Variability in life expectancy among people with HIV in Brazil by gender and sexual orientation

Abstract Introduction In Brazil, though Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) is available to all, the benefits may not be experienced uniformly. We projected Life Expectancy (LE) for People Living with HIV (PLHIV) in care as currently observed and estimated the impact of guideline-concordant care. Methods Using a microsimulation model, we projected LE for a cohort of PLHIV and for four population groups: cisgender Men who have Sex with Men (MSM), cisgender Men who have Sex with Women (MSW), Cisgender Women (CGW), and Transgender Women (TGW). Cohort data from Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Diseases/Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (INI/Fiocruz) informed model parameters. We modeled five scenarios: 1) Current care: ART initiation, adherence, and retention in care as currently observed, 2) Guideline-concordant care: immediate ART initiation, full adherence to treatment, and consistent retention in care, 3) Immediate ART initiation with observed adherence to treatment and retention in care, 4) Full adherence to treatment with observed timing of ART initiation and retention in care, and 5) Consistent retention in care with observed timing of ART initiation and adherence. Results With current care, LE from age 15 would be 45.9, 44.4, 54.2, and 42.3 years, for MSM, MSW, CGW, and TGW. With guideline-concordant care, LE would be 54.2, 54.4, 63.1, and 53.2 years, for MSM, MSW, CGW and TGW, with TGW experiencing the greatest potential increase in LE (10.9 years). When investigating the components of care separately, MSW and CGW would gain most LE with immediate ART initiation, whereas for MSM and TGW consistent retention in care would be most impactful. Conclusions In settings like INI/Fiocruz, MSW and CGW would benefit most from interventions focused on earlier diagnosis and linkage to care, whereas TGW and MSM would benefit from interventions to sustain engagement in care. Assessment of the HIV care continuum for specific populations should inform care priorities.

Reproductive health syndemics impact retention in care among women living with HIV in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

ABSTRACT Syndemic psychosocial and reproductive factors affecting women's retention in HIV care remain understudied. We analyzed correlates of non-retention in a cohort of women with HIV in Brazil from 2000-2015. Participants self-reported exposure to physical/sexual violence, illicit drug use, adolescent pregnancy, or induced abortion. Lifetime history of these psychosocial stressors were used to create a syndemic score based on the presence or absence of these conditions. All dichotomous variables were summed (range 0 to 4), with greater scores indicating more syndemic factors experienced. Logistic regression models identified predictors of non-retention, defined as < 2 HIV viral load or CD4 results within the first year of enrollment. Of 915 women, non-retention was observed for 18%. Prevalence of syndemic factors was adolescent pregnancy (53.2%), physical/sexual violence (38.3%), induced abortion (27.3%), and illicit drug use (17.2%); 41.2% experienced > 2 syndemic conditions. Syndemic scores of 2 and 3 were associated with non-retention, as well as low education, years with HIV and seroprevalent syphilis. Psychosocial and reproductive syndemics can limit women's retention in HIV care. Syphilis infection predicted non-retention and could be explored as a syndemic factor in future studies.

Mortality rates by gender and sexual orientation reveal a disproportionally high mortality among cisgender men of unknown sexual orientation and men who have sex with women in a cohort of people living with HIV in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

ABSTRACT Background: Antiretroviral therapy use has led to a decline in HIV-related mortality yet disparities by gender and/or sexual orientation may exist. In this study, we estimated hazards of death in people living with HIV (PLWH) according to gender and sexual orientation. Methods: We included PLWH ≥ 18 years enrolled between 2000 and 2018 at INI/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Participants were grouped as cisgender or transgender women, cisgender men who have sex with men (MSM) or men who have sex with women, or cisgender men with unknown sexual orientation. We assessed disparities in the hazard of death using Cox proportional hazards models. Results: Among 5,576 PLWH, median age at enrollment was 35 years, 39% were MSM, 28% cisgender women, 23% men who have sex with women, 5% transgender women, and 5% men with unknown sexual orientation. A total of 795 deaths occurred in 39,141 person-years of follow-up. Mortality rates per 1,000 person-years were: 82.4 for men with unknown sexual orientation, 24.5 for men who have sex with women, 18.3 for cisgender, 16.6 for transgender women, and 15.1 for MSM. Compared to MSM, men with unknown sexual orientation had the highest death hazard ratio (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 2.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.35-3.81), followed by men who have sex with women (aHR 1.17, 95%CI 0.96, 1.43); death hazard ratios for cisgender and transgender women were not statistically different. Conclusion: We observed disparities in the hazard of death for men with unknown sexual orientation and men who have sex with women despite universal access to antiretroviral therapy in Brazil. Future work should characterize and assist men with unknown sexual orientation with tailored policies and interventions. Increased hazard of death was not observed for transgender women, which probably results from interventions implemented in our service to reach, engage, retain, and support this population.

