Which aspects of education are health protective? a life course examination of early education and adulthood cardiometabolic health in the 30-year study of early child care and Youth Development (SECCYD).

BACKGROUND: Past research describes robust associations between education and health, yet findings have generally been limited to the examination of education as the number of years of education or educational attainment. Little is known about the specific features or processes underpinning education that are health protective. The objective of the current study was to address this gap by examining specific aspects of early education pertaining to student characteristics and experiences, as well as features of the classroom environment, in predicting cardiometabolic health in adulthood. METHODS: Subjects were 1364 participants in the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD, 1991-2009) and recent SECCYD 30-year follow-up, the Study of Health in Early and Adult Life (SHINE, 2018-2022). Models examined individual education indicators (student social skills, student-teacher relationship quality, and classroom emotional and instructional quality in the period of elementary school and student academic performance between ages 54 months and 15 years) in relation to a composite of cardiometabolic risk in adulthood (ages 26-31), reflecting central adiposity, blood pressure, insulin resistance, inflammation, and dyslipidemia. Models were adjusted for key explanatory factors including socio-demographics, infant characteristics, parental socioeconomic status (SES), and child health status. Follow-up analyses were performed to test potential mediators of early education effects on adult health, including adult SES (educational attainment, household income) and health behaviors (diet quality, activity level, sleep duration, smoking). RESULTS: In adjusted models, results showed greater student social skills, indexed by a mean of annual teacher ratings between kindergarten and 6th grade, predicted lower cardiometabolic risk in adulthood (ß=-0.009, p <.05). In follow-up analyses, results showed the protective effect of student social skills on cardiometabolic risk may be mediated by adult income (ß=-0.0014, p <.05) and diet quality (ß=-0.0031, p <.05). Effects of the other early education indicators were non-significant (ps > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Findings point to the potential significance of early student social competence as a link to long-term health, possibly via the acquisition of resources needed for the maintenance of health, as well as through engagement in health behaviors supporting healthy eating. However, more research is needed to replicate these findings and to elaborate on the role of early student social competence and the pathways explaining its effects on cardiometabolic health in adulthood.

Behavior Change Among HIV-Negative Men Who Have Sex with Men Not Using PrEP in the United States.

This study measures changes in condomless anal sex (CAS) among HIV-negative men who have sex with men (MSM) who are not taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). It considers the 2014-2019 cycles of the American Men's Internet Survey, a serial, cross-sectional web-based survey of US cisgender MSM aged ≥ 15 years, in which ~ 10% of each year's sample is drawn from the previous year. Among those surveyed for 2 years who remained HIV-negative and off PrEP, reports of having any CAS and of CAS partner number were compared across years. We disaggregated by partner HIV status, and considered demographic predictors. The overall population saw a significant 2.2 percentage-point (pp) increase in reports of any CAS year-over-year. Sub-populations with the largest year-on-year increases were 15-24-year-olds (5.0-pp) and Hispanic respondents (5.1-pp), with interaction (young Hispanic respondents = 12.8-pp). On the relative scale, these numbers correspond to 3.2%, 7.2%, 7.3% and 18.7%, respectively. Absolute increases were concentrated among partners reported as HIV-negative. Multivariable analyses for CAS initiation found effects concentrated among Hispanic and White youth and residents of fringe counties of large metropolitan areas. CAS partner number increases were similarly predicted by Hispanic identity and young age. Although condom use remains more common than PrEP use, increasing CAS among MSM not on PrEP suggests potential new HIV transmission pathways. Concentration of increases among 18-24-year-old MSM portends future increases in the proportion of newly diagnosed HIV that occur among youth. Concentration among young Hispanic MSM will likely expand existing disparities. Although reducing barriers to PrEP remains vital, condom promotion for MSM remains a key public health practice and appears to be missing key audiences. LGBTQ+-inclusive sex education is one avenue for enhancing these efforts.

Modeling the impact of changing sexual behaviors with opposite-sex partners and STI testing among women and men ages 15-44 on STI diagnosis rates in the United States 2012-2019.

