Epidemiological characteristics of HIV-infected women with and without a history of criminal justice involvement in South Carolina.

The circumstances that lead to incarceration may potentiate the HIV/AIDS epidemic and this has become an emerging public health concern. In the United States and in most jurisdictions, HIV prevalence in the correctional setting is higher among female inmates than male inmates. This dichotomy is not fully understood and few studies have focused on women in the South.

Predictors of time to enter medical care after a new HIV diagnosis: a statewide population-based study.

Public health benefits of expanded HIV screening will be adequately realized only if an early diagnosis is followed by prompt linkage to care. We characterized rates and factors associated with failure to enter into medical care within three months of HIV diagnosis and assessed the predictors of time to enter care over a follow-up period of up to 60 months. The study cohort included 3697 South Carolina (SC) residents' ≥13 years who were newly HIV-diagnosed in 2004-2008.

Disease progression and characteristics of HIV-infected women with and without a history of criminal justice involvement.

Early HIV diagnosis followed by prompt linkage to and consistent retention in HIV-related care is important to decrease morbidity and mortality. Progression to AIDS is of particular interest in HIV-positive women with a history of criminal justice-involvement due to their lack of access to care in the community and poor retention in HIV primary care. In this retrospective cohort study, we characterize the risk of developing AIDS among HIV-infected women with and without a history of criminal justice-involvement.

Demographic characteristics and behavioral risk factors of HIV infection and association with survival among individuals 50 years or older.

Objectives: To investigate the association of socio-behavioral characteristics and viro-immunological status with survival in a cohort of HIV-infected individuals by age in South Carolina (SC).

Methods: Logistic regression was used to compare the characteristics of individuals' ≥50 years old to individuals 20-49 years old at HIV diagnosis who were reported to SC enhanced HIV/AIDS Reporting System (eHARS) from January 1998 to December 2009. Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to examine the time to death after HIV diagnosis over the study period.

Transmitted antiretroviral drug resistance in individuals with newly diagnosed HIV infection: South Carolina 2005-2009.

Objectives: The transmission of drug-resistant human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) has important implications for the antiretroviral management of newly diagnosed individuals, increasing the risk of suboptimal treatment outcomes. The study objective was to characterize rates and factors associated with transmitted drug-resistant HIV-1 infection among newly diagnosed South Carolina (SC) residents.

Methods: This study utilized surveillance genotypic data from antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naïve individuals newly diagnosed with HIV-1 infection from June 2005 through December 2009.

The impact of retention in early HIV medical care on viro-immunological parameters and survival: a statewide study.

Current literature on retention in HIV care fails to account for patients who continually/simultaneously access different providers. This statewide study examined retention in early HIV medical care and its impact on viro-immunological improvement and survival outcomes. It was a retrospective study of South Carolina residents ≥13 years old who were diagnosed with HIV infection in 2004-2007 and initially entered in care.

Missed opportunities for early HIV diagnosis in correctional facilities.

To quantify the extent that South Carolina HIV/AIDS cases could have been diagnosed during a prior arrest we designed a retrospective population-based cohort study linking case reports from HIV/AIDS Reporting System (HARS) and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division database. Data from individuals newly diagnosed between January 2001 and December 2005 were linked with statewide arrest records from April 1991 through November 2005. Criminal history data for this report were derived from 28 state prisons and more than 250 law enforcement agencies (jails, lockups, detention centers).

Child abuse training and knowledge: a national survey of emergency medicine, family medicine, and pediatric residents and program directors.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the level of knowledge, comfort, and training related to the medical management of child abuse among pediatrics, emergency medicine, and family medicine residents.

Methods: Surveys were administered to program directors and third-year residents at 67 residency programs. The resident survey included a 24-item quiz to assess knowledge regarding the medical management of physical and sexual child abuse.