The HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Miami: Perspectives of Stakeholders and Frontline Providers

Background: Miami, Florida persists as an epicenter of HIV/AIDS nationally and has been more delayed than other areas with high HIV burden in implementing public health measures that mitigate transmission risk. These issues among other social and structural-level determinants have complicated progress in addressing HIV/AIDS in Miami. Purpose: The stagnated progress in improving HIV outcomes in Miami necessitated a more comprehensive understanding of the experiences and insights of stakeholders within the system. We used a stakeholder analysis approach to understand the complexity of driving factors and key challenges facing this HIV epidemic. Methods: A stakeholder analysis was conducted through 11 focus groups (64 participants) with front line workers working in non-profit, community-based agencies in Miami. The interview guide was designed to elicit a broad discussion on the social and intermediary determinants of HIV/AIDS, as well as the context surrounding barriers to treatment. Data were analyzed using qualitative software for thematic analysis. Results: Participants highlighted particular populations vulnerable to HIV/AIDS and insufficiently engaged in treatment, including immigrants and people who use drugs. Stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS as well as sexual orientation, mental health, and drug use was a noted persisting barrier. Participants expressed needs for more targeted outreach and education for both prevention and treatment. Numerous systemic gaps were identified as barriers to treatment engagement and retention. Other comorbidities and socioeconomic challenges, including criminal justice histories, housing instability and low educational attainment, also hamper HIV/AIDS management. Discussion: Through these discussions with stakeholders representing a diversity of voices, findings can inform comprehensive and coordinated strategies for curbing the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Miami. The development of prevention and treatment interventions should consider cultural contexts of health behaviors, multi-level stigma related to HIV/AIDS and other comorbid and socioeconomic challenges, and increased implementation of harm reduction programs such as PrEP delivery and syringe exchange programs

Oral Health Related Quality of Life, Dental Care Utilization, and Serostatus Disclosure among HIV-Positive Women in the Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) Cohort

Persons living with HIV are more likely than HIV-negative individuals to experience oral health problems, yet are also more likely to have unmet dental care treatment needs. Dental needs among HIV-positive individuals can also be more severe and difficult to manage compared to the general population, often contributing to the onset of opportunistic oral infections. Furthermore, dental problems in patients with HIV can be associated with low CD4 counts and poor immune function. Due to the underutilization of dental services, oral health problems and symptoms, especially those that are related to HIV infection, remain prevalent in this population. Neglected dental care and oral symptomatology play a significant role in overall quality of life and general health by negatively affecting form, function, and socialization. Oral-health related quality of life (OHRQOL) has therefore become an important construct in evaluating how untreated dental disease can affect overall quality of life and well-being. Research has also shown that HIV-positive individuals do not consistently disclose their serostatus status to their dentists. The purpose of this dissertation study was to investigate the determinants of dental care utilization, presence of unmet dental needs, OHRQOL, and HIV serostatus disclosure to dentists among women living with HIV. To address these research objectives, oral health data collected from the largest cohort study of HIV-positive women, the Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS), was analyzed. The WIHS is a national longitudinal cohort study of HIV-positive and high-risk HIV-negative women that has investigated the progression of HIV disease for over two decades through lengthy biannual assessments of demographic, clinical, and psychosocial data. The WIHS has not routinely collected oral health data on participants since the end of an oral health substudy conducted in the 1990s. For the purpose of this study, an oral health assessment was administered to WIHS cohort participants during the 2016 follow-up study visit. Utilizing cross-sectional data from this diverse, multisite cohort, this dissertation specifically sought to: (1) evaluate the association between the provision of dental insurance with dental care utilization and the presence of an unmet dental need among HIV-positive women in WIHS; (2) analyze the relationship between the presence of an unmet dental need with OHRQOL among HIV-positive women in WIHS; (3) evaluate how frequency of dental care utilization is associated with whether HIV-positive women choose to disclosure their HIV serostatus to their dentist, along their reasons for non-disclosure to dentists.</p

Dental Care Utilization of Hospitalized Persons Living with HIV and Substance Use