Objective: To estimate the potential contributions of reported changes in frequency of penile-vaginal sex (PVS), condom use and STI screening to changes in gonorrhea and chlamydial diagnoses from 2012 to 2019. Methods: An agent-based model of the heterosexual population in the U.S. simulated the STI epidemics. Baseline was calibrated to 2012 diagnosis rates, testing, condom use, and frequency of PVS. Counterfactuals used behaviors from the 2017-2019 NSFG, and we evaluated changes in diagnosis and incidence rates in 2019. Results: Higher testing rates increased gonorrhea and chlamydia diagnosis by 14% and 13%, respectively, but did not reduce incidence. Declining frequency of PVS reduced the diagnosis rate for gonorrhea and chlamydia 6% and 3% respectively while reducing incidence by 10% and 9% respectively. Declining condom use had negligible impact on diagnosis and incidence. Conclusion: Understanding how changing behavior drives STI incidence is essential to addressing the growing epidemics. Changes in testing and frequency of PVS likely contributed to some, but not all, of the changes in diagnoses. More research is needed to understand the context within which changing sexual behavior and testing are occurring.

Potential contribution of PrEP uptake by adolescents 15-17 years old to achieving the "Ending the HIV Epidemic" incidence reduction goals in the US South.

BACKGROUND: The "Ending the HIV Epidemic" (EHE) initiative seeks to reduce new HIV infections in the U.S. by prioritizing federal resources towards highly impacted populations. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) are essential for reaching EHE goals. Adolescents are often at increased risk for HIV because they may lack agency in negotiating their sexual partnerships and may not have the same access to treatment and prevention as adults. This study estimates the potential contribution of expanded PrEP coverage among adolescents ages 15-17 to achieving the EHE goals in the South. METHODS: An HIV-transmission model was built to simulate the HIV epidemic in the South. Increased ART and PrEP uptake were systematically varied with and without PrEP eligibility including individuals age<18. RESULTS: Prioritizing PrEP for adolescents had a negligible impact on incidence. At 50% uptake among eligible adolescents and 90% ART coverage, including adolescents only improved the percentage of infections averted from 80.1% to 80.3%. In 10 of 15 scenarios explored, there was no reduction in new infections when PrEP eligibility was expanded to include adolescents age<18. At 95% ART coverage at the population-level incidence among adolescents declined by over 80%, but PrEP uptake among adolescents did not contribute to additional declines in incidence among adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: Prioritizing PrEP for adolescents did not significantly contribute to reaching EHE incidence reductions goal. Focusing resources to specific adolescent populations at risk, such sexual minority males in high incidence settings, will remain an important public health goal outside the context of EHE.

Changes in Oral and Anal Sex With Opposite-Sex Partners Among Sexually Active Females and Males Aged 15 to 44 Years in the United States: National Survey of Family Growth, 2011-2019.

BACKGROUND: Oral and anal sex with opposite-sex partners is common and associated with sexually transmitted infection (STI) transmission. Trends in these behaviors over the last decade, during which bacterial STI diagnoses have reached historic highs while HIV diagnoses have decreased, are not well understood. We examined recent trends in oral and anal sex and associated condom use with opposite-sex partners among females and males. METHODS: We analyzed data from 16,926 female and 13,533 male respondents aged 15 to 44 years who reported sex with an opposite-sex partner in the past 12 months from the National Survey of Family Growth, 2011-2019. We used survey-weighted linear or logistic regression to evaluate linear temporal trends in oral and anal sex behaviors. RESULTS: From 2011-2013 to 2017-2019, reports of oral sex and number of oral sex partners in the past 12 months increased among females (85.4% in 2011-2013 to 89.4% in 2017-2019; odds ratio [OR], 1.05 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.02-1.09], and ß = 0.014 [95% CI, 0.005-0.023]; respectively) but not males (ranges, 87.9%-89.1%; 1.27-1.31). Condom use at last oral sex decreased among both females and males (6.3%-4.3%: OR, 0.93 [95% CI, 0.88-0.99]; 5.9%-4.4%: OR, 0.95 [95% CI, 0.91-1.00]). Anal sex (ranges, 21.0%-23.3% [females] and 23.3%-24.6% [males]), number of anal sex partners (females, 0.22-0.25; males, 0.26-0.30), and condom use at last anal sex (females, 15.3%-18.2%; males, 27.0%-28.7%) remained stable. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of oral and anal sex with opposite-sex partners among U.S. 15- to 44-year-olds, paired with limited and-for oral sex-decreasing condom use, demonstrates the need to understand the role of these behaviors in increasing STI diagnosis rates and the potential role of extragenital screening and condoms in reducing STI transmission.

