Browsing by Author "Celum, Connie"
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Item Context matters: PrEP adherence is associated with sexual behavior among HIV serodiscordant couples in East Africa(Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes, 2017) Haberer, Jessica E.; Ngure, Kenneth; Muwonge, Timothy; Mugo, Nelly; Katabira, Elly; Heffron, Renee; Musinguzi, Nicholas; Bangsberg, David R.; Celum, Connie; Baeten, Jared M.Short message service (SMS) surveys are a promising tool for understanding whether pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) adherence aligns with risk for HIV acquisition— a concept known as prevention-effective adherence. Methods—The Partners Demonstration Project was an open-label study of integrated PrEP and antiretroviral therapy (ART) delivery among high-risk HIV serodiscordant couples in East Africa. HIV-uninfected partners were offered PrEP until their HIV-infected partner had taken ART for ≥6 months. At 2 study sites, HIV-uninfected partners were offered enrollment into the Partners Mobile Adherence to PrEP (PMAP) sub-study based on ongoing PrEP use, personal cell phone ownership, and ability to use SMS. SMS surveys asked about PrEP adherence and sexual activity in the prior 24 hours; these surveys were sent daily for the 7 days prior and 7 days after routine study visits in the Partners Demonstration Project. Results—The PMAP sub-study enrolled 373 HIV-uninfected partners; 69% were male and mean age was 31 years. Participants completed 17,030 of 23,056 SMS surveys sent (74%) with a mean of 47 surveys per participant over 9.8 months of follow-up. While HIV-infected partner use of ART was <6 months, mean reported PrEP adherence was 92% on surveys concurrently reporting sex within the serodiscordant partnership and 84% on surveys reporting no sex (p<0.001). Discussion—SMS surveys provided daily assessment of concurrent PrEP adherence and sexual behavior. Higher PrEP adherence was temporally associated with increased risk for HIV acquisition.Item Contraceptive Use and Pregnancy Incidence Among Women Participating in an HIV Prevention Trial(Journal of Women's Health, 2017) Akello, Carolyne A; Bunge, Katherine E; Nakabiito, Clemensia; Mirembe, Brenda G; Fowler, Mary Glenn; Mishra, Anupam; Marrazzo, Jeanne; Chirenje, Zvavahera M; Celum, Connie; Balkus, Jennifer EBackground: Recent HIV prevention trials required use of effective contraceptive methods to fulfill eligibility for enrollment. We compared pregnancy rates in a subset of participants enrolled in the Microbicide Trials Network protocol (MTN-003), a randomized trial of chemoprophylaxis to prevent HIV acquisition among women aged 18–45 years who initiated depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) or combined oral contraceptives (COCs) at enrollment, relative to those already using DMPA or COCs. Methods: Data were analyzed from MTN-003 participants from Uganda. Before enrollment, information on contraceptive type and initiation date was obtained. Urine pregnancy tests were performed at monthly follow-up visits. Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare pregnancy incidence among new users (initiated £60 days before enrollment) and established users (initiated >60 days before enrollment). Results: Of 322 women enrolled, 296 were COC or DMPA users, 82 (28%) were new users, and 214 (72%) were established users. Pregnancy incidence was higher among new contraceptive users compared to established users (20.70% vs. 10.55%; adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 1.66; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.93–2.96). Among DMPA users, pregnancy incidence was 10.20% in new users versus 3.48% in established users (HR= 2.56; 95% CI 0.86–7.65). Among new COC users, pregnancy incidence was 42.67% in new users versus 23.67% in established COC users (adjusted HR= 1.74; 95% CI 0.87–3.48). Conclusions: New contraceptive users, regardless of method, at the Uganda MTN-003 site had an increased pregnancy risk compared to established users, which may be due to contraceptive initiation primarily for trial eligibility. New users may benefit from intensive contraceptive counseling and additional contraceptive options, including longer acting reversible contraceptives.Item Health Care Worker Perspectives of HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Service Delivery in Central