28 research outputs found
Hepatitis C elimination among people living with HIV
Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality among people living with HIV globally.
Aims: The broad aim of this research was to evaluate progress towards HCV elimination among people living with HIV in Australia. Specific aims included evaluating incidence and factors associated with HCV reinfection and patterns of drug use and sexual risk behaviours after treatment and characterizing the HCV cascade of care and factors associated with engagement in HCV care among people living with HIV in Australia.
Methods: In Chapter Two, the risk of HCV reinfection following successful therapy among people living with HIV was evaluated in a global systematic review and meta-analysis, with factors associated with reinfection assessed using meta-regression. In Chapter Three, patterns of drug use and sexual risk behaviours and HCV reinfection incidence were assessed before and after direct-acting antiviral (DAA) scale-up in Australia among people with HIV/HCV coinfection enrolled in CEASE. In Chapter Four, the HCV cascade of care, including HCV testing and treatment, among people living with HIV was characterized in the pre (2010–2015) and post (2016–2018) DAA era in a population-based linkage study including all people living with HIV in New South Wales, Australia with an HCV notification. Factors associated with HCV testing and DAA treatment were assessed using logistic regression.
Key Findings: Globally, HCV reinfection incidence following treatment among people living with HIV was similar following interferon-based and DAA therapy, with the highest risk among men who have sex with men and those with recent HCV infection. Following unrestricted DAA access and broad treatment uptake among people living with
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HIV in Australia, HCV reinfection incidence was low despite stable pattens of risk behaviours before and after DAA treatment. The HCV care cascade among people living with HIV demonstrated high HCV RNA testing coverage (91%) and treatment uptake following DAA availability (7% pre DAA, 73% post DAA). Younger age, female gender, and rural region of residence were negatively associated with testing; no factors were associated with DAA treatment.
Conclusion: To maintain progress towards HCV elimination, ongoing HCV screening and treatment of (re)infection among people living with HIV will be required. Enabling access to and ensuring broad coverage of HCV testing, treatment and prevention will be essential
How and Where Do We Ask Sensitive Questions: Self-reporting of STI-associated Symptoms Among the Iranian General Population
Background
Reliable population-based data on sexually transmitted infections (STI) are limited in Iran and selfreporting remains the main source of indirect estimation of STI-associated symptoms in the country. However, where and how the questions are asked could influence the rate of self-reporting. In the present study, we aimed to assess what questionnaire delivery method (ie, face-to-face interview [FTFI], self-administered questionnaire [SAQ], or audio self-administered questionnaire [Audio-SAQ]) and setting (ie, street, household or hair salon) leads to more reliable estimates for the prevalence of self-reported STI-associated symptoms.
Methods
This cross-sectional study was conducted in winter 2014 on a gender-balanced (50.0% men) sample of 288 individuals aged 18–59 years old in Kerman, Iran. Respondents were recruited in (a) crowded public places and streets, (b) their households, and (c) hair salons. Data was collected on history of current and 6-month (ie, past 6 months) STI-associated symptoms. Three different methods including FTFI, SAQ and or Audio-SAQ were applied randomly in households and non randomly in streets and hair salons to collect data among the respondents. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) was used to compare the settings and methods separately.
Results
A total of 2.8% of men and 9.4% of women self-reported at least one STI-associated symptom. Respondents were significantly more likely to report STI-associated symptoms when completing questionnaires on the street compared to their household (P = .0001). While women were less likely to report symptoms in FTFI compared to SAQ (P = .036), no significant differences were found between men’s responses across different methods (P = .064).
Conclusion
Further research is needed to evaluate the effect of different combinations of methods and settings to find the optimal way to collect data on STI-associated symptoms
How and Where Do We Ask Sensitive Questions: Selfreporting of STI-associated Symptoms Among the Iranian General Population
Abstract
Background: Reliable population-based data on sexually transmitted infections (STI) are limited in Iran and selfreporting remains the main source of indirect estimation of STI-associated symptoms in the country. However, where
and how the questions are asked could influence the rate of self-reporting. In the present study, we aimed to assess
what questionnaire delivery method (ie, face-to-face interview [FTFI], self-administered questionnaire [SAQ], or audio
self-administered questionnaire [Audio-SAQ]) and setting (ie, street, household or hair salon) leads to more reliable
estimates for the prevalence of self-reported STI-associated symptoms.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in winter 2014 on a gender-balanced (50.0% men) sample of 288
individuals aged 18–59 years old in Kerman, Iran. Respondents were recruited in (a) crowded public places and streets,
(b) their households, and (c) hair salons. Data was collected on history of current and 6-month (ie, past 6 months)
STI-associated symptoms. Three different methods including FTFI, SAQ and or Audio-SAQ were applied randomly in
households and non-randomly in streets and hair salons to collect data among the respondents. Generalized estimating
equation (GEE) was used to compare the settings and methods separately.
