Past incarceration and chlamydia infection among young Black men in New Orleans

BackgroundYoung Black men are disproportionately and adversely affected by incarceration and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), both of which share common social and structural determinants. It is well documented that incarcerated individuals, including youth, are more likely to acquire STIs in the carceral setting compared to the general population. However, the effects of imprisonment on sexual health outcomes after imprisonment are not well-understood. The relationship between incarceration history (having ever spent time in a correctional institution such as prison, jail, or juvenile detention) and chlamydia positivity was examined in this study.MethodsA secondary analysis of the Check it Program, a Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) community-based seek, test, and treat screening program for Black men aged 15–24 who have sex with women in New Orleans was conducted. Participants completed a computer-assisted self-administered questionnaire on relevant sexual and social histories and provided a urine specimen for a Ct urine nucleic acid amplification test. Bivariate and multivariable regressions were used to estimate the association between incarceration history and chlamydia positivity.ResultsParticipants (N = 1,907) were enrolled from May 2017 to March 2020. Of those, 351/1,816 (19.3%) reported past incarceration and 203/1,888 (10.8%) tested positive for Ct. When adjusted for age, insurance status, and condom use, having a history of incarceration was positively associated with a positive Ct test (adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval):1.61 (1.12, 2.31), p = 0.0095).ConclusionsInteracting with the carceral system is associated with a positive Ct test post-incarceration. Incarceration may be an important marker for Ct acquisition in young Black men who have sex with women and those with a history of incarceration should be prioritized for Ct screening after release

Recombinant Simian Varicella Virus-Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Vaccine Induces T and B Cell Functions and Provides Partial Protection against Repeated Mucosal SIV Challenges in Rhesus Macaques

HIV vaccine mediated efficacy, using an expanded live attenuated recombinant varicella virus-vectored SIV rSVV-SIVgag/env vaccine prime with adjuvanted SIV-Env and SIV-Gag protein boosts, was evaluated in a female rhesus macaques (RM) model against repeated intravaginal SIV challenges. Vaccination induced anti-SIV IgG responses and neutralizing antibodies were found in all vaccinated RMs. Three of the eight vaccinated RM remained uninfected (vaccinated and protected, VP) after 13 repeated challenges with the pathogenic SIVmac251-CX-1. The remaining five vaccinated and infected (VI) macaques had significantly reduced plasma viral loads compared with the infected controls (IC). A significant increase in systemic central memory CD4+ T cells and mucosal CD8+ effector memory T-cell responses was detected in vaccinated RMs compared to controls. Variability in lymph node SIV-Gag and Env specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell cytokine responses were detected in the VI RMs while all three VP RMs had more durable cytokine responses following vaccination and prior to challenge. VI RMs demonstrated predominately SIV-specific monofunctional cytokine responses while the VP RMs generated polyfunctional cytokine responses. This study demonstrates that varicella virus-vectored SIV vaccination with protein boosts induces a 37.5% efficacy rate against pathogenic SIV challenge by generating mucosal memory, virus specific neutralizing antibodies, binding antibodies, and polyfunctional T-cell responses