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Oldenburg, Catherine E.

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Oldenburg

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Catherine E.

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Oldenburg, Catherine E.
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    Intimacy versus Isolation: A Qualitative Study of Sexual Practices among Sexually Active HIV-Infected Patients in HIV Care in Brazil, Thailand, and Zambia
    (Public Library of Science, 2015) Closson, Elizabeth F.; Mimiaga, Matthew J.; Sherman, Susan G.; Tangmunkongvorakul, Arunrat; Friedman, Ruth K.; Limbada, Mohammed; Moore, Ayana T.; Srithanaviboonchai, Kriengkrai; Alves, Carla A.; Roberts, Sarah; Oldenburg, Catherine E.; Elharrar, Vanessa; Mayer, Kenneth; Safren, Steven A.
    The success of global treatment as prevention (TasP) efforts for individuals living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) is dependent on successful implementation, and therefore the appropriate contribution of social and behavioral science to these efforts. Understanding the psychosocial context of condomless sex among PLWHA could shed light on effective points of intervention. HPTN 063 was an observational mixed-methods study of sexually active, in-care PLWHA in Thailand, Zambia, and Brazil as a foundation for integrating secondary HIV prevention into HIV treatment. From 2010–2012, 80 qualitative interviews were conducted with PLWHA receiving HIV care and reported recent sexual risk. Thirty men who have sex with women (MSW) and 30 women who have sex with men (WSM) participated in equal numbers across the sites. Thailand and Brazil also enrolled 20 biologically-born men who have sex with men (MSM). Part of the interview focused on the impact of HIV on sexual practices and relationships. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, translated into English and examined using qualitative descriptive analysis. The mean age was 25 (SD = 3.2). There were numerous similarities in experiences and attitudes between MSM, MSW and WSM across the three settings. Participants had a high degree of HIV transmission risk awareness and practiced some protective sexual behaviors such as reduced sexual activity, increased use of condoms, and external ejaculation. Themes related to risk behavior can be categorized according to struggles for intimacy and fears of isolation, including: fear of infecting a sex partner, guilt about sex, sexual communication difficulty, HIV-stigma, and worry about sexual partnerships. Emphasizing sexual health, intimacy and protective practices as components of nonjudgmental sex-positive secondary HIV prevention interventions is recommended. For in-care PLWHA, this approach has the potential to support TasP. The overlap of themes across groups and countries indicates that similar intervention content may be effective for a range of settings.
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    Maternal Caffeine Consumption during Pregnancy and Risk of Low Birth Weight: A Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies
    (Public Library of Science, 2015) Rhee, Jongeun; Kim, Rockli; Kim, Yongjoo; Tam, Melanie; Lai, Yizhen; Keum, NaNa; Oldenburg, Catherine E.
    Epidemiologic studies have shown inconsistent conclusions about the effect of caffeine intake during pregnancy on the risk of low birth weight (LBW). We performed a meta-analysis and linear-dose response analysis examining the association between caffeine consumption during pregnancy and risk of LBW. PubMed and EMBASE were searched for relevant articles published up to March 2014. Eight cohort and four case-control studies met all inclusion criteria. Using a random-effects model of the twelve studies, the pooled odds ratio (OR) for the risk of LBW comparing the highest versus lowest level of caffeine intake during pregnancy was 1.38 (95% CI: 1.10, 1.73). Linear dose-response analysis showed that every additional 100 mg of caffeine intake (1 cup of coffee or 2 cups of tea) per day during pregnancy was associated with a 3.0% increase in OR for LBW. There was a moderate level of overall heterogeneity with an I-squared value of 55% (95% CI: 13, 76%), and no evidence of publication bias based on Egger’s test (P = 0.20) and the funnel plot. Thus, high caffeine intake during pregnancy is associated with a significant increase in the risk of LBW, and this risk appears to increase linearly as caffeine intake increases.