Modeling the impact of different PrEP targeting strategies combined with a clinic-based HIV-1 nucleic acid testing intervention in Kenya.

BACKGROUND: Up to 69% of adults who acquire HIV in Kenya seek care for acute retroviral symptoms, providing an important opportunity for early diagnosis and HIV care engagement. The Tambua Mapema Plus (TMP) trial tested a combined HIV-1 nucleic acid testing, linkage, treatment, and partner notification intervention for adults with symptoms of acute HIV infection presenting to health facilities in coastal Kenya. We estimated the potential impact on the Kenyan HIV epidemic of providing PrEP to individuals testing negative in TMP, if scaled up. METHODS: We developed an agent-based simulation of HIV-1 transmission using TMP data and current Kenyan statistics. PrEP interventions were layered onto a model of TMP as standard of care, to estimate additional potential population-level impact of enrolling HIV-negative individuals identified through TMP on PrEP over 10 years. Four scenarios were modeled: PrEP for uninfected individuals in disclosed serodiscordant couples; PrEP for individuals with concurrent partnerships; PrEP for all uninfected individuals identified through TMP; and PrEP integrated into the enhanced partner services component of TMP. FINDINGS: Providing PrEP to both individuals with concurrent partnerships and uninfected partners identified through enhanced partner services reduced new HIV infections and was efficient based on numbers needed to treat (NNT). The mean percent of infections averted was 2.79 (95%SI:-10.83, 15.24) and 4.62 (95%SI:-9.5, 16.82) when PrEP uptake was 50% and 100%, respectively, and median NNT was 22.54 (95%SI:not defined, 6.45) and 27.55 (95%SI:not defined, 11.0), respectively. Providing PrEP for all uninfected individuals identified through TMP averted up to 12.68% (95%SI:0.17, 25.19) of new infections but was not efficient based on the NNT: 200.24 (95%SI:523.81, 123.23). CONCLUSIONS: Providing PrEP to individuals testing negative for HIV-1 nucleic acid after presenting to a health facility with symptoms compatible with acute HIV adds value to the TMP intervention, provided PrEP is targeted effectively and efficiently. FUNDING: National Institutes of Health, Sub-Saharan African Network for TB/HIV Research Excellence.

Achieving the "Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S." incidence reduction goals among at-risk populations in the South.

INTRODUCTION: Antiretroviral medication coverage remains sub-optimal in much of the United States, particularly the Sothern region, and Non-Hispanic Black or African American persons (NHB) continue to be disproportionately impacted by the HIV epidemic. The "Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S." (EHE) initiative seeks to reduce HIV incidence nationally by focusing resources towards the most highly impacted localities and populations. This study evaluates the impact of hypothetical improvements in ART and PrEP coverage to estimate the levels of coverage needed to achieve EHE goals in the South. METHODS: We developed a stochastic, agent-based network model of 500,000 individuals to simulate the HIV epidemic and hypothetical improvements in ART and PrEP coverage. RESULTS: New infections declined by 78.6% at 90%/40% ART/PrEP and 94.3% at 100%/50% ART/PrEP. Declines in annual incidence rates surpassed 75% by 2025 with 90%/40% ART/PrEP and 90% by 2030 with 100%/50% ART/PrEP coverage. Increased ART coverage among NHB MSM was associated with a linear decline in incidence among all MSM. Declines in incidence among Hispanic/Latino and White/Other MSM were similar regardless of which MSM race group increased their ART coverage, while the benefit to NHB MSM was greatest when their own ART coverage increased. The incidence rate among NHB women declined by over a third when either NHB heterosexual men or NHB MSM increased their ART use respectively. Increased use of PrEP was associated with a decline in incidence for the groups using PrEP. MSM experienced the largest absolute declines in incidence with increasing PrEP coverage, followed by NHB women. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis indicates that it is possible to reach EHE goals. The largest reductions in HIV incidence can be achieved by increasing ART coverage among MSM and all race groups benefit regardless of differences in ART initiation by race. Improving ART coverage to > 90% should be prioritized with a particular emphasis on reaching NHB MSM. Such a focus will reduce the largest number of incident cases, reduce racial HIV incidence disparities among both MSM and women, and reduce racial health disparities among persons with HIV. NHB women should also be prioritized for PrEP outreach.

