Hiv - Human Immunodeficiency Virus

The risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is increased in people with HIV infection, including young patients and those with few traditional cardiovascular risk factors. The increased risk of cardiovascular disease among people living with HIV is due to accelerated atherosclerosis, caused by chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation. The measurement of coronary calcium using plain computed tomography is a subclinical indicator of coronary atherosclerosis and is associated with the risk of cardiovascular events and mortality in the general population.

Youth living with HIV (YLHIV) face barriers to engagement and retention in HIV care, show poor medication adherence, and often fail to achieve and maintain viral suppression. YLHIV in the southern United States have particularly poor care engagement outcomes. South Carolina is one of nine states identified as "key drivers" of the US HIV epidemic, and HIV rates for youth in South Carolina have risen in recent years. Tailored interventions are urgently needed to improve outcomes for this population. One promising approach is to reach YLHIV via mobile Health (mHealth) technology, yet few efforts have sought to tailor mHealth interventions to the needs of YLHIV in the southern US. Thus, the scientific objective of this study is to pilot test a new mHealth intervention, called MindBodyU, designed to increase engagement/retention in care and ART adherence among YLHIV in South Carolina. In this study, investigators will evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of the mHealth intervention with a six-month pilot trial with 40 YLHIV in South Carolina.

This is a two-arm cluster randomized control trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a single-visit point-of-care (POC) test and treat bundle (intervention arm) compared to the current standard-of-care (SOC, control arm). 1:1 randomization occurs at the site level.

In this project, the investigators will conduct a clinical trial to test the effectiveness and implementation of IDEAS for Hope, a 3-session telehealth counseling intervention delivered by nurses, to reduce suicidality and improve HIV care engagement among PLWH in Tanzania. The investigators will also examine mechanisms of change and implementation outcomes of the intervention, including cost-effectiveness, to disseminate a feasible, scalable, and sustainable intervention and implementation package to address a critical mental health comorbidity in HIV care.

Performance study to evaluate the clinical performance of the In-Vitro Diagnostic Medical Device MagIA H3S (a Multiplex Point-of-Care test for the combined detection of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B and C and Syphilis) from pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) services in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This study aligns with the WHO 2022-2030 strategy for the integrated elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, HBV, HCV, and syphilis.

The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of providing oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and opioid agonist therapy (OAT) simultaneously in existing pharmacy-based programs operating in Alberta and Saskatchewan, to collect preference, adherence, and persistence data on oral PrEP, and to assess interest / acceptability of long-lasting injectable options for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention.

Background:Historically, HIV infection was associated with significant weight loss. However, weight gain is now commonly observed after initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART), particularly in individuals underweight at baseline. It remains unclear whether this weight gain reflects a "return to health" or results from drug-related or metabolic effects, and whether it persists beyond immune restoration. Recent evidence indicates that ART regimens containing second-generation integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs), such as bictegravir combined with tenofovir alafenamide, are associated with greater weight gain compared to other antiretroviral combinations, raising concerns about potential long-term metabolic consequences.Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of Doravirine/Lamivudine/Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate (DOR/3TC/TDF) compared with Bictegravir/Emtricitabine/Tenofovir Alafenamide (BIC/FTC/TAF) in ART-naïve people living with HIV (PWH) who are overweight or obese.Materials and Methods:This open-label, randomized clinical trial, approved by the Ethics and Scientific Research Committee (No. 3502), will be conducted at the Infectious Diseases Hospital of the National Medical Center "La Raza" from May 2025 to May 2027. ART-naïve PWH, recently diagnosed, with no prior use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) or post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), who do not require hospitalization, and have a body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m² and body fat \>20%, will be invited to participate. Participants will provide written informed consent and be randomized 1:1 to receive either DOR/3TC/TDF or BIC/FTC/TAF.