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Building a (UN) condom manufacturing plant for social marketing projects

Yonese T

Integration, 1994 Dec.
PMID: 12319132
Matched MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome*
Inter-country consultation

Reid E

AIDS Health Promot Exch, 1993.
PMID: 12287485
Matched MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome*
Sex tourism in Thailand

Van Kerkwijk C

AIDS Soc, 1992 Oct-Nov;4(1):6-7.
PMID: 12286018
Matched MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome*
Rights of patients: comparative perspectives from five countries

Blum JD, Talib N, Carstens P, Nasser M, Tomkin D, McAuley A

Med Law, 2003;22(3):451-71.
PMID: 14626880

Recognition and articulation of patient rights are core issues in the medical jurisprudence of most nations. While the nature of rights in medical care may vary from country to country, reflecting the idiosyncrasies of domestic law and health delivery, there are commonalities in this area of law that cut across borders. This paper presents five case studies in the patient rights area from Malaysia, Ireland, South Africa, Indonesia and the United States, respectively. The case discussions range from ongoing and fundamental concerns over broad patient rights issues, such as access to health care and informed consent, to rights concerns of those suffering from HIV/AIDS, to a novel consideration over ethical and legal issues concerning ownership of infant organs. It is the hope of the authors that individually, and collectively, the cases will provide helpful insights into this core area of medical law.

Matched MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/therapy
Fulltext Mapping histoplasmosis in South East Asia - implications for diagnosis in AIDS

Baker J, Setianingrum F, Wahyuningsih R, Denning DW

Emerg Microbes Infect, 2019;8(1):1139-1145.
PMID: 31364950 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2019.1644539

Histoplasmosis caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum is often lethal in patients with AIDS. Urine antigen testing is highly sensitive and much quicker for diagnosis than culture. Histoplasmosis has a patchy and incompletely appreciated distribution around the world especially in South East Asia. We conducted a systematic literature review of cases of all disease forms of histoplasmosis in SE Asia, not including the Indian sub-continent. We also reviewed all histoplasmin skin test mapping studies to determine localities of exposure. We found a total of 407 cases contracted or likely to have been contracted in SE Asia. Numbers of cases by country varied: Thailand (233), Malaysia (76), Indonesia (48) and Singapore (21), with few or no cases reported in other countries. Most cases (255 (63%)) were disseminated histoplasmosis and 177 (43%) cases were HIV associated. Areas of high histoplasmin skin test sensitivity prevalence were found in Myanmar, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam - 86.4%, 26.0%, 63.6%, 36.0% and 33.7%, respectively. We have drawn maps of these data. Further study is required to ascertain the extent of histoplasmosis within SE Asia. Diagnostic capability for patients with HIV infection is urgently required in SE Asia, to reduce mortality and mis-diagnosis as tuberculosis.

Matched MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/complications*
Fulltext Mobile phone reminders and peer counseling improve adherence and treatment outcomes of patients on ART in Malaysia: A randomized clinical trial

Abdulrahman SA, Rampal L, Ibrahim F, Radhakrishnan AP, Kadir Shahar H, Othman N

PLoS One, 2017;12(5):e0177698.
PMID: 28520768 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177698

BACKGROUND: Adherence to treatment remains the cornerstone of long term viral suppression and successful treatment outcomes among patients receiving Antiretroviral Therapy (ART).
OBJECTIVE(S): Evaluate the effectiveness of mobile phone reminders and peer counseling in improving adherence and treatment outcomes among HIV positive patients on ART in Malaysia.
METHODS: A single-blind, parallel group RCT conducted in Hospital Sungai Buloh, Malaysia in which 242 adult Malaysian patients were randomized to intervention or control groups. Intervention consisted of a reminder module delivered through SMS and telephone call reminders by trained research assistants for 24 consecutive weeks (starting from date of ART initiation), in addition to adherence counseling at every clinic visit. The length of intended follow up for each patient was 6 months. Data on adherence behavior of patients was collected using specialized, pre-validated Adult AIDS Clinical Trial Group (AACTG) adherence questionnaires. Data on weight, clinical symptoms, CD4 count and viral load tests were also collected. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 22 and R software. Repeated measures ANOVA, Friedman's ANOVA and Multivariate regression models were used to evaluate efficacy of the intervention.
RESULTS: The response rate after 6 months follow up was 93%. There were no significant differences at baseline in gender, employment status, income distribution and residential location of respondents between the intervention and control group. After 6 months follow up, the mean adherence was significantly higher in the intervention group (95.7; 95% CI: 94.39-96.97) as compared to the control group (87.5; 95% CI: 86.14-88.81). The proportion of respondents who had Good (>95%) adherence was significantly higher in the intervention group (92.2%) compared to the control group (54.6%). A significantly lower frequency in missed appointments (14.0% vs 35.5%) (p = 0.001), lower viral load (p = 0.001), higher rise in CD4 count (p = 0.017), lower incidence of tuberculosis (p = 0.001) and OIs (p = 0.001) at 6 months follow up, was observed among patients in the intervention group.
CONCLUSION: Mobile phone reminders (SMS and telephone call reminders) and peer counseling are effective in improving adherence and treatment outcomes among HIV positive patients on ART in Malaysia. These findings may be of potential benefit for collaborative adherence planning between patients and health care providers at ART commencement.

