'Test and Treat' Among Women at High Risk for HIV-infection in Kampala, Uganda: Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation and Associated Factors.

Data on implementation of 'Test and Treat' among key populations in sub-Saharan Africa are still limited. We examined factors associated with prompt antiretroviral therapy/ART (within 1 month of HIV-positive diagnosis or 1 week if pregnant) among 343 women at high risk for HIV infection in Kampala-Uganda, of whom 28% initiated prompt ART. Most (95%) reported paid sex within 3 months prior to enrolment. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine baseline characteristics associated with prompt ART. Sex work as main job, younger age and being widowed/separated were associated with lower odds of prompt ART; being enrolled after 12 months of implementing the intervention was associated with higher odds of prompt ART. Younger women, widowed/separated and those reporting sex work as their main job need targeted interventions to start ART promptly after testing. Staff supervision and mentoring may need strengthening during the first year of implementing 'test and treat' interventions

Predictors of lost to follow-up in a "test and treat" programme among adult women with high-risk sexual behavior in Kampala, Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Immediate uptake of antiretroviral therapy (ART) after an HIV-positive diagnosis (Test and Treat) is now being implemented in Uganda. Data are limited on lost to follow-up (LTFU) in high-risk cohorts that have initiated 'Test and Treat'. We describe LTFU in a cohort of women of high-risk sexual behaviour who initiated ART under "Test and Treat". METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of participant records at the Good Health for Women Project (GHWP) clinic, a clinic in Kampala for women at high-risk of HIV-infection. We included HIV positive women ≥18 years who initiated ART at GHWP between August 2014 and March 2018. We defined LTFU as not taking an ART refill for ≥3 months from the last clinic appointment among those not registered as dead or transferred to another clinic. We used the Kaplan-Meier technique to estimate time to LTFU after ART initiation. Predictors of LTFU were assessed using a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: The mean (±SD) age of the 293 study participants was 30.3 (± 6.5) years, with 274 (94%) reporting paid sex while 38 (13%) had never tested for HIV before enrolment into GHWP. LTFU within the first year of ART initiation was 16% and the incidence of LTFU was estimated at 12.7 per 100 person-years (95%CI 9.90-16.3). In multivariable analysis, participants who reported sex work as their main job at ART initiation (Adjusted Hazards Ratio [aHR] =1.95, 95%CI 1.10-3.45), having baseline WHO clinical stage III or IV (aHR = 2.75, 95% CI 1.30-5.79) were more likely to be LTFU. CONCLUSION: LTFU in this cohort is high. Follow up strategies are required to support women on Test and Treat to remain on treatment, especially those who engage in sex work and those who initiate ART at a later stage of disease

Use of Services among Female Sex Workers Receiving a Comprehensive HIV Enhanced Prevention Intervention in Kampala, Uganda: A Cross-sectional Study.

We estimated the prevalence and factors associated with the use of a dedicated HIV prevention, care, and treatment service for female sex workers (FSWs) in Kampala, Uganda. Between October 2017 to January 2018, we conducted a cross-sectional study among FSWs at a dedicated clinic. We defined use as the use of the HIV prevention, care, and treatment services by FSWs at least once within the past six months. We used the log-binomial model to determine the factors associated with use of clinic services. Eight hundred and seventy-four women were included in the analysis. The overall prevalence of use of clinic services was 81%. At adjusted analysis, use of clinic services was independently associated with being HIV positive and being treated for STIs in the past three months. The prevalence of use of clinic services was high. Dedicated services for FSWs are required to support their use of HIV and STI care

Visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) positivity among female sex workers : a cross-sectional study highlighting one-year experiences in early detection of pre-cancerous and cancerous cervical lesions in Kampala, Uganda