HIV knowledge and its correlation with the Undetectable = Untransmittable slogan in Brazil

ABSTRACT Knowledge about HIV transmission and prevention is a necessary step for adopting preventive behaviors. We assessed HIV knowledge and its correlation with the perceived accuracy of the "Undetectable = Untransmittable" (U=U) slogan in an online sample with 401 adult Brazilians. Overall, 28% of participants showed high HIV knowledge level. The perceived accuracy of the U=U slogan significantly correlated with HIV knowledge. Younger participants, those reporting lower income or lower education, or who had never tested for HIV showed poorer HIV knowledge. Filling gaps of knowledge among specific populations is urgent in order to increase preventive behaviors and decrease HIV stigma.

SARS-CoV-2 testing disparities across geographical regions from a large metropolitan area in Brazil: Results from a web-based survey among individuals interested in clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines

ABSTRACT After more than a year since the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) disease 2019 or COVID-19 has reached the status of a global pandemic, the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise in Brazil. As no effective treatment been approved yet, only mass vaccination can stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and end the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple COVID-19 vaccine candidates are under development and some are currently in use. This study aims to describe the characteristics of individuals who have registered in an online platform to participate in clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines. Additionally, participants' characteristics according to age and presence of comorbidities associated with severe COVID-19 and differences of SARS-CoV-2 testing across different geographical areas/neighborhoods are provided. This was a cross-sectional web-based study conducted between September and December/2020, aiming to reach individuals aged ≥18 years who live in Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area, Brazil. Among 21,210 individuals who completed the survey, 20,587 (97.1%) were willing to participate in clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines. Among those willing to participate, 57.8% individuals were aged 18-59 years and had no comorbidity, 33.7% were aged 18-59 years and had at least one comorbidity, and 8.6% were aged ≥ 60 years regardless the presence of any comorbidity. Almost half (42.6%) reported ever testing for COVID-19, and this proportion was lower among those aged ≥ 60 years (p < 0.001). Prevalence of positive PCR results was 16.0%, higher among those aged 18-59 years (p < 0.009). Prevalence of positive antibody result was 10.0%, with no difference across age and comorbidity groups. Participants from areas/neighborhoods with higher Human Development Index (HDI) reported ever testing for SARS-CoV-2 more frequently than those from lower HDI areas. Interest to participate in clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines candidates in Rio de Janeiro was significantly high. The online registry successfully reached out a large number of individuals with diverse sociodemographic, economic and clinical backgrounds.

COVID-19: a meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy of commercial assays registered in Brazil

ABSTRACT The accuracy of commercially available tests for COVID-19 in Brazil remains unclear. We aimed to perform a meta-analysis to describe the accuracy of available tests to detect COVID-19 in Brazil. We searched at the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) online platform to describe the pooled sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and summary receiver operating characteristic curves (SROC) for detection of IgM/IgG antibodies and for tests using naso/oropharyngeal swabs in the random-effects models. We identified 16 tests registered, mostly rapid-tests. Pooled diagnostic accuracy measures [95%CI] were: (i) for IgM antibodies Se = 82% [76-87]; Sp = 97% [96-98]; DOR = 168 [92-305] and SROC = 0.98 [0.96-0.99]; (ii) for IgG antibodies Se = 97% [90-99]; Sp = 98% [97-99]; DOR = 1994 [385-10334] and SROC = 0.99 [0.98-1.00]; and (iii) for detection of SARS-CoV-2 by antigen or molecular assays in naso/oropharyngeal swabs Se = 97% [85-99]; Sp = 99% [77-100]; DOR = 2649 [30-233056] and SROC = 0.99 [0.98-1.00]. These tests can be helpful for emergency testing during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. However, it is important to highlight the high rate of false negative results from tests which detect SARS-CoV-2 IgM antibodies in the initial course of the disease and the scarce evidence-based validation results published in Brazil. Future studies addressing the diagnostic performance of tests for COVID-19 in the Brazilian population are urgently needed.