Matched MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/drug therapy*
Fulltext Adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy in a tertiary care hospital in West Bengal, India

Saha R, Saha I, Sarkar AP, Das DK, Misra R, Bhattacharya K, et al.

Singapore Med J, 2014 Feb;55(2):92-8.
PMID: 24570318

INTRODUCTION: The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has led to the reduction of mortality and the improvement of the quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The present study was conducted to determine the pattern of adherence to HAART among PLWHA, and to assess the factor(s) affecting nonadherence, if any.

METHODS: This study was a hospital-based analytical, cross-sectional epidemiological study conducted between July and October 2011. A total of 370 adult HIV-positive patients registered in the Antiretroviral Therapy Centre of Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, West Bengal, India, were included. Nonadherence was defined as missing at least a single dose of medicine within the last four days. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 19.0 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY, USA).

RESULTS: A total of 87.6% of patients were found to be adherent to HAART. Principal causes of nonadherence were forgetting to take medicine (70.2%), being away from home (65.2%), and busyness with other things (64.7%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that nonadherence was significantly associated with a positive family history of HIV/AIDS (odds ratio [OR] 16; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.2-114.3; p = 0.01), occurrence of side effects with HAART (OR 9.81; 95% CI 1.9-51.7; p = 0.01) and employment (OR 5.93; 95% CI 1.5-23.2; p = 0.01).

CONCLUSION: Although overall adherence was high, the factors that affect nonadherence can be addressed with proper counselling and motivation of patients and their family members. Adherence to HAART could delay the progression of this lethal disease and minimise the risk of developing drug resistance.

Matched MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/drug therapy
Fulltext A randomised controlled trial of peer-adult-led intervention on improvement of knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of university students regarding HIV/AIDS in Malaysia

Jahanfar S, Lye MS, Rampal L

Singapore Med J, 2009 Feb;50(2):173-80.
PMID: 19296033

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of university students regarding acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
METHODS: A randomised controlled trial of 530 university students was done using peer-adult facilitators. Participants completed a questionnaire before and after the intervention, which was a four-hour group session. A prevention programme was developed by local experts, health educators and peer facilitators. The peer-adult-led programme was designed to provide a conceptual model of HIV risk reduction through information, motivational and behavioural skills, a harm reduction module and health promotion theme.
RESULTS: The main outcome measured was the level of knowledge, attitudes and behaviour scores. The results suggest that relative to the control group, participants in the intervention group had higher levels of knowledge (30.37 vs. 25.40; p-value is 0.001) and a better attitude (12.27 vs. 10.84; p-value is 0.001). However, there was no difference in the behavioural score (9.47 vs. 9.41; p-value is 0.530). The correlation between the level of knowledge and age and the level of education was found in the intervention group, but not in the control group (p-value is 0.01). Attitude and gender were found to be correlated in the intervention group only (p-value is 0.01).
CONCLUSION: Our programme was successful in increasing knowledge and improving attitudes towards AIDS and HIV. However, it did not improve risk-taking behaviour. Peer-adult-led educational programmes for youth using various interactional activities, such as small group discussions, poster activity and empathy exercises, can be successful in changing the prevailing youth perceptions of AIDS and HIV.