BACKGROUND: Although cervical cancer is preventable, most women in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) do not receive routine screening and few treatment options exist. Female Sex Workers (FSWs) are among the Ugandan female population at highest risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV and human papilloma viruses (HPV), the cause of cervical cancer. We report one-year experiences of visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) positivity among FSWs in the early detection of pre-cancerous and cancerous cervical lesions in Kampala, Uganda. METHODS: Between June 2014 and July 2015, we enrolled FSWs into a cross-sectional study at a research clinic. The women were screened using the VIA method (application of 3-5 % acetic acid to the cervix). All VIA positive women were referred to a tertiary hospital for colposcopy, biopsy, and immediate treatment (if indicated) at the same visit according to national guidelines. Data on socio-demographic, sexual behaviour, sexual reproductive health and clinical characteristics were collected. We used logistic regression to identify factors associated with VIA positivity. RESULTS: Of 842 women assessed for eligibility, 719 (85 %) of median age 30 (IQR 26, 35) were screened, and 40 (6 %) women were VIA positive. Of the 24 histology specimens analysed, 6 showed inflammation, only 1 showed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 1, 13 women showed CIN2/3, while 4 women already had invasive cervical cancer. The overall prevalence of HIV was 43 %, of whom only 35 % were receiving ART. In the age-adjusted analysis, VIA positivity was more likely among women who reported having > 100 life-time partners (aOR = 3.34, 95 %CI: 1.38-8.12), and HIV positive women (aOR = 4.55; 95 %CI: 2.12-9.84). CONCLUSIONS: We found a relatively low proportion of VIA positivity in this population. The experience from our program implies that the VIA results are poorly reproducible even among a category of trained professional health workers. VIA positivity was more likely among women with a high number of sexual partners and HIV infection. Interventions for improving cervical cancer screening should be recommended as part of HIV care for FSWs to reduce the disease burden in this population

Mobility study of young women who exchange sex for money or commodities using Google Maps and qualitative methods in Kampala, Uganda.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess mobility patterns and reasons for high mobility among young women engaged in sex work within a randomised controlled trial to gauge how mobility may hinder access to health services and enhance HIV risk in a highly vulnerable population. SETTING: Participants were recruited from a clinic in Kampala, Uganda set up for women at high risk of HIV infection. PARTICIPANTS: Adolescent girls and young women engaged in sex for money and/or commodities are at particular risk in countries with high HIV prevalence and high fertility rates. High mobility increases exposure to HIV risk. Women participants were eligible for the parent study if aged 15-24 years, HIV negative and engaged in sex work. For this substudy, 34 qualitative interviews were held with 14 sex workers (6 HIV positive, 8 HIV negative), 6 health worker/policy makers, 3 peer educators, 5 'queen mothers' and 6 male partners MEASURES: Participants used Google Maps to identify work venues at 12-month and 18-month study visits. We also conducted 34 interviews on mobility with: high-risk women, male partners, health workers and sex-worker managers. Topics included: distance, frequency and reasons for mobility. We used Python software to analyse mapping data. RESULTS: Interviews found in depth narratives describing lack of education and employment opportunities, violence, lack of agency, social, sexual and familial support networks and poverty as a complex web of reasons for high mobility among young sex workers. CONCLUSIONS: Young women at high risk are highly mobile. Reasons for mobility impact access and retention to health services and research activities. Strategies to improve retention in care should be cognisant and tailored to suit mobility patterns. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03203200

Test and treat: the early experiences in a clinic serving women at high risk of HIV infection in Kampala.

At the end of 2013, the Government of Uganda issued guidance recommending provision of Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) to HIV-positive people in key populations, including female sex workers, regardless of CD4 cell count. We describe the implementation of this new guidance in a clinic serving women at high risk of HIV infection in Kampala. Between July and December 2015, we conducted repeat in-depth interviews with 15 women attending the clinic after the change in guidelines, to explore their perceptions regarding prompt ART initiation. The sample included some women who were HIV-negative and women who had both started and deferred ART. We conducted a data-led thematic analysis of the material from the interviews. A total of 257 of 445 eligible women had started ART; others were undecided or had not returned to the clinic after receiving the new information. Participants recounted varying experiences with the provision of prompt treatment. At an individual level, a history of treatment for opportunistic infections and other illnesses, coupled with relatively poor health, encouraged some to initiate ART promptly. However, knowledge of friends/relatives already on ART who had experienced side effects caused others to delay starting, fearing the same experience for themselves. A number of women questioned why they should start treatment when they were not sick. Situational factors such as work and residence (with many sharing single rooms) caused discomfort among newly diagnosed women who feared disclosure and stigma that would result from taking ART when they were not ill. Alcohol consumption and irregular working hours affected perceptions of future adherence, making prompt ART harder to embrace for some. Our findings show the challenges that influence the delay of treatment initiation, and/or the decision to defer receiving information on ART, with implications for the success of the test and treat programmes and guidelines