Impacts of COVID-19 on sexual behaviors, HIV prevention and care among men who have sex with men: A comparison of New York City and Metropolitan Atlanta.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted HIV prevention, care, and transmission opportunities. This likely varies by geography, given differences in COVID-19 burden and mandates over time, and by age, given different likelihoods of severe COVID-19 consequences. We consider changes in sexual behavior, HIV testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use and antiretroviral therapy (ART) use among men who have sex with men (MSM) over the first year of the COVID-19 epidemic, comparing the Atlanta metropolitan area and New York City (NYC). We use two continuous time-series datasets and one panel dataset, assessing changes over time within city and comparing across cities, and disaggregate major findings by age. For clinical results, ART use showed by far the smallest reductions, and testing the largest. Disruptions occurred concurrently between cities, despite the major wave of COVID-19, and government mandates, occurring later in Atlanta. Test positivity increased in NYC only. In both cities, younger MSM saw the greatest reductions in testing and PrEP use, but the smallest in sexual behavior. Reduced clinical service usage would be unconcerning if stemming solely from reductions in exposure; however, the patterns for young MSM suggest that the COVID-19 epidemic likely generated new conditions for increased HIV transmission, especially in this cohort.

Changes in Sexual Behaviors with Opposite-Sex Partners and Sexually Transmitted Infection Outcomes Among Females and Males Ages 15-44 Years in the USA: National Survey of Family Growth, 2008-2019.

Rates of reported gonorrhea and chlamydial infections have increased substantially over the past decade in the USA and disparities persist across age and race/ethnicity. We aimed to understand potential changes in sexual behaviors, sexual network attributes, and sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening that may be contributing to these trends. We analyzed data from 29,423 female and 24,605 male respondents ages 15-44 years from the National Survey of Family Growth, 2008-2019. We used survey-weighted linear or logistic regression to evaluate linear temporal trends in sexual behaviors with opposite-sex partners, network attributes, and STI testing, treatment, and diagnosis. Significant declines were observed in condom use at last vaginal sex, mean number of vaginal sex acts, proportion of condom-protected sex acts in the past 4 weeks, and racial/ethnic homophily with current partners among males and females from 2008-2010 through 2017-2019. Among males, mean number of female partners in the past 12 months and concurrency also declined, while the percent reporting ever having sex with another male increased. Past-year testing for chlamydia and any STI increased among females. Research is needed to understand how these changes interact and potentially contribute to increasing reported gonorrhea and chlamydia diagnoses and identify avenues for future intervention.

Testing strategies to detect acute and prevalent HIV infection in adult outpatients seeking healthcare for symptoms compatible with acute HIV infection in Kenya: a cost-effectiveness analysis.