Matched MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/prevention & control*
Fulltext A Cell Internalizing Antibody Targeting Capsid Protein (p24) Inhibits the Replication of HIV-1 in T Cells Lines and PBMCs: A Proof of Concept Study

Ali SA, Teow SY, Omar TC, Khoo AS, Choon TS, Yusoff NM

PLoS One, 2016;11(1):e0145986.
PMID: 26741963 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145986

There remains a need for newer therapeutic approaches to combat HIV/AIDS. Viral capsid protein p24 plays important roles in HIV pathogenesis. Peptides and small molecule inhibitors targeting p24 have shown to inhibit virus replication in treated cell. High specificity and biological stability of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) make them an attractive contender for in vivo treatments. However, mAbs do not enter into cells, thus are restricted to target surface molecules. This also makes targeting intracellular HIV-1 p24 a challenge. A mAb specific to p24 that can internalize into the HIV-infected cells is hypothesized to inhibit the virus replication. We selected a mAb that has previously shown to inhibit p24 polymerization in an in vitro assay and chemically conjugated it with cell penetrating peptides (CPP) to generate cell internalizing anti-p24 mAbs. Out of 8 CPPs tested, κFGF-MTS -conjugated mAbs internalized T cells most efficiently. At nontoxic concentration, the κFGF-MTS-anti-p24-mAbs reduced the HIV-1 replication up to 73 and 49% in T-lymphocyte and PBMCs respectively. Marked inhibition of HIV-1 replication in relevant cells by κFGF-MTS-anti-p24-mAbs represents a viable strategy to target HIV proteins present inside the cells.

Matched MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Fulltext Toxoplasma gondii - Prevalence and Risk Factors in HIV-infected Patients from Songklanagarind Hospital, Southern Thailand

Chemoh W, Sawangjaroen N, Siripaitoon P, Andiappan H, Hortiwakul T, Sermwittayawong N, et al.

Front Microbiol, 2015;6:1304.
PMID: 26635769 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.01304

Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common opportunistic parasitic diseases in patients living with HIV/AIDS. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma infection in HIV-infected patients and to identify associated risk factors in Toxoplasma seropositive patients. This study was conducted at a regional public hospital in Hat Yai, southern Thailand during October 2009 to June 2010. Blood samples were collected from 300 HIV-infected patients. Each subject also answered a socio-demographic and risk factors associated with Toxoplasma infection. The prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies in HIV-infected patients was 109 (36.3%), of which 83 (76.2%) had past infection and 26 (23.9%) had recently acquired Toxoplasma infection as indicated by their IgG avidity. Multivariate analysis using logistic regression showed that gender difference (adjusted OR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.05-2.72) was the only factor associated with Toxoplasma infection. From the results obtained, these HIV-infected patients could be at high risk of developing clinical evidence of severe toxoplasmosis. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce primary behavioral practices to prevent Toxoplasma infection among HIV-infected patients.

Matched MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Paecilomyces lilacinus fungaemia in an AIDS patient: the importance of mycological diagnosis

Ding CH, Tzar MN, Rahman MM, Muttaqillah NA, Redzuan SR, Periyasamy P

Pak J Med Sci, 2014 Jul;30(4):914-6.
PMID: 25097544

Fungaemia due to Paecilomyces lilacinus is generally not considered in AIDS patients because this condition is not categorised as an AIDS-indicator illness. We report a case of a 25-year-old lady who presented to our hospital with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, with the subsequent development of refractory fungaemia, multi-organ failure and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy. Amphotericin B was given as empirical antifungal therapy. HIV screening was reactive and Paecilomyces lilacinus was isolated from her blood. The fungaemia did not resolve after one week of amphotericin B treatment. The addition of itraconazole was also unsuccessful in clearing the fungaemia. Accurate mycological diagnosis is important in the care of AIDS patients with fungaemia because of the risk of treatment failure with empirical therapy.

