Impact of recent criteria changes for the deferral criteria specific to men who have sex with men in France.

Background And Objectives: In 2016, France allowed men who have sex with men (MSM) to donate blood if they had not had sex with men in the previous 12 months. In April 2020, this restriction was relaxed to 4 months due to the lack of negative impact observed on blood safety. This study assesses the impact of reducing this deferral period on epidemiological surveillance indicators.

Human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis C virus and hepatitis B virus incidence in blood donors from 2000 to 2020 in France: Trends and lessons from haemovigilance surveillance.

Background And Objectives: Data from 21 years (2000-2020) of haemovigilance were used to assess human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) incidence rates in repeat blood donors and the occurrence of transfusion-transmitted (TT) viral infections.

Materials And Methods: Blood donors who converted for HIV, HCV or HBV markers within serial three-year analysis periods were included. Epidemiological and virological data were retrieved from the national epidemiological donor database and were supplemented with information on blood components and the infection status of recipients of the previous negative donation (D.

Evolving deferral criteria for blood donation in France: Plasma donation by men who have sex with men.

Background And Objectives: Since the advent of AIDS, men who have sex with men (MSM) have often been deferred from blood donation. In France, quarantine plasma donation by MSM donors with the same deferral rules as for other donors was introduced in July 2016 and continued up to March 2022. At this time, MSM-specific deferral criteria were lifted for all blood or plasma donation.

COVID-19 Impact on Stroke Admissions during France's First Epidemic Peak: An Exhaustive, Nationwide, Observational Study.

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to have great impacts on the care of non-COVID-19 patients. This was especially true during the first epidemic peak in France, which coincided with the national lockdown. The aim of this study was to identify whether a decrease in stroke admissions occurred in spring 2020, by analyzing the evolution of all stroke admissions in France from January 2019 to June 2020.

Early assessment of diffusion and possible expansion of SARS-CoV-2 Lineage 20I/501Y.V1 (B.1.1.7, variant of concern 202012/01) in France, January to March 2021.

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variant 20I/501Y.V1 (VOC-202012/1 or GR/501Y.V1) is concerning given its increased transmissibility.

Noncompliance to blood donor selection criteria by men who have sex with men - Complidon 2017, France.

Background And Objectives: In France, blood donation deferral for men who have sex with men (MSM) was reduced from permanent to 12 months in July 2016. Assessing noncompliance (rate and reasons) with this criterion is important to maintain a high level of viral safety in blood products.

Materials And Methods: An anonymous online survey (Complidon) of a sample of blood donors was conducted in 2017.

Injecting drug use during sex (known as "slamming") among men who have sex with men: Results from a time-location sampling survey conducted in five cities, France.

Background: In the last decade, European cities saw the development of "slamming," a practice related to chemsex that combines three elements: a sexual context, psychostimulant drug use, and injection practices. Epidemiological data on this practice is still sparse and media attention might have unintentionally distorted the size of this phenomenon. Therefore, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of men practicing slam and to identify factors associated with this practice.

The evolving blood donor deferral policy for men who have sex with men: impact on the risk of HIV transmission by transfusion in France.

Background: Blood donation deferral for men who have sex with men (MSM) in France was reduced from permanent to 12 months in July 2016. To inform a further reduction of the deferral period, an HIV risk assessment was conducted with two scenarios: S1, 4-month deferral; S2, 4-month deferral only in the case of more than one sexual partner (i.e.

Noncompliance with blood donor selection criteria - Complidon 2017, France.

Background: Blood donor selection, consisting of a pre-donation questionnaire and interview, excludes potential donors who may be at risk of transfusion-transmissible infections. Assessing the reasons for noncompliance with blood donor selection criteria is important to maintain a high level of viral safety of blood products.

Study Design And Methods: An anonymous French online survey of a sample of blood donors (Complidon) was conducted from September to December 2017.

Screening for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection by Use of a Fourth-Generation Antigen/Antibody Assay and Dried Blood Spots: In-Depth Analysis of Sensitivity and Performance Assessment in a Cross-Sectional Study.

We evaluated the performance of a fourth-generation antigen/antibody (Ag/Ab) assay for detecting HIV-1 infection on dried blood spots (DBS) both in a conventional laboratory environment and in an epidemiological survey corresponding to a real-life situation. Although a 2-log loss of sensitivity compared to that with plasma was observed when using DBS in an analytical analysis, the median delay of positivity between DBS and crude serum during the early phase postacute infection was 7 days. The performance of the fourth-generation assay on DBS was approximately similar to that of a third-generation (antibody only) assay using crude serum samples.

Prevalence of hepatitis C infection, screening and associated factors among men who have sex with men attending gay venues: a cross-sectional survey (PREVAGAY), France, 2015.

Background: Over the last 20 years, Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection prevalence has dramatically increased among HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) in many countries worldwide. It is suspected that this increase is primarily driven by sexual behaviours linked to blood exposure. Monitoring these behaviours is crucial to understand the drivers of the epidemic.

An 18-year follow-up of HIV knowledge, risk perception, and practices in young adults.

Objective: To evaluate trends over the last 18 years in HIV-related knowledge, risk perceptions, and sexual behaviors in young adults.

Methods: Data were obtained from six KABP (knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices) surveys (1992, 1994, 1998, 2001, 2004, and 2010) from representative samples of the French population. Surveys were similar in terms of data collection and target populations: 2362 men and 2774 women aged 18-29 were interviewed by telephone.

New malaria-control policies and child mortality in senegal: reaching millennium development goal 4.

Background: The Demographic Surveillance System established in 1962 in Niakhar, Senegal, is the oldest in Africa. Here, we analyze trends in overall child mortality, malaria, and other causes of death in Niakhar from the beginning of data collection to 2010.

Methods: After an initial census, demographic data were updated yearly from 1963 through 2010.