People living with HIV (PLWH) who use drugs experience worse health outcomes than their non-using counterparts. Little is known about how often they seek dental care and the factors that influence their utilization. PLWH with substance use disorders who were inpatients at 11 urban hospitals (n = 801) participated in a National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network study to improve engagement in HIV outcomes. Dental care utilization at each time point during the study period (baseline, 6 months and/or 12 months) was assessed (n = 657). Univariate analysis and logistic regression were used to examine factors associated with dental care utilization. Over half (59.4%) reported not having received any dental care at any timepoint. Participants with less than high school education had lower odds of reporting dental care utilization than those with more than education (aOR = 0.60 [95% CI 0.37-0.99], p = 0.0382). Participants without health insurance also had lower odds of reporting dental care utilization than those with insurance (aOR = 0.50 [95% CI 0.331-0.76], p = 0.0012). Higher food insecurity was associated with having recent dental care utilization (OR = 1.03 [95% CI 1.00, 1.05], p = 0.0359). Additionally, those from Southern states were less likely to report dental care utilization (aOR = 0.55 [95% CI 0.38, 0.79], p = 0.0013). Having health insurance and education are key factors associated with use of dental care for PLWH with substance use disorders. The association between food insecurity and dental care utilization among this population suggests the need for further exploration

Dentists' Willingness to Provide Expanded HIV Screening in Oral Health Care Settings: Results From a Nationally Representative Survey

Objectives. Using a nationally representative survey, we determined dentists’ willingness to provide oral rapid HIV screening in the oral health care setting. Methods. From November 2010 through November 2011, a nationally representative survey of general dentists (sampling frame obtained from American Dental Association Survey Center) examined barriers and facilitators to offering oral HIV rapid testing (n = 1802; 70.7% response). Multiple logistic regression analysis examined dentists’ willingness to conduct this screening and perceived compatibility with their professional role. Results. Agreement with the importance of annual testing for high-risk persons and familiarity with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations regarding routine HIV testing were positively associated with willingness to conduct such screening. Respondents’ agreement with patients’ acceptance of HIV testing and colleagues’ improved perception of them were also positively associated with willingness. Conclusions. Oral HIV rapid testing is potentially well suited to the dental setting. Although our analysis identified many predictors of dentists’ willingness to offer screening, there are many barriers, including dentists’ perceptions of patients’ acceptance, that must be addressed before such screening is likely to be widely implemented

Bismuth(III) Reagents in Steroid and Terpene Chemistry

Steroid and terpene chemistry still have a great impact on medicinal chemistry. Therefore, the development of new reactions or “greener” processes in this field is a contemporaneous issue. In this review, the use of bismuth(III) salts, as “ecofriendly” reagents/catalysts, on new chemical processes involving steroids and terpenes as substrates will be focused. Special attention will be given to some mechanistic considerations concerning selected reactions

HIV medical providers\u27 perceptions of the use of antiretroviral therapy as nonoccupational postexposure prophylaxis in 2 major metropolitan area

INTRO: In 2005, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded its recommendation of post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) use in the workplace to include non-occupational exposures (nPEP). The availability and extensive use of nPEP has not achieved widespread acceptance among health care providers of high-risk populations, and public health and primary care agencies have been sparse in their implementation of nPEP promotion, protocols, and practices. METHODS: We conducted a survey of HIV providers (n=142, response rate = 61%) in Miami-Dade County (Florida) and the District of Columbia (DC) that focused on their knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices related to the delivery of nPEP. We then analyzed differences in survey responses by site and by history of prescribing nPEP using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: More DC providers (59.7%) reported ever prescribing nPEP than in Miami (39.5%%, p < 0.048). The majority of practices in both cities did not have a written nPEP protocol and rarely or never had patients request nPEP. Multivariable analysis for history of prescribing nPEP was dominated by having patients request nPEP (OR = 21.53) and the belief that nPEP would lead to antiretroviral resistance (OR = 0.14), as well as having an nPEP written protocol (OR = 7.49). DISCUSSION: Our findings are consistent with earlier studies showing the underuse of nPEP as a prevention strategy. The significance of having an nPEP written protocol and of patient requests for nPEP speaks to the importance of using targeted strategies to promote widespread awareness of the use of HIV antiretroviral medications as a prevention intervention