Uganda(Frontiers in Public Health, 2022) Muwonge, Timothy R.; Nsubuga, Rogers; Ware, Norma C.; Wyatt, Monique A.; Pisarski, Emily; Kamusiime, Brenda; Kasiita, Vicent; Kakoola Nalukwago, Grace; Brown, Charles; Nakyanzi, Agnes; Bagaya, Monica; Bambia, Felix; Ssebuliba, Timothy; Katabira, Elly; Kyambadde, Peter; Baeten, Jared M.; Heffron, Renee; Celum, Connie; Mujugira, Andrew; Haberer, Jessica E.Scale-up of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) services in Uganda is ongoing. However, health care workers (HCWs) may not be aware of PrEP nor what offering this service entails. We explored the impact of standardized HCW training on the knowledge and perspectives of PrEP service delivery in Uganda. Methods: We recruited HCWs from facilities that offered HIV-related services in Central Uganda. Using the Uganda Ministry of Health curriculum, we trained HCWs on PrEP services. We collected data about PrEP knowledge, preparedness, and willingness to deliver PrEP to multiple key populations before the training, immediately after the training, and >6 months later (exit). We additionally conducted 15 qualitative interviews after the exit survey. Quantitative data were analyzed by Fisher exact test, while qualitative interview data were analyzed inductively. Results: We recruited 80 HCWs from 35 facilities in urban (N = 24, 30%), peri-urban (N = 30, 37%), and rural (N = 26, 33%) areas. Most HCWs were nurse counselors (N = 52, 65%) or medical/clinical officers (N = 15, 18%). Surveys indicated that awareness of PrEP increased after the training and remained high. Knowledge of PrEP (i.e., as an effective, short-term antiretroviral medication to use before HIV exposure for people at high risk) generally increased with training, but significant gaps remained, and knowledge decreased with time. Most HCWs recommended PrEP for female sex workers and HIV serodifferent couples, as well as other key populations. We observed increases in the number of HCW who felt their facility was prepared to cater for HIV prevention and provide PrEP, but this view was not universal. HCWs believed in PrEP effectiveness and embraced it as an additional HIV prevention method. Concerns included patient adherence and behavioral risk compensation. HCWs noted challenges in PrEP delivery in terms of inadequate clinic preparedness, infrastructure, staff capacity, and poor attitudes toward key populations by untrained health workers. They felt further training was needed to ensure a smooth scale-up of services without stigmatization. Standardized training improved knowledge, willingness, and preparedness to offer PrEP services among most HCWs in Central Uganda. Ongoing training will be needed to optimize PrEP delivery services and expand delivery to levels needed for population-level impact.Item Household-Based HIV Counseling and Testing as a Platform for Referral to HIV Care and Medical Male Circumcision in Uganda: A Pilot Evaluation(PloS one, 2012) Tumwebaze, Henry; Tumwesigye, Elioda; Baeten, Jared M.; Kurth, Ann E.; Revall, Jennifer; Murnane, Pamela M.; Chang, Larry W.; Celum, ConnieCombination HIV prevention initiatives incorporate evidence-based, biomedical and behavioral interventions appropriate and acceptable to specific populations, aiming to significantly reduce population-level HIV incidence. Knowledge of HIV serostatus is key to linkages to HIV care and prevention. Household-based HIV counseling and testing (HBCT) can achieve high HIV testing rates. We evaluated HBCT as a platform for delivery of combination HIV prevention services in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: We conducted HBCT in a semi-urban area in southwestern Uganda. All adults received standard HIV prevention messaging. Real-time electronic data collection included a brief risk assessment and prevention triage algorithm for referrals of HIV seropositive persons to HIV care and uncircumcised HIV seronegative men with multiple sex partners to male circumcision. Monthly follow-up visits for 3 months were conducted to promote uptake of HIV care and male circumcision. Results: 855 households received HBCT; 1587 of 1941 (81.8%) adults were present at the HBCT visit, 1557 (98.1% of those present) were tested and received HIV results, of whom, 46.5% were men. A total of 152 (9.8%) were HIV seropositive, for whom the median CD4 count was 456 cells/mL, and 50.7% were newly-identified as