BackgroundPre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) trials are evaluating regimens containing tenofovir-disoproxil fumarate (TDF) for HIV prevention. We determined the baseline prevalence of low bone mineral density (BMD) and the effect of TDF on BMD in men who have sex with men (MSM) in a PrEP trial in San Francisco.Methods/FindingsWe evaluated 1) the prevalence of low BMD using Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) in a baseline cohort of 210 HIV-uninfected MSM who screened for a randomized clinical trial of daily TDF vs. placebo, and 2) the effects of TDF on BMD in a longitudinal cohort of 184 enrolled men. Half began study drug after a 9-month delay to evaluate changes in risk behavior associated with pill-use. At baseline, 20 participants (10%) had low BMD (Z score≤−2.0 at the L2–L4 spine, total hip, or femoral neck). Low BMD was associated with amphetamine (OR = 5.86, 95% CI 1.70–20.20) and inhalant (OR = 4.57, 95% CI 1.32–15.81) use; men taking multivitamins, calcium, or vitamin D were less likely to have low BMD at baseline (OR = 0.26, 95% CI 0.10–0.71). In the longitudinal analysis, there was a 1.1% net decrease in mean BMD in the TDF vs. the pre-treatment/placebo group at the femoral neck (95% CI 0.4–1.9%), 0.8% net decline at the total hip (95% CI 0.3–1.3%), and 0.7% at the L2–L4 spine (95% CI −0.1–1.5%). At 24 months, 13% vs. 6% of participants experienced >5% BMD loss at the femoral neck in the TDF vs. placebo groups (p = 0.13).ConclusionsTen percent of HIV-negative MSM had low BMD at baseline. TDF use resulted in a small but statistically significant decline in BMD at the total hip and femoral neck. Larger studies with longer follow-up are needed to determine the trajectory of BMD changes and any association with clinical fractures.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00131677

IntroductionThis article seeks to identify where delays occur along the adult HIV care cascade (“the cascade”), to improve understanding of what constitutes “delay” at each stage of the cascade and how this can be measured across a range of settings and to inform service delivery efforts. Current metrics are reviewed, measures informed by global guidelines are suggested and areas for further clarification are underscored.DiscussionQuestions remain on how best to evaluate late entry into each stage of the cascade. The delayed uptake of HIV testing may be more consistently measured once rapid CD4 testing is administered at the time of HIV testing. For late enrolment, preliminary research has begun to determine how different time intervals for linking to HIV care affect individual health. Regarding treatment, since 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNAIDS recommend treatment initiation when CD4 <500 cells/mm3; these guidelines provide a useful albeit evolving threshold to define late treatment initiation. Finally, WHO guidelines for high-, low- and middle-income countries also could be used to standardize measures for achieving viral suppression.ConclusionsThere is no “one size fits all” model as the provision of services may differ based on a range of factors. Nonetheless, measures informed by global guidelines are needed to more consistently evaluate the scope of and factors associated with delays to each stage of the cascade. Doing so will help identify how practitioners can best deliver services and facilitate access to and continued engagement in care.

Objective Young men who have sex with men (MSM) and MSM of color have the highest HIV incidence in the US. To explore possible explanations for these disparities and known individual risk factors we analyzed the per-contact risk (PCR) of HIV seroconversion in the early highly active antiretroviral therapy era. Methods Data from three longitudinal studies of MSM, HIVNET Vaccine Preparedness Study, EXPLORE behavioral efficacy trial, and VAX004 vaccine efficacy trial were pooled. The analysis included visits where participants reported unprotected receptive anal intercourse (URA), protected receptive anal intercourse (PRA), or unprotective insertive anal intercourse (UIA) with an HIV seropositive, unknown HIV serostatus, or an HIV seronegative partner. We used regression standardization to estimate average PCRs for each type of contact, with bootstrap confidence intervals. Results The estimated PCR was highest for URA with an HIV seropositive partner (0.73%; 95%BCI 0.45%-0.98%) followed by URA with a partner of unknown HIV serostatus (0.49%; 95%BCI 0.32%-0.62%). The estimated PCR for PRA and UIA with an HIV seropositive partner was 0.08% (95%BCI 0.0%-0.19%) and 0.22% (95%BCI 0.05%-0.39%) respectively. Average PCRs for URA and UIA with HIV seropositive partners were higher by 0.14-0.34% among younger participants and higher by 0.08% for UIA among Latino participants compared to White participants. Estimated PCRs increased with increasing number of sexual partners, use of methamphetamines or poppers, and history of sexually transmitted infection. Conclusions Susceptibility or partner factors may explain the higher HIV conversion risk for younger MSM, some MSM of color, and those reporting individual risk factors.

Birth cohort-based testing would augment identification of undocumented HCV infections in this ED 2-fold, relative to risk-based testing only. However, our data demonstrate that one-quarter of infections would remain undiagnosed if current CDC birth cohort recommendations were employed, suggesting that in high-risk urban ED settings a practice of universal 1-time testing might be more effective.