Matched MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Fulltext Multifaceted Impact of Host C-C Chemokine CCL2 in the Immuno-Pathogenesis of HIV-1/M. tuberculosis Co-Infection

Ansari AW, Kamarulzaman A, Schmidt RE

Front Immunol, 2013;4:312.
PMID: 24109479 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2013.00312

Active tuberculosis remains the leading cause of death among the HIV-1 seropositive individuals. Although significant success has been achieved in bringing down the number of HIV/AIDS-related mortality and morbidity following implementation of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART). Yet, co-infection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) has posed severe clinical and preventive challenges in our efforts to eradicate the virus from the body. Both HIV-1 and Mtb commonly infect macrophages and trigger production of host inflammatory mediators that subsequently regulate the immune response and disease pathogenesis. These inflammatory mediators can impose beneficial or detrimental effects on each pathogen and eventually on host. Among these, inflammatory C-C chemokines play a central role in HIV-1 and Mtb pathogenesis. However, their role in lung-specific mechanisms of HIV-1 and Mtb interaction are poorly understood. In this review we highlight current view on the role of C-C chemokines, more precisely CCL2, on HIV-1: Mtb interaction, potential mechanisms of action and adverse clinical consequences in a setting HIV-1/Mtb co-infection. Targeting common chemokine regulators of HIV-1/Mtb pathogenesis can be an attractive and potential anti-inflammatory intervention in HIV/AIDS-related comorbidities.

Matched MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Fulltext Effectiveness of structured teaching programme on transmission and prevention of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome among adolescent girls in Lowry Memorial High School, Bengaluru

Stephen N, Gusen NJ, Kumzhi PR, Gaknung B, Auta DA, Bulndi LB, et al.

Indian J Sex Transm Dis AIDS, 2018 03 26;41(1):73-82.
PMID: 33062987 DOI: 10.4103/ijstd.IJSTD_102_17

Background: Adolescence is a critical stage in human development. Most young people become sexually active during adolescence and are more likely to have multipartner and unprotected sex with high-risk behavior that predisposes them to sexually transmitted infections such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Objectives: The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured teaching programme on transmission and prevention of HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) among adolescent girls.
Methods: An evaluative research approach was adopted, in which a preexperimental, one group pre- and post-test research design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the structured teaching programme on transmission and prevention of HIV/AIDS among adolescent girls studying at Lowry Memorial High School, Bengaluru. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were presented in frequency tables and statistical graphs (bar charts) and analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistical methods (Chi-square and paired "t"-tests) using SPSS version 21.
Results: The findings of the study revealed that the mean percentage difference in the pre- and post-test knowledge scores was statistically significant at 5% level (P < 0.05). The overall mean post-test knowledge score of adolescent girls on transmission and prevention of HIV/AIDS was 88.83%. It is apparently higher compared to the pretest knowledge score, which was 67.67% with enhancement of 21.16%. This implies that the structured teaching programme was effective in gaining knowledge of adolescent girls regarding transmission and prevention of HIV/AIDS.
Conclusion: Our study suggests that structured teaching programme enhanced the knowledge of the adolescent girls on transmission and prevention of HIV/AIDS. We, therefore, recommend that structured teaching programmes on transmission and prevention of HIV/AIDS should be encouraged among adolescents and youths to reduce the spread of HIV infection.

Matched MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Fulltext Laryngopharyngeal tuberculosis mimicking hypopharyngeal carcinoma

Adam, M., Irfan, M., Muhammad Nasri AB, Arfahiza S.

Journal of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, 2018;3(1):8-10.
MyJurnal

Laryngopharyngeal tuberculosis (TB) is a rare disease and usually associated with pulmonary tuberculosis. Mostly, it occurs in adults without BCG vaccination or in immuno-compromised patients (such as AIDS patients). A 34-year-old gentleman with odynophagia and poor oral intake was referred to us to rule out malignancy. Direct laryngoscopy examination revealed ulcerative lesion involving right tonsillar fossa extending downward till right pyriform sinus. Panendoscopy and biopsy was performed. Laryngopharyngeal TB was diagnosed based on the histopathological examination and Ziehl-Neelsen staining.

Matched MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Fulltext Global health film club - bringing global health issues and activism to local communities

Nicholas Pang, Jiann Lin Loo

Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2019;15(106):50-50.
MyJurnal