BACKGROUND: Detection of acute and prevalent HIV infection using point-of-care nucleic acid amplification testing (POC-NAAT) among outpatients with symptoms compatible with acute HIV is critical to HIV prevention, but it is not clear if it is cost-effective compared with existing HIV testing strategies. METHODS: We developed and parametrised a decision tree to compare the cost-effectiveness of (1) provider-initiated testing and counselling (PITC) using rapid tests, the standard of care; (2) scaled-up provider-initiated testing and counselling (SU-PITC) in which all patients were tested with rapid tests unless they opted out; and (3) opt-out testing and counselling using POC-NAAT, which detects both acute and prevalent infection. The model-based analysis used data from the Tambua Mapema Plus randomised controlled trial of a POC-NAAT intervention in Kenya, supplemented with results from a stochastic, agent-based network model of HIV-1 transmission and data from published literature. The analysis was conducted from the perspective of the Kenyan government using a primary outcome of cost per disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) averted over a 10-year time horizon. RESULTS: After analysing the decision-analytical model, the average per patient cost of POC-NAAT was $214.9 compared with $173.6 for SU-PITC and $47.3 for PITC. The mean DALYs accumulated per patient for POC-NAAT were 0.160 compared with 0.176 for SU-PITC and 0.214 for PITC. In the incremental analysis, SU-PITC was eliminated due to extended dominance, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) comparing POC-NAAT to PITC was $3098 per DALY averted. The ICER was sensitive to disability weights for HIV/AIDS and the costs of antiretroviral therapy. CONCLUSION: POC-NAAT offered to adult outpatients in Kenya who present for care with symptoms compatible with AHI is cost-effective and should be considered for inclusion as the standard of HIV testing in this population. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Tambua Mapema ("Discover Early") Plus study (NCT03508908) conducted in Kenya (2017-2020) i.e., Post-results.

Modeling the Impact of HIV-1 Nucleic Acid Testing Among Symptomatic Adult Outpatients in Kenya.

BACKGROUND: Up to 69% of adults who acquire HIV in Kenya seek care before seroconversion, providing an important opportunity for early diagnosis and treatment. The Tambua Mapema Plus (TMP) trial tested a combined HIV-1 nucleic acid testing, linkage, treatment, and partner notification intervention for adults aged 18-39 years with symptoms of acute HIV infection presenting to health facilities in coastal Kenya. We estimated the potential impact of TMP on the Kenyan HIV epidemic. METHODS: We developed an agent-based network model of HIV-1 transmission using TMP data and Kenyan statistics to estimate potential population-level impact of targeted facility-based testing over 10 years. Three scenarios were modeled: standard care [current use of provider-initiated testing and counseling (PITC)], standard HIV rapid testing scaled to higher coverage obtained in TMP (scaled-up PITC), and the TMP intervention. RESULTS: Standard care resulted in 90.7% of persons living with HIV (PLWH) knowing their status, with 67.5% of those diagnosed on treatment. Scaled-up PITC resulted in 94.4% of PLWH knowing their status and 70.4% of those diagnosed on treatment. The TMP intervention achieved 97.5% of PLWH knowing their status and 80.6% of those diagnosed on treatment. The percentage of infections averted was 1.0% (95% simulation intervals: -19.2% to 19.9%) for scaled-up PITC and 9.4% (95% simulation intervals: -8.1% to 24.5%) for TMP. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that leveraging new technologies to identify acute HIV infection among symptomatic outpatients is superior to scaled-up PITC in this population, resulting in >95% knowledge of HIV status, and would reduce new HIV infections in Kenya.

Effect of an opt-out point-of-care HIV-1 nucleic acid testing intervention to detect acute and prevalent HIV infection in symptomatic adult outpatients and reduce HIV transmission in Kenya: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: In sub-Saharan Africa, adult outpatients with symptoms of acute infectious illness are not routinely tested for prevalent or acute HIV infection (AHI) when seeking healthcare. METHODS: Adult symptomatic outpatients aged 18-39 years were evaluated by a consensus AHI risk score. Patients with a risk score ≥ 2 and no previous HIV diagnosis were enrolled in a stepped-wedge trial of opt-out delivery of point-of-care (POC) HIV-1 nucleic acid testing (NAAT), compared with standard provider-initiated HIV testing using rapid tests in the observation period. The primary outcome was the number of new diagnoses in each study period. Generalized estimating equations with a log-binomial link and robust variance estimates were used to account for clustering by health facility. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03508908. RESULTS: Between 2017 and 2020, 13 (0.9%) out of 1374 participants in the observation period and 37 (2.5%) out of 1500 participants in the intervention period were diagnosed with HIV infection. Of the 37 newly diagnosed cases in the intervention period, two (5.4%) had AHI. Participants in the opt-out intervention had a two-fold greater odds of being diagnosed with HIV (odds ratio = 2.2, 95% confidence interval: 1.39-3.51) after adjustment for factors imbalanced across study periods. CONCLUSIONS: Among symptomatic adults aged 18-39 years targeted by our POC NAAT intervention, we identified one chronic HIV infection for every 40 patients and one AHI patient for every 750 patients tested. Although AHI yield was low in this population, routinely offered opt-out testing could diagnose twice as many patients as an approach relying on provider discretion.