Results: A total of 2.8% of men and 9.4% of women self-reported at least one STI-associated symptom. Respondents were
significantly more likely to report STI-associated symptoms when completing questionnaires on the street compared to
their household (P=.0001). While women were less likely to report symptoms in FTFI compared to SAQ (P=.036), no
significant differences were found between men’s responses across different methods (P=.064).
Conclusion: Further research is needed to evaluate the effect of different combinations of methods and settings to find
the optimal way to collect data on STI-associated symptoms
Condom Use and its Associated Factors Among Iranian Youth: Results From a Population-Based Study
Abstract
Background: Given the young structure of Iran’s population and the fact that extramarital sexual relationships are both
prohibited by legislation and shunned by society and religion, examining condom use practices among Iranian youth
is highly important. The aim of this study was to explore condom use and its correlates among Iranian young adults.
Methods: In a sample of 3,045 individuals aged 19-29 who were recruited from a nation-wide study, we analyzed data
from 633 participants who reported a history of extramarital sex. Subjects were asked about their condom use practices
during their last penetrative sex. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire where the respondents
completed the survey on their own and passed it to trained gender-matched interviewers. Multivariable regression
models were constructed to report adjusted odds ratios (AOR) along with 95% CI.
Results: Of the 633 participants, 222 (35.1%) reported condom use at last sex. Men reported significantly higher condom
use than women (38.5% vs. 25.7%). Having a stable job (AOR = 1.86, 95% CI: 1.01, 3.43), higher knowledge of condom
use (AOR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.03, 2.37) and sexual transmission of HIV (AOR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.18, 2.85) were positively
associated with condom use at last sex. Conversely, experience of sex under the influence of substances (AOR = 0.66, 95%
CI: 0.45, 0.94) was significantly associated with reduced odds of condom use at last sex.
Conclusion: This study shows that only one out of every three young adults reported using condoms at last sex.
While educational programs are helpful, multi-sectoral approaches (eg, individual-, community-, and structural-level
interventions) are required to change sexual behaviours towards safe sex practices and reinforce negotiating condom
use among youth
An on-site community-based model for hepatitis C screening, diagnosis, and treatment among people who inject drugs in Kerman, Iran: The Rostam study.
Feasibiity analysis of MBMS deployment with the introduction of LTE
Multimedia Broadcast Multicast service (MBMS) proposed by 3GPP for efficient use of network resources in broadcast and multicast services, provides the operator a delivery mechanism to simultaneously send to multiple recipients at high speed. Although MBMS was introduced in 3GPP Release 6 at the time of 3G networks, the MBMS feature did not find much attention from the 3G network operators. This thesis studies the technical and market feasibility for a successful MBMS deployment today at the time of commercial LTE deployment. UE and RAN advancements that make MBMS technologically feasible are studied together with the market feasibility factors such as user demand on media streaming and the impending data explosion. The thesis concludes that today at the time of LTE, it is more feasible from both technology and market perspectives to deploy MBMS in comparison to the time of 3G. As a future work, the thesis provides some suggestions that the operators should take care of before deploying MBMS
Prevalence and Correlates of Sexual Violence Experienced by Female Sex Workers in Iran: Results from a National HIV Bio-Behavioral Surveillance Survey
Feasibiity analysis of MBMS deployment with the introduction of LTE
Multimedia Broadcast Multicast service (MBMS) proposed by 3GPP for efficient use of network resources in broadcast and multicast services, provides the operator a delivery mechanism to simultaneously send to multiple recipients at high speed. Although MBMS was introduced in 3GPP Release 6 at the time of 3G networks, the MBMS feature did not find much attention from the 3G network operators. This thesis studies the technical and market feasibility for a successful MBMS deployment today at the time of commercial LTE deployment. UE and RAN advancements that make MBMS technologically feasible are studied together with the market feasibility factors such as user demand on media streaming and the impending data explosion. The thesis concludes that today at the time of LTE, it is more feasible from both technology and market perspectives to deploy MBMS in comparison to the time of 3G. As a future work, the thesis provides some suggestions that the operators should take care of before deploying MBMS
How and where do we ask sensitive questions: Self-reporting of STI-associated symptoms among the Iranian general population
Feasibility of Cr (VI) Removal from Aqueous Solution Using Electrochemical Bipolar Aluminum Electrodes
Electrocoagulation is one of the technologies which have been considered by many researchers in recent years. This process has many advantages including high efficiency, no need to chemical addition, low sludge production, capability of process control, easy to operation and maintenance. Bipolar electrodes system is one of the electrocoagulation techniques which can be used for increasing the process efficiency and better distribution of the electric current. The aim of this study was to remove hexavalent chromium from aqueous solution by electrocoagulation technique. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the parameters involving in the process, and the effect of current density, initial chromium concentration and pH on the process were investigated. At optimal conditions, for the highest chromium removal (>90%), the optimum initial chromium, reaction time, current density and pH were found to be 117 mg/L, 50 min, 11.75 mA cm-2 and 4.5, respectively. It can be stated that electrocoagulation is an efficient technique for separation and removing high chromium concentration from aqueous solutions