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    Knowledge, Beliefs and Practices Regarding Antiretroviral Medications for HIV Prevention: Results from a Survey of Healthcare Providers in New England
    (Public Library of Science, 2015) Krakower, Douglas; Oldenburg, Catherine E.; Mitty, Jennifer A.; Wilson, Ira B.; Kurth, Ann E.; Maloney, Kevin M.; Gallagher, Donna; Mayer, Kenneth
    Background: Antiretroviral treatment for HIV-infection before immunologic decline (early ART) and pre-exposure chemoprophylaxis (PrEP) can prevent HIV transmission, but routine adoption of these practices by clinicians has been limited. Methods: Between September and December 2013, healthcare practitioners affiliated with a regional AIDS Education and Training Center in New England were invited to complete online surveys assessing knowledge, beliefs and practices regarding early ART and PrEP. Multivariable models were utilized to determine characteristics associated with prescribing intentions and practices. Results: Surveys were completed by 184 practitioners. Respondent median age was 44 years, 58% were female, and 82% were white. Among ART-prescribing clinicians (61% of the entire sample), 64% were aware that HIV treatment guidelines from the Department of Health and Human Services recommended early ART, and 69% indicated they would prescribe ART to all HIV-infected patients irrespective of immunologic status. However, 77% of ART-prescribing clinicians would defer ART for patients not ready to initiate treatment. Three-fourths of all respondents were aware of guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommending PrEP provision, 19% had prescribed PrEP, and 58% of clinicians who had not prescribed PrEP anticipated future prescribing. Practitioners expressed theoretical concerns and perceived practical barriers to prescribing early ART and PrEP. Clinicians with higher percentages of HIV-infected patients (aOR 1.16 per 10% increase in proportion of patients with HIV-infection, 95% CI 1.01–1.34) and infectious diseases specialists (versus primary care physicians; aOR 3.32, 95% CI 0.98–11.2) were more likely to report intentions to prescribe early ART. Higher percentage of HIV-infected patients was also associated with having prescribed PrEP (aOR 1.19, 95% CI 1.06–1.34), whereas female gender (aOR 0.26, 95% CI 0.10–0.71) was associated with having not prescribed PrEP. Conclusions: These findings suggest many clinicians have shifted towards routinely recommending early ART, but not PrEP, so interventions to facilitate PrEP provision are needed.
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    Global Burden of HIV among Men Who Engage in Transactional Sex: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
    (Public Library of Science, 2014) Oldenburg, Catherine E.; Perez-Brumer, Amaya G.; Reisner, Sari L.; Mattie, Jason; Bärnighausen, Till; Mayer, Kenneth H.; Mimiaga, Matthew J.
    Background: Men who engage in transactional sex, the exchange of sex for money, goods, or other items of value, are thought to be at increased risk of HIV, but there have been no systematic attempts to characterize HIV burden in this population. We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify the burden in this population compared with that of men in the general population to better inform future HIV prevention efforts. Methods: We searched seven electronic databases, national surveillance reports, and conference abstracts for studies of men who engage in transactional sex published between 2004–2013. Random effects meta-analysis was used to determine pooled HIV prevalence and prevalence ratios (PR) for the difference in HIV prevalence among men who engage in transactional sex as compared to general population men. Findings: Of 66 studies included representing 31,924 men who had engaged in transactional sex in 28 countries, pooled biological assay-confirmed HIV prevalence was 10.5% (95% CI = 9.4 to 11.5%). The highest pooled HIV prevalence was in Sub-Saharan Africa (31.5%, 95% CI = 21.6 to 41.5%), followed by Latin America (19.3%, 95% CI = 15.5 to 23.1%), North America (16.6%, 95% CI = 3.7 to 29.5%), and Europe (12.2%, 95% CI = 6.0 to 17.2%). Men who engaged in transactional sex had an elevated burden of HIV compared to the general male population (PR = 20.7, 95% CI = 16.8 to 25.5). Conclusions: The global burden of HIV is disproportionately high among men who engage in transactional sex compared with the general male population. There is an urgent need to include this population in systematic surveillance as well as to scale-up access to quality HIV prevention programs.