HIV seropositive. Three months after HBCT, 88.5% of HIV seropositive persons had attended an HIV care clinic; among those with CD4 counts ,250 cells/mL, 71.4% initiated antiretroviral therapy. Among 123 HIV seronegative men with an HIV+ partner or multiple partners, 62.0% were circumcised by month 3. Conclusions: HBCT achieves high levels of knowledge of HIV serostatus and is an effective platform for identifying at-risk persons and achieving higher uptake of HIV prevention and care services through referrals and targeted follow-up than has been accomplished through other single focus strategies.Item Intimate partner violence and self-reported pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) interruptions among HIV-negative partners in HIV serodiscordant couples in Kenya and Uganda(Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes, 2018) Cabral, Alejandra; Baeten, Jared; Ngure, Kenneth; Velloza, Jennifer; Odoyo, Josephine; Haberer, Jessica; Celum, Connie; Muwonge, Timothy; Asiimwe, Stephen; Heffron, ReneeOral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is effective for HIV prevention and PrEP delivery studies are investigating ways to deliver PrEP with high adherence. However, in many settings with high HIV burden, intimate partner violence (IPV) is reported often and could be a barrier to effective PrEP use. We examined the association between IPV and interruptions in PrEP use. Methods—We analyzed data from 1,013 serodiscordant heterosexual couples enrolled in a large PrEP demonstration project in Kenya and Uganda, the Partners Demonstration Project. At quarterly study visits, HIV-negative participants receiving PrEP were asked about interruptions in their PrEP use and experiences with IPV. The association between IPV and PrEP interruptions was analyzed using multivariable generalized estimating equations. Results—At baseline and follow-up there were 53 visits with reports of abuse by 49 HIV-negative partners, including physical, economic, and verbal IPV. Interruptions in PrEP use were reported at 328 visits (7.1% of all visits) by 249 people. The median length of PrEP interruption was 28 days (interquartile range [IQR]: 7–45). The frequency of PrEP interruptions among those reporting IPV was 23.8% and those without IPV was 6.9%. PrEP interruption was significantly associated with IPV after adjustment for age and frequency of sexual intercourse (adjusted OR=2.6, 95% CI 1.2–6.0). Conclusion—IPV was more likely to be reported at visits when PrEP interruptions were also reported, which may have implications for sustained adherence to PrEP. Within PrEP delivery programs, there may be opportunities to assess individual safety and well-being in order to bolster adherence.Item Leveraging interactive voice response technology to mitigate COVID-19 risk in refugee settlements in Uganda: Lessons learned implementing “Dial-COVID” a toll-free mobile phone symptom surveillance and information dissemination tool(https://doi.org/ 10.1371/journal.pone.0279373, 2023) Klabbers, Robin E.; Muwonge, Timothy R.; Pham, Phuong; Mujugira, Andrew; Vinck, Patrick; Borthakur, Sukanya; Sharma, Monisha; Mohammed, Numan; Parkes-Ratanshi, Rosalind; Celum, Connie; O’Laughlin, Kelli N.Persons living in refugee settlements in sub-Saharan Africa may be at increased risk for COVID-19 and experience barriers to accessing COVID-19 information. We aimed to evaluate the implementation of “Dial-COVID” a multi-lingual, toll free, telephone platform that uses interactive voice response (IVR) to track COVID-19 symptoms/exposure and disseminate COVID-19 health information in refugee settlements in Uganda. We hypothesized that IVR could provide an alternative way to screen for COVID-19 and communicate public health information to humanitarian populations when physical access and testing capacity were limited. Methods The Dial-COVID IVR platform was created in ten languages and advertised by community health workers in refugee settlements for participants to call into toll free. In a recorded IVR symptom survey, participants were screened for COVID-19 symptoms/exposures and based on their responses, received tailored public health messages about COVID-19 risk mitigation in accordance with Uganda Ministry of Health guidelines. Here we report the challenges and lessons learned implementing this research during the pandemic. Results Between February 2021 and March 