Prevalência e fatores associados ao aborto induzido no ingresso em uma coorte de mulheres vivendo com HIV/aids, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, 1996-2016 / Prevalencia y factores asociados al aborto inducido en el ingreso en una cohorte de mujeres que viven con VIH/SIDA, Río de Janeiro, Brasil, 1996-2016 / Prevalence of induced abortion and associated factors in a cohort of women living with HIV/AIDS, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1996-2016

O objetivo deste estudo é verificar a prevalência e os fatores associados ao aborto induzido no ingresso em uma coorte de mulheres vivendo com HIV/aids, no Município do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, no período 1996-2016. O critério de elegibilidade para o ingresso na coorte era ser do sexo feminino ao nascimento, ter mais de 18 anos de idade e ter infecção comprovada pelo HIV. Na visita inicial, dados sobre aspectos sexuais, reprodutivos, comportamentais e da infecção pelo HIV foram obtidos durante entrevista face a face com o médico assistente. Foi calculada a prevalência de aborto induzido na vida e verificados os fatores associados ao aborto induzido por meio de regressão logística múltipla, para o total de mulheres e entre aquelas com gestação prévia. Do total de mulheres, 30,4% referiram algum aborto induzido na vida, sendo este valor de 33,5% em mulheres com gestação prévia. A frequência de aborto induzido relatado apresentou queda significativa no período analisado (41,7% de 1996-2000 vs. 22,5% de 2011-2016, p < 0,001). Os fatores associados ao aborto induzido, tanto para o total de mulheres quanto para aquelas com gestação prévia, foram o aumento da idade, escolaridade mais elevada, número de parceiros sexuais na vida ≥ 5, gestação na adolescência, uso de qualquer droga ilícita na vida e período de ingresso na coorte após 2005. Mudanças no perfil socioeconômico, sexual, reprodutivo e da infecção pelo HIV são explicações possíveis para a redução da prática do aborto no período. Estudos que utilizem métodos de aferição direta do aborto devem ser conduzidos em outras populações, para confirmar a tendência de queda do aborto induzido no país e seus determinantes.

El objetivo de este estudio es verificar la prevalencia y los factores asociados al aborto inducido en el ingreso en una cohorte de mujeres, que viven con VIH/sida, en el municipio de Rio de Janeiro, durante el período 1996-2016. El criterio de elegibilidad para el ingreso en la cohorte era ser del sexo femenino al nacer, tener más de 18 años de edad y sufrir una infección comprobada por VIH. En la visita inicial, datos sobre aspectos sexuales, reproductivos, comportamentales y de infección por el VIH se obtuvieron durante la entrevista cara a cara con el médico asistente. Se calculó la prevalencia del aborto inducido en la vida y se verificaron los factores asociados al aborto inducido mediante regresión logística múltiple, para el total de mujeres y entre aquellas con gestación previa. Del total de mujeres, un 30,4% refería algún aborto inducido en la vida, siendo ese valor de un 33,5% en mujeres con gestación previa. La frecuencia de aborto inducido relatado presentó una caída significativa durante el período analizado (un 41,7% en el período 1996-2000 vs. 22,5% en el período 2011-2016, p < 0,001). Los factores asociados al aborto inducido, tanto para el total de mujeres, como para aquellas con gestación previa, fueron el aumento de la edad de la mujer, escolaridad más elevada, número de parejas sexuales en la vida ≥ 5, gestación en la adolescencia, consumo de cualquier droga ilícita en la vida y período de ingreso en la cohorte tras 2005. Cambios en el perfil socioeconómico, sexual, reproductivo y de infección por VIH son explicaciones posibles para la reducción de la realización de abortos durante el período. Se deben llevar a cabo estudios que utilicen métodos de medición directa del aborto en otras poblaciones para confirmar la tendencia de caída del aborto inducido en el país y sus determinantes.

The aim of this study was to verify the prevalence of induced abortion and associated factors at the time of inclusion in a cohort of women living with HIV/AIDS in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 1996 to 2016. Eligibility criteria for inclusion in the cohort were female sex at birth, age 18 years and older, and confirmed HIV infection. At the baseline visit, data on sexual, reproductive, and behavioral aspects and HIV infection were obtained through a face-to-face interview with the attending physician. Lifetime prevalence of induced abortion was calculated, and factors associated with induced abortion were verified by multiple logistic regression for all the women and for those with previous pregnancy. In the entire cohort of women, 30.4% reported a history of induced abortion, compared to 33.5% in women with previous pregnancy. Frequency of reported induced abortion showed a significant reduction during the period (41.7% in 1996-2000 versus 22.5% in 2011-2016, p < 0.001). Factors associated with induced abortion, both for the entire cohort and for the women with previous pregnancy, were age, schooling, ≥ 5 lifetime sexual partners, teenage pregnancy, lifetime use of any illicit drug, and inclusion in the cohort after the year 2005. Changes in the socioeconomic, sexual, reproductive, and HIV infection profile are possible explanations for the reduction in abortions during the period. Studies that use direct methods to measure abortion should be conducted in other populations to confirm the downward trend in induced abortion and its determinants in Brazil.