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    HIV Treatment and Prevention in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: Individual, Couple, and Household Effects of Antiretroviral Therapy
    (2016-05-03) Oldenburg, Catherine E.; Seage, George R.; Mimiaga, Matthew J.; Mayer, Kenneth; De Gruttola, Victor; Bärnighausen, Till
    In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced revised guidelines for the treatment of HIV, recommending immediate initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for all HIV-infected individuals worldwide. This recommendation was based on the results of several landmark randomized controlled trials of immediate ART initiation that documented substantial decreases in HIV transmission within couples and improvements in clinical outcomes in individuals. However, the degree to which global scale-up of immediate ART initiation will result in reductions in HIV transmission and gains in life expectancy depends on real-world effectiveness. Outside of trials, a large proportion of HIV-infected individuals do not know their status and resource constraints can affect the supply of ART. Using the Africa Centre for Population Health’s demographic and HIV surveillance program, a population-based open cohort that has been conducting annual surveillance since 2000, this dissertation evaluates the effectiveness of ART in a real-world setting at multiple levels, including for individuals, within couples, and in households. First, this dissertation analyzes the effect of ART uptake in serodiscordant couples in the risk of HIV acquisition by the uninfected partner. Second, the effectiveness of immediate eligibility for ART on household-level HIV acquisition is assessed. Finally, the effect of immediate ART eligibility and uptake on survival in HIV-infected individuals is examined using two causal modeling approaches. ART was found to be highly effective at preventing new infections and reducing mortality in a hyperendemic region of rural KwaZulu-Natal. In serodiscordant couples, the use of ART was associated with a 77% reduction in HIV acquisition in this cohort, a dramatic decrease in HIV transmission despite the severe resource constraints of the area. As expected, the effect in households where not all members are sexual partners was less pronounced, with a 53% reduction in HIV transmission. Finally, the use of ART led to a 35-40% decrease in all-cause mortality. Taken together, these results indicate a strong protective effect of ART outside of a tightly controlled clinical trial setting. The scale-up of immediate ART eligibility and initiation in Sub-Saharan Africa likely will lead to significant reductions in the HIV epidemic and in the survival of HIV-infected individuals.
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    Multiple syndemic psychosocial factors are associated with reduced engagement in HIV care among a multinational, online sample of HIV-infected MSM in Latin America
    (Taylor & Francis, 2016) Biello, Katie B.; Oldenburg, Catherine E.; Safren, Steven A.; Rosenberger, Joshua G.; Novak, David S.; Mayer, Kenneth; Mimiaga, Matthew J.
    ABSTRACT Latin America has some of the highest levels of antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage of any developing region in the world. Early initiation and optimal adherence to ART are necessary for improved health outcomes and reduction in onward transmission. Previous work has demonstrated the role of psychosocial problems as barriers to uptake and adherence to ART, and recently, a syndemic framework has been applied to the role of multiple psychosocial syndemic factors and adherence to ART, in the USA. However, to our knowledge, these associations have not been investigated outside of the USA, nor in a multi-country context. To address these gaps, we assessed the association between multiple co-occurring psychosocial factors and engagement in HIV-related medical care and adherence to ART among a large, multinational sample of sexually-active HIV-infected men who have sex with men in Latin America. Among the 2020 respondents, 80.7% reported currently receiving HIV-related medical care, 72.3% reported currently receiving ART; among those, 62.5% reported 100% adherence. Compared with experiencing no psychosocial health problems, experiencing five or more psychosocial health problems is associated with 42% lower odds of currently receiving HIV-related medical care (adjusted odds ratio, aOR = 0.58, 95% CI 0.36, 0.95) and of currently receiving ART (aOR = 0.58, 95% CI 0.38, 0.91). The number of psychosocial health problems experienced was associated with self-reported ART adherence in a dose–response relationship; compared to those with none of the factors, individuals with one syndemic factor had 23% lower odds (aOR = 0.77, 95% CI 0.60, 0.97) and individuals with five or more syndemic factors had 72% lower odds (aOR = 0.28, 95% CI 0.14, 0.55) of reporting being 100% adherent to ART. Addressing co-occurring psychosocial problems as potential barriers to uptake and adherence of ART in Latin America may improve the effectiveness of secondary prevention interventions.