Journal of AIDS & Clinical Research

Utilizing highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) to reduce HIV transmission, commonly referred to as "treatment as prevention" (TASP), has been hailed as a valuable addition to comprehensive HIV prevention efforts [1]. Subsequent to the HPTN 052 trial [2], which established the efficacy of this approach, there have been calls to prioritize TasP within global HIV prevention efforts [3]. However, some have argued that the increasing emphasis on this form of biomedical prevention represents a "remedicalisation" of the HIV epidemic [4]. Concerns have been expressed that TasP will lead to the prioritization of biomedical solutions at the expense of other preventive approaches, detract attention from the social and material conditions that shape the epidemic, and lead to a proliferation of interventions deployed without adequate input from social scientists, community, and activists [4,5]. However, such critiques overlook growing attention to the social and structural dimensions of TasP [6], opportunities to link TasP with ongoing treatment advocacy efforts [7], as well as increasing recognition that the greatest reduction in the number of new HIV infections will be achieved by integrating biomedical, social, and structural interventions in comprehensive prevention programs

Background: Selenium deficiency is known to be a major public health problem, associated with increased risk of mortality with AIDS and AIDS-related complex, diarrhea included compared to those of healthy controls. In Ethiopia, there are no studies conducted on serum selenium status diarrheic patients with and without HIV infection. Therefore, the present study was aimed at determining the level of serum selenium in HIV infected and sex and aged matched HIV negative diarrheic patients..

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 206 (97 HIV seronegative and 109 HIV seropositive) diarrheic patients of both genders seen at University of Gondar Hospital, Gondar, Ethiopia. Serum selenium was measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer.

Results: The mean and standard deviation of serum selenium levels in HIV seropositives was 5.90 ± 2.78 μg/dl and in HIV seronegatives was 6.99 ± 4.26 μg/dl. Deficiency of selenium was seen in 95.9% and 71.56% of diarrheic patients with and without HIV co-infection, respectively. The over all selenium deficiency was observed in 83.0% of patients included in the study irrespective of their HIV serostatus while 85.3%of the patients infected with HIV and 80.4% of patients without HIV infection had serum selenium level below 7μg/dl. The low serum selenium level was not associated with presence or absence of intestinal parasites neither with sociodemographic variables such as age, residence, marital status, occupation, monthly income. The mean serum selenium level of all male cases was statistically significantly lower than that of the females (P<0.05).

Conclusion: Our results show high prevalence of selenium deficiencies in HIV seropositive and seronegative diarrheic patients in Gondar, Ethiopia. Although this is a small group of study subjects, the findings may be used as a tool to suggest further in-depth prospective clinical trials to determine whether selenium supplements may be of public health benefit among HIV-infected populations as a stand-alone therapeutic approach and potentially as an adjuvant to antiretroviral therapy.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and current stimulant abuse have both been shown to damage basal ganglia and hippocampus. While the effects of current stimulant abuse on neurological functioning is well- documented, whether residual damage can be detected in patients with a distant history of past stimulant abuse/ dependence remains to be understood. Given that past stimulant abuse is common among HIV-infected individuals; this is a question of considerable clinical significance. The present study employed Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and structural MRI to examine brain integrity (as measured by FA and MD) and volume in the basal ganglia (BG) and hippocampus among older HIV-infected adults with histories of stimulant abuse. Lower fractional anisotropy and greater diffusivity (representative of microstructural breakdown) in basal ganglia and hippocampal structures were documented among former stimulant abusers compared to stimulant-naïve individuals. Length of abstinence was also associated with BG integrity, such that those with shorter abstinence periods demonstrated greater MD of the BG. Our findings suggest that past stimulant abuse is associated with neurological dysfunction, though this improves with increasing abstinence.

Violence against women is present in every country and it cut across boundaries of culture, class, education, income, ethnicity and age. Research has shown that there are links between HIV and AIDS, gender inequity and gender based violence that prevents women from influencing the circumstances of sex, resulting in unsafe sex practice and contracting of sexually transmitted infections including HIV and AIDS.

The overall objective of the study was to increase understanding of Intimate Partner Violence experiences of sexual assault, its risk factor on the transmission of HIV infection among women admitted in Trauma Unit A of a particular hospital in the Vhembe District. This raises the questions “What is the women’s experience of sexual assault? Is sexual assault a risk factor to the transmission of HIV infection among women?”

The research design was qualitative, exploratory descriptive and contextual in nature. In this study the target population consisted of all women who made use of a trauma unit A ata particular hospital in the LimpopoProvince. Six participants were selected by means of purposive sampling. In-depth individual interviews were conducted, using a voice recorder.

The principles outlined by Lincoln and Guba were followed to ensure the trustworthiness of the study. Data analysis was guided by Tesch’s principles of qualitative data analysis.

The findings of the study reflected that women experienced Intimate Partner Violence sexual assault in their lives and that sexual assault is a risk factor to the transmission of HIV infection among women. The study therefore, suggests a need for screening and prevention programmes that aims to reduce Intimate Partner Violence and HIV infection

HIV viruses have long term effects for the immune systems and further develop a number of varied illnesses such as fever, diarrhea, tuberculosis, pneumonia and skin infections. This condition is termed as AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Once the immune system is sufficiently weakened, such infections will develop and produce any of a wide range of symptoms. Some can be very severe some may lead to various cancers. There is no exact prediction for these symptoms. HIV testing is the only source to diagnose. The most difficult aspect of HIV/ AIDS is that though there are medicines, which can help with these illnesses but there is no vaccine and no cure for the HIV, so almost all the infected people become more and more ill and eventually die. It is important for every individual to know and understand about this infection.

In developed countries, recommendations do exist concerning the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy during pregnancy of HIV positive women. The choice is easy when the mother is infected with a wild virus or in case of only few genotypic mutations; when multiple genotypic resistances are present or in case of a poor adherence, the treatment choice is more difficult. Concerns exist about the use of new available drugs in pregnancy regarding transplacental passage and foetal toxicity. We report here the first case of the use of CCR5 inhibitor-containing regimen during pregnancy.