Introduction: Global health awareness is sorely lacking in medical curricula and the general public, leading to increasing apathy and decreased levels of volunteerism. Much knowledge about pertinent global health issues is sequestered with academicians and researchers, with little public trickle down. The aim of the study was to increase awareness among Sabahan public about global health issues and promote discussion. Methods: A global health film club was established at community level and discussions about issues and potential individual action points was conducted. Films were screened every month in both UMS and Palliative Care Center Sabah. Global health issues ranging from First World manipulation of HIV/AIDS medication prices, deregulation of medical devices industries, heroin addiction, ADHD drug abuse, and stigma in psychiatry were covered. Public participants’ responses were collected qualitatively. Results: The films largely were well received by participants, with most participants prefer-ring the expose-type films over the more narrative approaches. Films spurred discussion about how foreign or global issues were related to local level, for example unscrupulous sale of medical devices in Malaysian populations and abuse of sleeping medications from local health providers. Also each film screening vastly increased participants’ awareness of pertinent issues, and spurred them to evangelise about said issues to others and take small actions. Conclusion: Global health is a somewhat neglected part of medical and community curricula. Lack of awareness about global health issues reduces the public’s capacity for collective action in exerting pressure on stakeholders, governments, and civil society in taking action. It is hoped such regular global health film screenings at local level brings literacy on urgent public health issues to the people for whom it matters most – the communities where ad-verse global health consequences eventually arise.

Matched MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Toxoplasma encephalitis in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: a case report

Yoong KY, Cheong I, Choy KC

Family Physician, 1995;7:24-27.

A 32 year old HIV positive intravenous drug user (IVDU) with a promiscuous lifestyle in the past presented with altered behaviour and was diagnosed to have pulmonary tuberculosis, tuberculous meningitis and tuberculous osteomyelitis. After initial response to anti-tuberculous therapy, his symptoms recurred with the appearance of cerebral mass lesions. A presumptive diagnosis of toxoplasma encephalitis was made based on clinical, serological and radiological evidence. He showed clinical improGement with anti-toxoplasmic therapy.

Matched MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Fulltext Stigmatizing attitudes toward people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) among primary health care providers in Kinta District, Perak

Chan YC, Binti Mawardi M, Ismail Daud AH

Malays Fam Physician, 2021 Mar 25;16(1):31-38.
PMID: 33948140 DOI: 10.51866/oa0001

Background: Stigmatizing attitudes expressed by health care providers prevent some members of at-risk populations from accessing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening and care. This attitude contributes to the continuity of the infection dissemination within our community, which gives an impact on the healthcare service and the curtailment of the global HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) pandemic.
Objective: This study was conducted to identify stigmatizing attitudes toward people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and their determinants among primary health care providers in Kinta District, Perak.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 36 primary care clinics in Kinta District, Perak. Using stratified random sampling, 365 primary health care providers were recruited into the study. A validated self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain sociodemographic data as well as information on the healthcare experiences of healthcare providers, their knowledge of HIV/AIDS, and attitudes toward PLWHA. Determinants were identified using multiple linear regression.
Results: More than half of the respondents (54.1%) had never provided care to HIV/AIDS patients. A minority (29.9%) had received training on HIV/AIDS. This study shows that doctors (Coef.= -9.50, 95% CI: -18.93, -0.07, p= 0.048), respondents with HIV-positive relatives, (Coef.= -5.61, 95% CI: -10.57, -0.65, p= 0.027), those who had provided care to HIV/AIDS patients (Coef.= -2.38, 95% CI: -4.31, -0.45, p= 0.016), and those with a higher knowledge score on HIV/AIDS (Coef.= -0.86, 95% CI: -1.59, -0.13, p= 0.021) were less likely to show stigmatizing attitudes toward PLWHA.
Conclusion: The issue of stigmatizing attitudes toward PLWHA among primary health care providers needs to be addressed. This study finds that knowledge, profession, experiences with caring for PLWHA, gender, and having HIV-positive relatives are significant predictors of stigmatizing attitudes toward PLWHA among primary health care providers in Kinta District, Perak. Interventional programs to improve knowledge and awareness, as well as decrease stigma toward PLWHA, should be implemented among all health care providers, especially those who have no opportunity to provide direct care.

Matched MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Fulltext Correlation of mean cycle threshold value of GeneXpert MTB/RIF and time to detection in Mycobacterium growth indicator tubes for Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Nor Fazirah Jamal, Zaw Lin, Zainal Arifin Mustafa, Ahmad Faris Abdullah, Naing Oo Tha, Nor Amalina Emran, et al.

Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2019;15(106):38-38.
MyJurnal

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is the ninth leading cause of mortality in the world while it is the most prevalent infection which is ranked abolve HIV/AIDS. In Malaysia, tuberculosis is still a public health problem. Sabah State on Malaysian Borneo had 20-30% of total TB cases of the country. In Sabah, case notification rate of almost 200 per 100,000 population was still present in the last 10 years. Hotspots are defined as TB notification rate more than 100/100.000 in a district or TB notification rate more than 100/100,000 in the squatters’ area. In this study, cycle threshold (ct) values in GeneXpertMTB/RIF (Xpert) were tried to be correlated with growth in Mycobacterim growth indicator tubes (MGIT) by measurement of time to detection (TTD). Methods: Sputum samples from six hotspots of Kota Kinabalu were studied by Xpert as well as MGIT culture after processing of sputum samples. The correlation between Mean ct value of Xpert and TTD in MGIT was analysed by using IBM SPSS Statistic 25 and the statistical test used was Pearson Correlation test. Results: The results of Xpert indicated 35 of 204 sputum samples were pos-itive whereas only one sample was rifampicin resistant. The mean ct values were very low, low and medium in all the hotspots with sputum from one hotspot showed medium ct values predominantly. The sputum from remaining hotspots showed mainly very low and low ct values. MGIT results showed no growth in five samples with two very low, two low and one medium mean ct values. Conclusion: The finding indicated that there were correlations be-tween mean ct values of Xpert and TTD in MGIT with a few exceptions.

Matched MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Fulltext Depression and HIV Disease Progression: A Mini-Review

Yousuf A, Mohd Arifin SR, Musa R, Md Isa ML

Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health, 2019;15:153-159.
PMID: 32174997 DOI: 10.2174/1745017901915010153

Background: Depression is the most common mental disorder and a leading cause of disability, which commonly presents unexplained psychological and physical symptoms. Depression and HIV/AIDS are commonly comorbid. This review provides an insight into the effect of depression on disease progression among people living with HIV.
Methods: A search for relevant articles was conducted using a database like MEDLINE, Scopus, PsycINFO and CINAHL. Peer-reviewed English journals published between 2015 and 2019 were included in the review.
Results: A total of eight studies conducted in different settings were included in the review. This review has found that psychosocial, neurohormonal and virologic factors associated with depression affect HIV disease progression. Yet, the chronicity of depression, absence of the hormones that have a buffer effect on depression and lack of examination if depression is a predictor, or an outcome of disease progression, were some of the gaps that require further investigation.
Conclusion: Considerably, more research is needed to better understand the effect of mental disorder, especially depression, on HIV disease progression to AIDS and future interventions should, therefore, concentrate on the integration of mental health screening in HIV clinical setup.

Matched MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Fulltext Knowledge of HIV/Aids and attitudes towards people living with HIV/Aids (PlWHA) among undergraduate students in University Malaysia Sabah

Zulkhairul Naimbin Sidek Ahmad, Siti Fatimah Sa’at, Farrah Ilyanibinti Che Jamalludin, Mazlinda Musa

Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2020;16(105):69-0.
MyJurnal

Introduction: Globally, HIV/AIDS has been a growing global threat and one of the major public health challenges. In Malaysia, the number of PLWH is continued to increase year by year. What is of alarming concern is that the prejudices related to HIV/AIDS still exist within the community. Stigma and discrimination towards people living with HIV have been widely documented. It has extended their impact into the workplace and this hinders HIV pre- vention efforts and indirectly affected the national developmentprocesses. The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge of HIV/AIDS and the attitude of PLWHA among students in Universiti Malaysia Sabah. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with convenience sampling techniques used. Data were collected among the 300 medical students and non-medical students. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed and comprise of; socio-de- mographic characteristics, items assessing knowledge of HIV/AIDS and attitudes towards PLWHA. Results: The majority of respondents were female (74%) who had never encountered PLWH (76%). The mean score of knowl- edge and attitudes were 4.04±1.12 and 27.18±4.0, respectively. Year 1 male students were found to have more comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS. They were also having a more positive attitude toward PLWH as compared to female students. Conclusion: Stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS are the most challenges issues- experienced by people suffering from the disease and it has been recognized. It is regarded as a serious threat to the fundamental rights of all infected people who are affected by or associated with this disease. This study highlights the need for better education programs on HIV/AIDS at the undergraduate level in order to increase knowledge of HIV/ AIDS andshape the positive attitude toward PLWH.

Matched MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

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