Brief Communication: Factors associated with willingness to use long-acting injectable Cabotegravir for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among female undergraduate students at a Ugandan university.

Background: We assessed the willingness of female students at a Ugandan public university to use long-acting Cabotegravir (CAB-LA) for HIV prevention, given their high prevalence of HIV risk behaviours.

Methods: Using an online questionnaire, this cross-sectional study surveyed 346 female undergraduate students aged 18-25. Factors influencing their willingness were analysed with modified Poisson regression and robust standard errors.

Prevalence and associated factor of postpartum depression among mothers living with HIV at an urban postnatal clinic in Uganda.

Background: Postpartum depression among mothers living with HIV is a significant public health problem due to its effects on engagement in care, HIV disease progression, and an increased risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with postpartum depression among mothers living with HIV.

Design: The study employed a cross-sectional quantitative research design.

Women's experiences of living with involuntary childlessness in Uganda: a qualitative phenomenological study.

Background: Involuntary childlessness is a global phenomenon that negatively impacts the couple, or the family involved. The experiences of women living with involuntary childlessness have not been well documented in the literature, specifically in the Ugandan context. The purpose of the study was to explore the experiences of women living with involuntary childlessness in Uganda.

Linkage to care and treatment among men with reactive HIV self-tests after workplace-based testing in Uganda: A qualitative study.

Introduction: HIV self-testing at workplaces has the potential to reach men at risk of HIV infection with lower access to HIV testing services. While several studies have reported high uptake of HIV self-testing, linkage to HIV care following a positive result remains a challenge. This study, therefore, explored the motivators for and barriers to linkage to HIV care and treatment among men who returned positive results following workplace-based HIV self-testing.

Perceived risk and risk reduction behaviours of female first-degree relatives of breast cancer patients attending care at Uganda cancer institute.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the perceived risk of breast cancer (BC) and adoption of risk reduction behaviours among female first-degree relatives (FDRs) of BC patients attending care at the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI).

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed using a questionnaire to collect data between March to October 2019. Adult female FDRs of patients attending care at UCI were recruited consecutively.

Effects of telehealth-assisted interventions among people living with HIV/AIDS: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies.

Introduction: Taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a daily necessity for people living with HIV but these individuals experience multiple barriers and challenges to medication adherence. Interventions to support medication adherence have yielded effects in the expected direction, but the extent to which telehealth or virtually delivered interventions to promote adherence are effective among people living with HIV/AIDS remains unknown. We aimed to address this knowledge gap and inform future research and practice that promotes the well-being of people living with HIV/AIDs through telehealth interventions addressing medication use.

Venues and methods to improve professional men's access to HIV self-testing and linkage to HIV prevention or treatment: a qualitative study.

Background: HIV testing among men in sub-Saharan Africa is sub-optimal. Despite several strategies to improve access to underserved populations, evidence regarding engaging men in professional and formal occupations in HIV testing is limited. This study explored employed professional men's preferences for uptake of HIV self-testing, and linkage to HIV care, or prevention services.

The Effects of Workplace-Based HIV Self-testing on Uptake of Testing and Linkage to HIV Care or Prevention by Men in Uganda (WISe-Men): Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Trial.

Background: HIV testing uptake remains low among men in sub-Saharan Africa. HIV self-testing (HIVST) at the workplace is a novel approach to increase the availability of, and access to, testing among men. However, both access and linkage to posttest services remain a challenge.

Use of herbal medicine by caregivers in the management of children with sickle cell disease in Mulago National Referral Hospital - Uganda.

Introduction: Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is the leading genetic disease in sub-Saharan Africa and therefore remains a global public health threat. Use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) most especially herbal medicine (HM) in chronic diseases such as sickle cell disease has widely been reported in Africa where advanced technologies are greatly lacking. Despite a large presence of the sickle cell disease in Uganda, the extent to which herbal medicines are used in management of children with sickle cell disease has not been documented.

Conducting an ongoing HIV clinical trial during the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda: a qualitative study of research team and participants' experiences and lessons learnt.

Objective: To explore the experiences and lessons learnt by the study team and participants of the Workplace-based HIV self-testing among Men trial during the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda.

Design: An explorative qualitative study comprising two virtual focus group discussions (FGDs) with 12 trial team members and 32 in-depth participant interviews (N=44). Data were collected via telephone calls for in-depth interviews or Zoom for FGDs and manually analysed by inductive content analysis.

Outcomes of interventions to optimize linkage to HIV care and antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation after HIV self-testing: A scoping review.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) self-testing is an innovative solution to the problem of low HIV testing coverage. It can help in realizing the first "95" of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS targets in the HIV treatment cascade. However, there is limited information to guide how those who self-test and show positive results can successfully be linked to HIV care and treatment.