Effective strategies to promote HIV self-testing for men who have sex with men: Evidence from a mathematical model.

BACKGROUND: HIV testing is the gateway to HIV treatment and prevention. HIV self-testing (HIVST) has potential to increase testing; however, the potential population-level impact of HIVST on the HIV epidemic and the best strategies for promoting HIVST are unknown. Our aim is to inform public health approaches for promoting HIVST as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce HIV incidence. METHODS: Stochastic network-based HIV transmission models were used to estimate how different HIVST strategies would affect HIV incidence in Seattle and Atlanta over 10 years. We included four types of HIV testers and implemented nine replacement and eleven supplementation strategies for HIVST. RESULTS: Replacement of clinic-based tests with HIVST increased HIV incidence in Seattle and Atlanta. The benefits of supplementary strategies depended on the tester type using HIVST. Targeting non-testers averted the highest number of cases per test. In Seattle 2.2 (95%SI=-77, 100.4) and 4.7 (95%SI=-35.7, 60.1) infections were averted per 1000 HIVST when non-testers used HIVST once or twice per year respectively. In Atlanta the comparable rates were 8.0 (95%SI=-60.3 to 77.7) and 6.7 (95%SI=-37.7, 41.0). Paradoxically, increasing testing among risk-based testers using HIVST increased incidence. CONCLUSIONS: The population-level impact of HIVST depends on who is reached with HIVST, how kits are used, and by characteristics of the underlying epidemic and HIV care infrastructure. Targeted HIVST can be an effective component of a comprehensive HIV testing strategy. More work is needed to understand how to identify and target non-testers for self-testing implementation.

Effects of Condom Use on Human Immunodeficiency Virus Transmission Among Adolescent Sexual Minority Males in the United States: A Mixed Epidemiology and Epidemic Modeling Study.

BACKGROUND: We examined condom use patterns and potential population-level effects of a hypothetical condom intervention on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission among adolescent sexual minority males (ASMM). METHODS: Using 3 data sets: national Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2015 to 2017 (YRBS-National), local YRBS data from 8 jurisdictions with sex of partner questions from 2011 to 2017 (YRBS-Trends), and American Men's Internet Survey (AMIS) 2014 to 2017, we assessed associations of condom use with year, age, and race/ethnicity among sexually active ASMM. Using a stochastic agent-based network epidemic model, structured and parameterized based on the above analyses, we calculated the percent of HIV infections averted over 10 years among ASMM ages 13 to 18 years by an intervention that increased condom use by 37% for 5 years and was delivered to 62% of ASMM at age 14 years. RESULTS: In YRBS, 51.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 41.3-62.3%) and 37.9% (95% CI, 32.7-42.3%) reported condom use at last sexual intercourse in national and trend data sets, respectively. In AMIS, 47.3% (95% CI, 44.6-49.9%) reported condom use at last anal sex with a male partner. Temporal trends were not observed in any data set (P > 0.1). Condom use varied significantly by age in YRBS-National (P < 0.0001) and YRBS-Trends (P = 0.032) with 13- to 15-year-olds reporting the lowest use in both; age differences were not significant in AMIS (P = 0.919). Our hypothetical intervention averted a mean of 9.0% (95% simulation interval, -5.4% to 21.2%) of infections among ASMM. CONCLUSIONS: Condom use among ASMM is low and appears to have remained stable during 2011 to 2017. Modeling suggests that condom use increases, consistent with previous interventions, have potential to avert 1 in 11 new HIV infections among ASMM.

Impacts of Changing Sexual Behavior on Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Burden Among US High School Students, 2007 to 2017.