2022, 15,465 calls were received by the Dial-COVID platform from all 31 refugee settlements in Uganda through which 6,913 symptom surveys were completed and 10,411 public health messages were disseminated in all study languages. Uptake of Dial-COVID fluctuated with the national COVID-19 caseload and was impacted by phone ownership and connectivity in refugee settlements. Intensified advertising efforts promoted Dial-COVID uptake. Flexibility to adapt IVR messages was contingent on translation capacity. Conclusion Refugees living in refugee settlements across Uganda accessed Dial-COVID to share and obtain COVID-19 information suggesting that IVR holds potential for rapid information dissemination and screening of humanitarian populations during future infectious disease outbreaks and may be a valuable tool for routine public health programs. IVR adaptation flexibility and reach are influenced by language constraints and by contextual factors related to platform access.Item Pre-exposure prophylaxis differentially alters circulating and mucosal immune cell activation in HSV-2 seropositive women(AIDS (London, England), 2019) Richert-Spuhler, Laura E.; Pattacini, Laura; Plews, Margot; Irungu, Elizabeth; Muwonge, Timothy R.; Katabira, Elly; Mugo, Nelly; Meyers, Adrienne F.A.; Celum, Connie; Baeten, Jared M.; Lingappa, Jairam R.; Lund, Jennifer M.Oral tenofovir-based pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an important tool for prevention of new HIV infections, which also reduces subclinical HSV-2 shedding and symptomatic lesions in HIV-negative, HSV-2-seropositive individuals. However, the impact of PrEP on mucosal immunity has not been examined in detail. Design: Here we evaluate paired genital tissue and systemic immune profiles to characterize the immunological effects of PrEP in HIV-negative, HSV-2-seropositive African women sexually exposed to HIV. Methods: We compared local and systemic innate and T-cell characteristics in samples collected during PrEP usage and two months after PrEP discontinuation. Results: We found that frequencies of cervical CCR5+CD4+ cells, regulatory T-cells, and tissue macrophages were significantly reduced during PrEP use compared to after PrEP discontinuation. In contrast, peripheral blood CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells expressing markers of activation and trafficking were increased during PrEP usage. Conclusions: Together, our data are consistent with PrEP altering immunity differentially in the female genital tract compared to circulation in HSV-2+ women. Further study including comparison to HSV-2 negative women is needed to define the overall impact and mechanisms underlying these effects. These results point to the critical need to study the human mucosal compartment to characterize immune responses to mucosal infectionsItem Sexual behavior and perceived HIV risk among HIV-negative members of serodiscordant couples in East Africa(AIDS and Behavior, 2020) Wanga, Valentine; Baeten, Jared M.; Bukusi, Elizabeth A.; Mugo, Nelly R.; Asiimwe, Stephen; Ngure, Kenneth; Mujugira, Andrew; Muwonge, Timothy; Odoyo, Josephine B.; Haberer, Jessica E.; Celum, Connie; Heffron, ReneeHIV risk perception may influence the use of HIV prevention interventions. Using data from HIV-negative adults enrolled in a study of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and antiretroviral therapy for HIV-serodiscordant couples in Kenya and Uganda, we examined associations between: 1) condom use and risk perception and 2) risk perception and PrEP adherence. Two-thirds of HIV-negative partners reported condomless sex with their HIV-positive partner or another partner in the month prior to study enrollment. Compared to those who reported no condomless sex, participants who reported condomless sex during the month prior to study visit had 5-fold higher odds of reporting “high risk” vs “no risk” perception (36.3 versus 10.9%: aOR=4.9, 95% CI: 3.4–6.9). Reporting condomless sex in the most recent sex act was associated with increased odds of perceiving some HIV risk (aOR for high risk=7.3, 95% CI 4.9–10.8; aOR for moderate risk=4.8, 95% CI 3.5–6.7; aOR for low risk=3.5, 95% CI 2.7–4.6). We found no significant association between risk perception and PrEP adherence. Sexual behavior aligned with perceived HIV risk, which can facilitate an HIV-negative individual’s decisions about PrEP use.