Nursing and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a COVID-19 world: The state of the science and a call for nursing to lead.

The World Health Organization declared 2020 the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife well before the world was plunged into a pandemic response to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Worldwide, nurses are advancing critical research and policy efforts to achieve all 17 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Nursing is best positioned to ask and answer how to achieve the SDGs over the next decade, and in this COVID-19 era.

Hookworm Infection among Pregnant Women at First Antenatal Visit in Lira, Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Hookworm infection in expectant mothers has adverse health effects on both the mothers and their unborn babies. Foetal effects are known to include intrauterine growth retardation and physical and mental growth retardation, while the mothers may develop anemia which could potentially result in death. Unfortunately, little is known about factors that may predispose a pregnant woman to infection by hookworm.

Employers' and Employees' Perspectives of HIV Self-Testing at Male-Dominated Work Sites and Linkage to Posttest Services in Uganda.

This study explored men's views of workplace-based HIV self-testing and the barriers and facilitators of linkage to posttest services. Six focus group discussions and individual in-depth interviews were held with employers and employees in private security companies in Uganda (N = 70). Using content analysis, five categories emerged.

Acceptability of HIV testing for men attending televised football venues in Uganda.

Background: Worldwide, HIV remains a major public health challenge, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Literature indicates that men's involvement in HIV testing, care, and treatment services is lower compared to women, therefore novel approaches are required to engage men in the cascade of HIV care. This study aimed to explore men's perception on the provision of HIV testing services in venues where English Premier League football games are televised.

Increasing retention of HIV positive pregnant and breastfeeding mothers on option-b plus by upgrading and providing full time HIV services at a lower health facility in rural Uganda.

Background: Despite advancement in Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) services, the rate of MTCT of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa is still high. This is partly due to low retention of HIV positive mothers in HIV care. We sought to determine the level of retention and the factors associated with retention among HIV positive pregnant and breastfeeding mothers following accreditation of an antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinic to offer full time ART services in one of the lower health facilities in rural Western Uganda.

Existence, triggers, and coping with chronic sorrow: a qualitative study of caretakers of children with sickle cell disease in a National Referral Hospital in Kampala, Uganda.

Background: Worldwide, sickle cell disease is recognized as one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality. Caregivers and patients with such chronic illnesses experience economic, physical, social and psychological distresses which may lead to chronic sorrow. Chronic sorrow is viewed as a normal reaction to loss, however it can progress to a pathological state such as depression if the coping styles are ineffective.

Disclosure of Parental HIV Status to Children: Experiences of Adults Receiving Antiretroviral Treatment at an Urban Clinic in Kampala, Uganda.

Limited data are available on the experiences of parental HIV disclosure to children in Uganda. We conducted a qualitative study comprising sixteen in-depth interviews and four focus group discussions with parents receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy. Analysis was done using Atlas.

Prevalence, barriers and factors associated with parental disclosure of their HIV positive status to children: a cross-sectional study in an urban clinic in Kampala, Uganda.

Background: Disclosure of parental HIV status is associated with a number of positive outcomes such as improved adherence to clinic appointments, lower levels of parental anxiety and depression, and mutual emotional support between parents and their children. Very few studies in low-resource settings have addressed the issues of parental disclosure of their HIV status to their children.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among adult parents attending HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment clinic at Makerere University Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), Kampala, Uganda.

Factors associated with early resumption of sexual intercourse among postnatal women in Uganda.

Background: Despite being a key component to be addressed during postnatal period, sexuality has long been a subject of secrecy and taboo in Africa. Resumption of sexual intercourse after giving birth has been shown to reduce extramarital affairs and consequently reduce risk of sexually transmitted infections like HIV/AIDS. Consequences of early resumption of sexual intercourse include unwanted pregnancy, genital trauma and puerperal infection.

Nurses' knowledge in ethics and their perceptions regarding continuing ethics education: a cross-sectional survey among nurses at three referral hospitals in Uganda.

Background: High disease burden and scarcity of healthcare resources present complex ethical dilemmas for nurses working in developing countries. We assessed nurses' knowledge in ethics and their perceptions about Continuous Nurses' Ethics Education (CNEE) for in-service nurses.

Methods: Using an anonymous, pre-tested self-administered questionnaire, we assessed nurses' knowledge in basic ethics concepts at three regional hospitals in Uganda.

Determinants of Uptake of Cervical Cancer Screening Services at a No-cost Reproductive Health Clinic Managed by Nurse-Midwives.

Background: The incidence of cervical cancer (CC) has been rising in sub-Saharan Africa, and health authorities in this region have responded by increasing the availability of cheap or no-cost CC screening services (CCSS), public health education, and others. However, the efforts have not yet resulted into the expected uptake of CCSS.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the determinants of uptake of CCSS at a no-cost reproductive health clinic managed by nurse-midwives.