BACKGROUND: Rates of adolescent sexual activity have long been declining in the United States. We sought to estimate the number of cases of gonorrhea and chlamydia averted over 1 decade associated with these declines and associated costs saved. METHODS: We analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Survey of US high school students from 2007 to 2017 and combined it with epidemiological estimates drawn from the literature to parameterize a dynamic population transmission model. We compared transmissions from observed behavioral trends with a counterfactual scenario that assumed sexual behaviors from 2007 remained constant for 10 years. We calculated outcomes by age and for 3 racial/ethnic groups (Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White adolescents) who vary on underlying burden and amount of behavioral change. RESULTS: We estimated 1,118,483 cases of chlamydia and 214,762 cases of gonorrhea were averted (19.5% of burden across all ages). This yielded $474 million (2017 dollars) savings in medical costs over the decade. The largest number of averted cases (767,543) was among Black adolescents, but the largest proportion (28.7%) was among Hispanic adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: Whatever its origins, changing sexual behavior among adolescents results in large estimated reductions in STI burden and medical costs relative to previous cohorts. Although diagnoses among adolescents have not declined at this rate, multiple explanations could make these apparently divergent trends consistent. Efforts to continue supporting effective sex education in and out of school along with STI screening for adolescents should reinforce these gains.

Modeling the Impact of PrEP Programs for Adolescent Sexual Minority Males Based on Empirical Estimates for the PrEP Continuum of Care.

PURPOSE: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)-an effective and safe intervention to prevent HIV transmission-was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use by adolescents. Informed by studies of sexual behavior and PrEP adherence, retention, and promotion, we model the potential impact of PrEP use among at-risk adolescent sexual minority males. METHODS: We simulate an HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men (MSM) aged 13-39. We assume adult MSM ages 19-39 have had PrEP available for 3 years with 20% coverage among eligible MSM based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. PrEP interventions for ages 16-18 are then simulated using adherence and retention profiles drawn from the ATN113 and Enhancing Preexposure Prophylaxis in Community studies across a range of uptake parameters (10%-100%). Partnerships across age groups were modeled using parameterizations from the RADAR study. We compare the percent of incident infections averted (impact), person-years on PrEP per infection averted (efficiency), and changes in prevalence over 10 years. RESULTS: As compared to no PrEP use, baseline PrEP adherence and retention among adolescent sexual minority males drawn from the ATN113 and Enhancing Preexposure Prophylaxis in Community studies averted from 2.8% to 41.0% of HIV infections depending on the fraction of eligible adolescent sexual minority males that initiated PrEP at their annual health-care visit. Improved adherence and retention achieved with an array of focused interventions from real-world settings increased the percent of infections averted by as much as 26%-70%. CONCLUSIONS: Empirically demonstrated improvements in the PrEP continuum of care in response to existing interventions can substantially reduce incident HIV infections among adolescent sexual minority males.

A Novel HIV-1 RNA Testing Intervention to Detect Acute and Prevalent HIV Infection in Young Adults and Reduce HIV Transmission in Kenya: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Detection and management of acute HIV infection (AHI) is a clinical and public health priority, and HIV infections diagnosed among young adults aged 18 to 39 years are usually recent. Young adults with recent HIV acquisition frequently seek care for symptoms and could potentially be diagnosed through the health care system. Early recognition of HIV infection provides considerable individual and public health benefits, including linkage to treatment as prevention, access to risk reduction counseling and treatment, and notification of partners in need of HIV testing. OBJECTIVE: The Tambua Mapema Plus study aims to (1) test 1500 young adults (aged 18-39 years) identified by an AHI screening algorithm for acute and prevalent (ie, seropositive) HIV, linking all newly diagnosed HIV-infected patients to care and offering immediate treatment; (2) offer assisted HIV partner notification services to all patients with HIV, testing partners for acute and prevalent HIV infection and identifying local sexual networks; and (3) model the potential impact of these two interventions on the Kenyan HIV epidemic, estimating incremental costs per HIV infection averted, death averted, and disability-adjusted life year averted using data on study outcomes. METHODS: A modified stepped-wedge design is evaluating the yield of this HIV testing intervention at 4 public and 2 private health facilities in coastal Kenya before and after intervention delivery. The intervention uses point-of-care HIV-1 RNA testing combined with standard rapid antibody tests to diagnose AHI and prevalent HIV among young adults presenting for care, employs HIV partner notification services to identify linked acute and prevalent infections, and follows all newly diagnosed patients and their partners for 12 months to ascertain clinical outcomes, including linkage to care, antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation and virologic suppression in HIV-infected patients, and pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake in uninfected individuals in discordant partnerships. RESULTS: Enrollment started in December 2017. As of April 2020, 1374 participants have been enrolled in the observation period and 1500 participants have been enrolled in the intervention period, with 13 new diagnoses (0.95%) in the observation period and 37 new diagnoses (2.47%), including 2 AHI diagnoses, in the intervention period. Analysis is ongoing and will include adjusted comparisons of the odds of the following outcomes in the observation and intervention periods: being tested for HIV infection, newly diagnosed with prevalent or acute HIV infection, linked to care, and starting ART by week 6 following HIV diagnosis. Participants newly diagnosed with acute or prevalent HIV infection in the intervention period are being followed for outcomes, including viral suppression by month 6 and month 12 following ART initiation and partner testing outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The Tambua Mapema Plus study will provide foundational data on the potential of this novel combination HIV prevention intervention to reduce ongoing HIV transmission in Kenya and other high-prevalence African settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03508908; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03508908. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/16198.

