Factors that influence attitudes and sexual behavior among constituency youth workers in Oshana Region, Namibia

This survey was carried out to assess attitudes and behaviour among youth within four constituencies in Oshana region, Namibia and to understand to how certain social and cultural factors inform attitudes and influence sexual behaviour among the population of young people surveyed. Using a structured questionnaire, data were collected from a random sample of eighty young men and women between the ages of 15-30 years from four constituencies in Oshana region. Survey outcomes revealed attitudes and certain factors that are linked to sexual risk behaviour such as multiple sexual partnerships. Outcomes also reveal an influence of established socio-cultural norms on gender dynamics within relationships and a culture of reserve around discussions of sex and sexuality among young people. Stakeholder interventions should be directed towards incorporating approaches that address these factors as part of efforts to curb the incidence of HIV among young people in Namibia.(Afr J Reprod Health 2010; 14[1]:55-69)

OLA-Simple: A software-guided HIV-1 drug resistance test for low-resource laboratories

Background: HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) testing can assist clinicians in selecting treatments. However, high complexity and cost of genotyping assays limit routine testing in settings where HIVDR prevalence has reached high levels. Methods: The oligonucleotide ligation assay (OLA)-Simple kit was developed for detection of HIVDR against first-line non-nucleoside/nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and validated on 672 codons (168 specimens) from subtypes A, B, C, D, and AE. The kit uses dry reagents to facilitate assay setup, lateral flow devices for visual HIVDR detections, and in-house software with an interface for guiding users and analyzing results. Findings: HIVDR analysis of specimens by OLA-Simple compared to Sanger sequencing revealed 99.6 ± 0.3% specificity and 98.2 ± 0.9% sensitivity, and compared to high-sensitivity assays, 99.6 ± 0.6% specificity and 86.2 ± 2.5% sensitivity, with 2.6 ± 0.9% indeterminate results. OLA-Simple was performed more rapidly compared to Sanger sequencing (\u3c4 h vs. 35–72 h). Forty-one untrained volunteers blindly tested two specimens each with 96.8 ± 0.8% accuracy. Interpretation: OLA-Simple compares favorably with HIVDR genotyping by Sanger and sensitive comparators. Instructional software enabled inexperienced, first-time users to perform the assay with high accuracy. The reduced complexity, cost, and training requirements of OLA-Simple could improve access to HIVDR testing in low-resource settings and potentially allow same-day selection of appropriate antiretroviral therapy. Fund: USA National Institutes of Health R01; the Clinical and Retrovirology Research Core and the Molecular Profiling and Computational Biology Core of the UW CFAR; Seattle Children\u27s Research Institute; UW Holloman Innovation Challenge Award; Pilcher Faculty Fellowship