Sustained virological response and drug resistance among female sex workers living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy in Kampala, Uganda : a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES: We assessed the prevalence and risk factors associated with virological failure among female sex workers living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Kampala, Uganda. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study between January 2015 and December 2016 using routinely collected data at a research clinic providing services to women at high risk of STIs including HIV. Plasma samples were tested for viral load from HIV-seropositive women aged ≥18 years who had been on ART for at least 6 months and had received adherence counselling. Samples from women with virological failure (≥1000 copies/mL) were tested for HIV drug resistance by population-based sequencing. We used logistic regression to identify factors associated with virological failure. RESULTS: Of 584 women, 432 (74%) with a mean age of 32 (SD 6.5) were assessed, and 38 (9%) were found to have virological failure. HIV resistance testing was available for 78% (28/38), of whom 82.1% (23/28) had at least one major drug resistance mutation (DRM), most frequently M184V (70%, 16/23) and K103N (65%, 15/23). In multivariable analysis, virological failure was associated with participant age 18-24 (adjusted OR (aOR)=5.3, 95% CI 1.6 to 17.9), self-reported ART non-adherence (aOR=2.6, 95% CI 1.2 to 5.8) and baseline CD4+ T-cell count ≤350 cells/mm3 (aOR=3.1, 95% CI 1.4 to 7.0). CONCLUSIONS: A relatively low prevalence of virological failure but high rate of DRM was found in this population at high risk of transmission. Younger age, self-reported ART non-adherence and low CD4+ T-cell count on ART initiation were associated with increased risk of virological failure

Epidemiological Findings of Alcohol Misuse and Dependence Symptoms among Adolescent Girls and Young Women Involved in High-Risk Sexual Behavior in Kampala, Uganda.

Alcohol-related harms may be increased among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) involved in sex work, yet data on alcohol misuse among AGYW in sub-Saharan Africa are still scarce. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 15-24-year-old AGYW from January 2013 to December 2018 in Kampala, Uganda and used the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) to study alcohol use patterns and dependence symptoms (dependence score ≥4). Of 1440 participants (median age 21 years), 83.1% had less than secondary education, 79.8% reported ≥10 paying sexual partners in the past month, 46.0% had ever experienced intimate partner violence (IPV), and 20.6% were living with HIV. Overall, 59.9% scored ≥8 and 29.4% scored ≥16 on the AUDIT. Of 277 (15.8%) with dependence symptoms, 69.1% were screened alcohol dependent. An AUDIT score ≥8 was associated with older age, illicit drug use, experiencing IPV, inconsistent condom use with paying partners, and HIV sero-negativity. All factors remained associated with a higher score ≥16 except HIV status. Similarly, illicit drug use, experiencing IPV and inconsistent condom use were associated with dependence symptoms and, in addition, a higher number of paying sexual partners. Alcohol misuse is high in this population, they urgently need harmful substance use reduction interventions

Why do men often not use condoms in their relationships with casual sexual partners in Uganda?

With a focus on Uganda, this paper examines men's condom use in sexual relationships with casual partners and what this might tell us about men's vulnerability to HIV-infection. We carried out repeat interviews with 31 men attending a clinic serving women at high risk for HIV infection and their partners in Kampala. We found that the experience of condom-less sex in the men's youth, itself the outcome of a restrictive home environment, was perceived as influencing later unsafe sexual behaviour. Peer pressure encouraged men to have multiple partners. Alcohol negatively affected condom use. Men often opted not to use a condom with women they thought looked healthy, particularly if they had had sex with the same woman before. Some men who were HIV-positive said they saw little point in using condoms since they were already infected. A concerted effort is required to reach men, like those in our study, to halt HIV and the transmission of other sexually transmitted infections