Objective: We aimed to estimate the proportion of post-migration HIV acquisition among HIVpositive migrants in Europe.
Design:To reach HIV positive migrants we designed a cross sectional study performed in HIV clinics.
Methods:The study was conducted from July 2013-July 2015 in 57 clinics (9 European countries, targeting individuals over 18 years diagnosed in the preceding 5 years and born abroad.Electronic questionnaires supplemented with clinical data were completed in any of 15 languages.Post-migration HIV acquisition was estimated through Bayesian approaches combining extensive information on migration and patients' characteristics. CD4 counts and HIV-RNA trajectories from seroconversion were estimated by bivariate linear mixed models fitted to natural history data. Post-migration acquisition risk factors were investigated with weighted logistic regression. Median time in host countries was 8 years. Post-migration HIV acquisition was 63% (95% CI: 57%-67%); 72% among MSM, 58% and 51% in heterosexual men and women, respectively. Post-migration HIV acquisition was 71% for LAC migrants and 45% for people from SSA.
ResultsFactors associated with post-migration HIV acquisition among heterosexual women and MSM were age at migration, length of stay in host country and HIV diagnosis year and among heterosexual men, length of stay in host country, and HIV diagnosis year.
Conclusions:A substantial proportion of HIV-positive migrants living in Europe acquired HIV post-migration. This has important implications for European public health policies.
HIV-infected women are at increased risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and invasive cervical cancer (ICC), but it has been difficult to disentangle the influences of heavy exposure to HPV infection, inadequate screening and immunodeficiency. A case-control study including 364 CIN2/3 and 20 ICC cases matched to 1,147 controls was nested in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (1985-2013). CIN2/3 risk was significantly associated with low CD4+ cell counts, whether measured as nadir [odds ratio (OR) per 100-cell/μL decrease = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.22], or at CIN2/3 diagnosis (1.10, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.16). An association was evident even for nadir CD4+ 200-349 versus ≥350 cells/μL (OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.09, 2.25). After adjustment for nadir CD4+, a protective effect of >2-year cART use was seen against CIN2/3 (OR versus never cART use = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.42, 0.98). Despite low study power, similar associations were seen for ICC, notably with nadir CD4+ (OR for 50 vs. >350 cells/μL= 11.10, 95% CI: 1.24, 100). HPV16-L1 antibodies were significantly associated with CIN2/3, but HPV16-E6 antibodies were nearly exclusively detected in ICC. In conclusion, worsening immunodeficiency, even at only moderately decreased CD4+ cell counts, is a significant risk factor for CIN2/3 and cervical cancer
Of all non-B infections diagnosed in Switzerland, <25% could be prevented by domestic interventions. Awareness should be raised among immigrants and Swiss individuals with partners from high prevalence countries to contain the spread of non-B subtypes.
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