Health Care Provider Stigma Toward Patients With Substance Use Disorders: Protocol for a Nationally Representative Survey

BackgroundThe US overdose epidemic is an escalating public health emergency, accounting for over 100,000 deaths annually. Despite the availability of medications for opioid use disorders, provider-level barriers, such as negative attitudes, exacerbate the treatment gap in clinical care settings. Assessing the prevalence and intensity of provider stigma, defined as the negative perceptions and behaviors that providers embody and enact toward patients with substance use disorders, across providers with different specialties, is critical to expanding the delivery of substance use treatment. ObjectiveTo thoroughly understand provider stigma toward patients with substance use disorders, we conducted a nationwide survey of emergency medicine and primary care physicians and dentists using a questionnaire designed to reveal how widely and intensely provider attitudes and stigma can impact these providers’ clinical practices in caring for their patients. The survey also queried providers’ stigma and clinical practices toward other chronic conditions, which can then be compared with their stigma and practices related to substance use disorders. MethodsOur cross-sectional survey was mailed to a nationally representative sample of primary care physicians, emergency medicine physicians, and dentists (N=3011), obtained by American Medical Association and American Dental Association licensees based on specified selection criteria. We oversampled nonmetropolitan practice areas, given the potential differences in provider stigma and available resources in these regions compared with metropolitan areas. Data collection followed a recommended series of contacts with participants per the Dillman Total Design Method, with mixed-modality options offered (email, mail, fax, and phone). A gradually increasing compensation scale (maximum US$250) was implemented to recruit chronic nonresponders and assess the association between requiring higher incentives to participate and providers stigma. The primary outcome, provider stigma, was measured using the Medical Condition Regard Scale, which inquired about participants’ views on substance use and other chronic conditions. Additional survey measures included familiarity and social engagement with people with substance use disorders; clinical practices (screening, treating, and referring for a range of chronic conditions); subjective norms and social desirability; knowledge and prior education; and descriptions of their patient populations. ResultsData collection was facilitated through collaboration with the National Opinion Research Center between October 2020 and October 2022. The overall Council of American Survey Research Organizations completion rate was 53.62% (1240/2312.7; physicians overall: 855/1681.9, 50.83% [primary care physicians: 506/1081.3, 46.79%; emergency medicine physicians: 349/599.8, 58.2%]; dentists: 385/627.1, 61.4%). The ineligibility rate among those screened is applied to those not screened, causing denominators to include fractional numbers. ConclusionsUsing systematically quantified data on the prevalence and intensity of provider stigma toward substance use disorders in health care, we can provide evidence-based improvement strategies and policies to inform the development and implementation of stigma-reduction interventions for providers to address their perceptions and treatment of substance use. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/4754

Dental insurance, dental care utilization, and perceived unmet dental needs in women living with HIV: Results from the Women's Interagency HIV Study

Dental care is the most commonly cited unmet health-care service due to cost. Previous research has highlighted the unmet dental needs of people living with HIV (PLWH). Understanding associations among dental insurance availability, dental care utilization, and the presence of unmet dental needs among PLWH is a public health priority. Oral health surveys were collected cross-sectionally (April-October 2016) among 1,442 women living with HIV (WLWH) in the Women's Interagency HIV Study. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between having versus not having dental insurance by type (Ryan White, private, Medicaid/Medicare) and two primary outcomes: a) typical frequency of dental visits (at least annually, less than annually) and b) reporting an unmet dental need in the past 6 months. All dental insurance types were associated with higher odds of receiving annual dental care and, for those with either Medicare/Medicaid or private insurance, lower odds of having an unmet dental need. When WLWH were asked to describe their oral health, poor self-reported condition was associated with both an unmet dental need (odds ratio [OR]: 4.52, 95 percent Confidence Interval [CI] [3.29-6.20]) and lower odds of annual dental care utilization (OR: 0.44, 95 percent CI [0.34-0.57]). Self-reported depressive symptom burden was also linked to having an unmet dental need (OR: 2.10, 95 percent CI [1.46-3.01]). Dental insurance coverage increases dental care utilization and is associated with better oral health among WLWH. In the era of health-care reform, dental insurance coverage may be instrumental for enhancing treatment outcomes