Hybrid capture as a tool for cervical lesions screening in HIV-infected women: insights from a Brazilian cohort

ABSTRACT Introduction: Cervical cancer remains an important burden for HIV-infected women in the era of combination antiretroviral therapy. Recommendations for cervical screening in these women diverge and may include high-risk HPV (HRHPV) testing. We aimed to evaluate the clinical usefulness of a single HRHPV testing for cervical screening of HIV-infected women. Methods: 723 HIV-infected women from a Brazilian prospective cohort were included between 1996 and 2012. Inclusion criteria were: normal cervical cytology at baseline and having a HRHPV-test at baseline. We calculated incidence rates of any squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) and high grade SIL+ (HSIL+) and negative predictive values (NPV) within 12 and 36 months. Hazard Ratios were obtained using Cox proportional hazards regression models. Results: Incidence rate for both outcomes was low (9.9 cases per 100 PY [95% CI 8.8-11.0] for any SIL and 1.3 cases per 100 PY [95% IC 0.9-1.8] for HSIL+). Women with a HRHPV positive status at baseline had 1.7-fold (95% CI 1.3-2.2) and 3.2-fold (95% CI 1.5-7.1) increased risk of presenting any SIL and HSIL+, respectively, during follow-up. Negative-HRHPV test presented high NPV for both periods and outcomes (any SIL: 92.4% [95% CI 89.7-94.6] for 12 months and 80.9% [95% CI 77.2-84.3] for 36 months; and HSIL+: 99.8% [95% CI 98.9-100.0] for 12 months and 99.0 [95% CI 97.6-99.7] for 36 months). Conclusions: Incidence of any and high grade cytological abnormality was significantly higher among HIV-infected women with positive-HRHPV test. A single negative-HRHPV test helped reassure follow-up free of cytological abnormalities through three years of follow-up in HIV-infected women with negative cytology.

Age-Standardized Mortality Rates Related to Cirrhosis in Brazil from 2000 to 2012: A Nationwide Analysis

ABSTRACT Background. Cirrhosis remains the most frequent liver-related cause of death worldwide and we aimed to evaluate its burden in Brazil from 2000 to 2012. Material and methods. The Brazilian National Death Registry was analyzed from 2000 to 2012. Death by cirrhosis was defined by the presence of I85, K73 and/or K74 ICD 10 codes in contributing or underlying causes of death on the death certificate (DC). Crude mortality rates were calculated as the ratio of the absolute number of deaths and the estimated population. Mortality rates were age-adjusted by the direct standardization method using the WHO standard population. Results. A total of 265,180 deaths where cirrhosis was mentioned on the DC [77% male, aged 56 years] occurred from 2000 to 2012. Cirrhosis codes were present in 46% of liver-related deaths and 2% of all deaths in this period. Despite an increase in the absolute number of deaths (n = 18,245 to 22,340), the age-standardized mortality rates (95%CI) decreased from 13.32 (13.16-13.48) to 11.71 (11.59-11.83) per 100,000 inhabitants from 2000 to 2012 (p < 0.001). This trend was not uniform across the country, with decreases in death rates in the South [14.46 (14.07-14.87) to 10.89 (10.59-11.19)] and Southeast [15.85 (15.6-16.09) to 12.52 (12.34-12.70)] and increases in the North [8.84 (8.24-9.43) to 11.53 (11.08-11.99)] and Northeast [9.41 (9.13-9.69) to 10.93 (10.68-11.17)] (p < 0.001 for all). Conclusion. Cirrhosis remains a major public health issue, despite the reduction in mortality rates in the last decade.

Hospitalization rates, length of stay and in-hospital mortality in a cohort of HIV infected patients from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Abstract In this study, we evaluated trends in hospitalization rates, length of stay and in-hospital mortality in a cohort of HIV-infected patients in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 2007 through 2013. Among the 3991 included patients, 1861 hospitalizations occurred (hospitalization rate of 10.44/100 person-years, 95% confidence interval 9.98-10.93/100 person-years). Hospitalization rates decreased annually (per year incidence rate ratio 0.92, 95% confidence interval 0.89-0.95) as well as length of stay (median of 15 days in 2007 vs. 11 days in 2013, p-value for trend < 0.001), and in-hospital mortality (13.4% in 2007 to 8.1% in 2013, p-value for trend = 0.053). Our results show that, in a middle-income setting, hospitalization rates are decreasing over time and non-AIDS hospitalizations are currently more frequent than those related to AIDS. Notwithstanding, compared with high-income settings, our patients had longer length of stay and higher in-hospital mortality. Further studies addressing these outcomes are needed to provide information that may guide protocols and interventions to further reduce health-care costs and in-hospital mortality.