Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29791514›Full record

ArticlePloS one2018

High prevalence of syndemic health problems in patients seeking post-exposure prophylaxis for sexual exposures to HIV.

Steven A Morrison, Deborah Yoong, Trevor A Hart, Paul MacPherson, Isaac Bogoch, Vishalini Sivarajah, Kevin Gough, Mark Naccarato, Darrell H S Tan

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
1.9field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Immediate PrEP after PEP: Results from an Observational Nurse-Led PEP2PrEP Study.Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care
    Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Steven A MorrisonDivision of Infectious Diseases, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-7984-1272
Deborah YoongDepartment of Pharmacy, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada.
Trevor A HartDepartment of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada.
Paul MacPhersonDivision of Infectious Diseases, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Canada.
Isaac BogochDivision of Infectious Diseases, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Canada.
Vishalini SivarajahDivision of Infectious Diseases, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada.
Kevin GoughDivision of Infectious Diseases, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada.
Mark NaccaratoDepartment of Pharmacy, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada.
Darrell H S TanDivision of Infectious Diseases, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-3069-2875
St. Michael's Hospital · CAUniversity of Toronto · CAOttawa Hospital · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe standard clinical approach to non-occupational HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP) focuses on biomedical aspects of the intervention, but may overlook co-occurring or 'syndemic' psychosocial problems that reinforce future vulnerability to HIV. We therefore sought to determine the prevalence of syndemic health problems in a cohort of Ontario nPEP patients, and explored the relationship between syndemic burden and HIV risk.

methodsBetween 07/2013-08/2016, we distributed a self-administered questionnaire to patients presenting to three clinics in Toronto and Ottawa seeking nPEP for sexual HIV exposures. We used validated screening tools to estimate the prevalence of depression (CES-D score ≥16), harmful alcohol use (AUDIT ≥8), problematic drug use (DUDIT ≥6 men/≥2 women), and sexual compulsivity (SCS ≥24) among men who have sex with men (MSM) respondents. In exploratory analyses, we examined the relationships between syndemic conditions using univariable logistic regression models, and the relationship between syndemic count (total number of syndemic conditions per participant) and HIV risk, as estimated by the HIRI-MSM score, using linear regression models.

resultsThe 186 MSM included in the analysis had median age 31 (IQR = 26-36), including 87.6% having a college/undergraduate degree or higher. Overall, 53.8% screened positive for depression, 34.4% for harmful alcohol use, 30.1% for problematic drug use, and 16.1% for sexual compulsivity. Most participants (74.2%) had at least one syndemic condition and 46.8% had more than one. Exploratory analyses suggested positive associations between depression and harmful alcohol use (OR = 2.11, 95%CI = 1.13, 3.94) and between harmful alcohol use and problematic drug use (OR = 1.22, 95%CI = 0.65, 2.29). Syndemic count was associated with increased HIRI-MSM risk scores in univariable (2.2, 95%CI = 1.0, 3.3 per syndemic condition) and multivariable (2.1, 95%CI = 0.6, 3.6) linear regression models.

conclusionsThe prevalence of syndemic conditions in MSM seeking nPEP for sexual exposure is alarmingly high, and is associated with underlying HIV risk. Routine screening for these conditions may identify opportunities for intervention and could alleviate future vulnerability to HIV.

Indexed as

Post-Exposure ProphylaxisSexual BehaviorAdultCohort StudiesEnvironmental ExposureFemaleHIVHumansMalePatient Acceptance of Health CarePrevalenceRisk-TakingSurveys and Questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID29791514
PMCPMC5965882
OpenAlexW2803289200

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.