Browsing by Author "Sherman SG"

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    "I Wasn't in My Right Mind": Qualitative Findings on the Impact of Alcohol on Condom Use in Patients Living with HIV/AIDS in Brazil, Thailand, and Zambia (HPTN 063).
    (2019-Feb) Rogers BG; Mendez NA; Mimiaga MJ; Sherman SG; Closson EF; Tangmunkongvorakul A; Friedman RK; Limbada M; Moore AT; Srithanaviboonchai K; Mayer KH; Safren SA; Department of Psychology, University of Miami, 5665 Ponce de Leon Blvd, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA.; Department of Psychology, University of Miami, 5665 Ponce de Leon Blvd, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA. brooke.rogers@miami.edu.; The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.; FHI 360, Durham, NC, 27701, USA.; London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.; Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.; Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Evandro Chagas-Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.; School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02903, USA.; Department of Psychology, University of Miami, 5665 Ponce de Leon Blvd, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA. ssafren@miami.edu.; The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. ssafren@miami.edu.; Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.; CIDRZ; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ)
    PURPOSE: There have been significant biomedical improvements in the treatment and prevention of HIV over the past few decades. However, new transmissions continue to occur. Alcohol use is a known barrier to medication adherence and consistent condom use and therefore may affect treatment as prevention (TasP) efforts. The purpose of this study was to further explore how alcohol is associated with condom use and sexual transmission behavior in three international cities. METHOD: HIV Prevention Trials Network 063 was an observational mixed-methods study of HIV-infected patients currently in care in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Chiang Mai, Thailand; and Lusaka, Zambia. Across these three global cities, 80 qualitative interviews were conducted from 2010 to 2012. From these interviews, quotes related to substance use, almost all of which were alcohol, were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify how the use was related to sexual transmission behaviors. RESULTS: Overall, the theme that alcohol impairs cognitive abilities emerged from the data and included the following subthemes: expectancies, impaired decision-making, loss of control, and less concern for others. Themes specific to international settings and risk subgroups were also identified. CONCLUSION: Our analysis identified how alcohol influences sexual transmission behavior in HIV patients in three international settings. These findings may provide direction for content development for future secondary prevention interventions to effectively implement TasP internationally.
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    Intimacy versus isolation: a qualitative study of sexual practices among sexually active HIV-infected patients in HIV care in Brazil, Thailand, and Zambia.
    (2015) Closson EF; Mimiaga MJ; Sherman SG; Tangmunkongvorakul A; Friedman RK; Limbada M; Moore AT; Srithanaviboonchai K; Alves CA; Roberts S; Oldenburg CE; Elharrar V; Mayer KH; Safren SA; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.; The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America; Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America; Harvard Medical School/Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.; FHI360, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America.; Research Institute for Health Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.; The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America; Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.; Instituto de Pesquisa Clinica Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.; Research Institute for Health Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand; Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.; Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.; The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America; Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America; Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.; The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.; The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America; Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.; CIDRZ; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ)
    The success of global treatment as prevention (TasP) efforts for individuals living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) is dependent on successful implementation, and therefore the appropriate contribution of social and behavioral science to these efforts. Understanding the psychosocial context of condomless sex among PLWHA could shed light on effective points of intervention. HPTN 063 was an observational mixed-methods study of sexually active, in-care PLWHA in Thailand, Zambia, and Brazil as a foundation for integrating secondary HIV prevention into HIV treatment. From 2010-2012, 80 qualitative interviews were conducted with PLWHA receiving HIV care and reported recent sexual risk. Thirty men who have sex with women (MSW) and 30 women who have sex with men (WSM) participated in equal numbers across the sites. Thailand and Brazil also enrolled 20 biologically-born men who have sex with men (MSM). Part of the interview focused on the impact of HIV on sexual practices and relationships. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, translated into English and examined using qualitative descriptive analysis. The mean age was 25 (SD = 3.2). There were numerous similarities in experiences and attitudes between MSM, MSW and WSM across the three settings. Participants had a high degree of HIV transmission risk awareness and practiced some protective sexual behaviors such as reduced sexual activity, increased use of condoms, and external ejaculation. Themes related to risk behavior can be categorized according to struggles for intimacy and fears of isolation, including: fear of infecting a sex partner, guilt about sex, sexual communication difficulty, HIV-stigma, and worry about sexual partnerships. Emphasizing sexual health, intimacy and protective practices as components of nonjudgmental sex-positive secondary HIV prevention interventions is recommended. For in-care PLWHA, this approach has the potential to support TasP. The overlap of themes across groups and countries indicates that similar intervention content may be effective for a range of settings.