%) foi admitida em P3, com 24,1% e 13,5% em P2 e P1, respectivamente. Observou-se aumento significativo da participação de indivíduos não procedentes de Santarém em P3 em comparação a P1. Verificou-se diferença significativa entre os sexos com relação ao motivo de realização da testagem pelo fato do conhecimento da soropositividade do parceiro ter motivado a testagem entre as mulheres em P1 e P2. Enquanto a presença de sinais e sintomas sugestivos de HIV/aids motivou o teste em homens durante todo o período avaliado. Houve redução significativa das medianas de linfócitos T CD4+ à admissão em P3, em relação a P1 e P2. Foram notificados 336 casos novos de aids em Santarém no período de 1999 a 2010. Foi encontrada tendência significativa de crescimento da epidemia em Santarém em ambos os sexos, e nas categorias de exposição ao HIV heterossexual e homo/bissexual no sexo masculino. O crescimento da demanda assistencial no serviço de Santarém, com incremento do número de pacientes procedentes de municípios menores e, admitidos em estadios tardios da infecção, associada à tendência de crescimento de incidência de aids em Santarém no período estudado, sugerem que as intervenções programáticas implementadas na região podem ter contribuído para o reconhecimento de maior número de casos de aids, porém ainda não possibilitaram o diagnóstico mais precoce. Acredita-se que estratégias de vigilância epidemiológica de segunda geração poderiam subsidiar de modo mais eficiente as intervenções programáticas voltadas ao controle da epidemia em uma região caracterizada por apresentar fatores individuais, sociais e programáticos que conferem vulnerabilidade acrescida à infecção pelo HIV. / Infection with human immunodeficiency virus within the Amazon region has been shown as one of the latest challenges confronting the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Brazil. Epidemiological studies based on incidence data show an increasing trend in AIDS incidence in the Brazilian North region. The specialized HIV/AIDS outpatient clinic of Santarém is the reference healthcare setting that provides care for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) from 25 municipalities of the Lower Amazon and southwestern Pará regions. The aims of this study are to describe socio-demographic, clinical and laboratory features of PLHA at time of admission to this reference clinic, comparing them among the following periods: 1999 to 2002 (P1), 2003 and 2006 (P2) and 2007 and 2010 (P3), and to analyze AIDS incidence trends in Santarém between 1999 and 2010. Information about variables of interest was obtained by review of medical records. Standardized AIDS incidence rates were calculated, based on cases reported in Santarém, using data obtained from national and local databases. Incidence trend analysis was performed by polynomial regression. Out of 527 records, 62.4% of patients were admitted to the clinic in P3, 24.1% and 13.5% in P2 and P1, respectively. A significant increase was seen in the participation of individuals from cities other than Santarém in P3, as compared to P1. There was a significant gender difference in the reason to be tested for HIV, as women were more likely to have been tested due to a seropositive partner in P1 and P2, whereas existing signs and symptoms of HIV/AIDS predominated among men as the reason for testing throughout the study period. A significant reduction in median CD4+ cell counts at admission was noticed comparing P3 to P1 and P2. 336 AIDS cases were reported in Santarém from 1999 to 2010. An increasing AIDS incidence trend was found for both genders, and for both heterosexual and homo/bisexual among males. The increasing local demand for HIV/AIDS care, with larger numbers of cases coming from smaller cities and admitted in later stages of HIV infection, taken together with the increasing AIDS incidence trend in Santarém during the study period suggest that even though programmatic interventions may have succeeded in identifying more AIDS cases, they were not able to lead to an earlier diagnosis. We believe that the implementation of second generation surveillance strategies in this region could guide programmatic interventions for the control of the epidemic more efficiently, in a context characterized by individual, social and programmatic factors related to a high vulnerability to HIV infection.

O objetivo foi avaliar a vulnerabilidade do HIV de detentas da P.F.B.. Utilizou-se técnicas sorológicas e TAT. 290 detentas entrevistadas com questionário sobre comportamentos e hábitos destas mulheres e parceiros sobre: promiscuidade sexual; UDI; DST. Avaliou-se com detentas: mitos, crenças, idade, escolaridade e conhecimento HIV. A soroprevalência para HIV foi obtida e relacionada com os comportamentos de risco por análise univariada, com a utilização de tabelas de contingência entre variáveis de risco e resultado de sorologias (HIV, HVC e sífilis para as detentas) para obtenção de Odds Ratio e com a utilização de testes estatísticos de qui quadrado e exato de Fisher para um nível de significância de 5%. A positividade HIV-13,85%; anti-pallidum -22,76% ; anti-HCV -16,21%. 46 detentas fizeram o TAT, interpretados num único TAT-perfil típico destas mulheres / In order to evaluate the vulnerability by HIV, 290 female prisoners of F.B.P. were interviewed and bled for serological analysis and submited to TAT techniques. The questions were related to behavior and habits of those women and their partner, according to: promiscuous sexual relationships, use of injectec ilegal drugs and sexually transmitted diseases. We also analysed the prisoners myths, beliefs, age, school degree and general knowledge of HIV. The seroprevalence of HIV was associated to risky behaviors by means of univariate, Qui-Squared or Exact of Fisher tests. We found 13.85% of seropositives to HIV, 22.76% to anti-pallidum and 16.21% to anti-HCV. 46 prisoners were submitted to TAT, whose life stories were elucidated through one summarised, typic profile of these women