Predicting the impact of sexual behavior change on adolescent STI in the US and New York State: a case study of the teen-SPARC tool.

PURPOSE: Adolescents aged 13-18 years bear a large burden of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and changing adolescent sexual risk behavior is a key component of reducing this burden. We demonstrate a novel publicly available modeling tool (teen-SPARC) to help state and local health departments predict the impact of behavioral change on gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HIV burden among adolescents. METHODS: Teen-SPARC is built in Excel for familiarity and ease and parameterized using data from CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. We present teen-SPARC's methods, including derivation of national parameters and instructions to obtain local parameters. We model multiple scenarios of increasing condom use and estimate the impact on gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HIV incidence, comparing national and New York State (NYS) results. RESULTS: A 1% annual increase in condom use (consistent with Healthy People 2020 goals) could prevent nearly 10,000 cases of STIs nationwide. Increases in condom use of 17.1%, 2.2%, and 25.5% in NYS would be necessary to avert 1000 cases of gonorrhea, 1000 cases of chlamydia, and 10 cases of HIV infection, respectively. Additional results disaggregate outcomes by age, sex, partner sex, jurisdiction, and pathogen. CONCLUSION: Teen-SPARC may be able to assist health departments aiming to tailor behavioral interventions for STI prevention among adolescents.

Cost-Effectiveness of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Among Adolescent Sexual Minority Males.

PURPOSE: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been proven safe and effective in preventing HIV among adolescent sexual minority males (ASMM), but the cost-effectiveness of PrEP in ASMM remains unknown. Building on a recent epidemiological network modeling study of PrEP among ASMM, we estimated the cost-effectiveness of PrEP use in a high prevalence U.S. setting with significant disparities in HIV between black and white ASMM. METHODS: Based on the estimated number of infections averted and the number of ASMM on PrEP from the previous model and published estimates of PrEP costs, HIV treatment costs, and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained per infection prevented, we estimated the cost-effectiveness of PrEP use in black and white ASMM over 10 years using a societal perspective and lifetime horizon. Effectiveness was measured as lifetime QALYs gained. Cost estimates included 10-year PrEP costs and lifetime HIV treatment costs saved. Cost-effectiveness was measured as cost/QALY gained. Multiple sensitivity analyses were performed on key model input parameters and assumptions used. RESULTS: Under base-case assumptions, PrEP use yielded an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $33,064 per QALY in black ASMM and $427,788 per QALY in white ASMM. In all sensitivity analyses, the cost-effectiveness ratio of PrEP use remained <$100,000 per QALY in black ASMM and >$100,000 per QALY in white ASMM. CONCLUSIONS: We found favorable cost-effectiveness ratios for PrEP use among black ASMM or other ASMM in communities with high HIV burden at current PrEP costs. Clinicians providing services in high-prevalence communities, and particularly those serving high-prevalence communities of color, should consider including PrEP services.