Publications by authors named "Haw J"

Article Synopsis
  • Transgender women (TW) face significant challenges with HIV, and there's a growing interest in using digital methods for HIV research, though bias between digital and site-based data collection is under-explored.
  • A study involving 1,312 TW in the eastern and southern USA compared characteristics of those participating in site-based versus digital modes, focusing on demographics, healthcare access, and mental health factors.
  • Results indicated that site-based participants were generally younger, more likely to identify as people of color, and had different experiences and risks related to HIV compared to those who participated online, suggesting that a hybrid approach may provide a more representative sample for research.
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Background: In the United States, transgender women are disproportionately impacted by HIV and prioritized in the national strategy to end the epidemic. Individual, interpersonal, and structural vulnerabilities underlie HIV acquisition among transgender women and fuel syndemic conditions, yet no nationwide cohort monitors their HIV and other health outcomes.

Objective: Our objective is to develop a nationwide cohort to estimate HIV incidence, identify risk factors, and investigate syndemic conditions co-occurring with HIV vulnerability or acquisition among US transgender women.

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Context: The long-term effect of gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) on glucose metabolism is an area of priority in transgender health research.

Objectives: To evaluate the relation between GAHT and changes in fasting blood glucose (FG) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in transmasculine (TM) and transfeminine (TF) persons relative to the corresponding temporal changes in presumably cisgender persons (ie, without any evidence of gender diversity).

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

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Background: Most high-risk neuroblastoma patients who relapse succumb to disease despite the existing therapy. We recently reported increased event-free and overall survival in neuroblastoma patients receiving difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) during maintenance therapy. The effect of DFMO on cellular processes associated with neuroblastoma tumorigenesis needs further elucidation.

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Background And Objectives: Two-Spirit, trans, nonbinary and other gender-diverse (2STGD) donors face challenges in donation. While many blood operators aim to address these challenges, to date, no empirical study with these donors has been conducted to guide their efforts. This paper reports 2STGD donors' views on a two-step approach asking donors their gender and sex assigned at birth (SAAB), and expanding gender options in donor registration.

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Background: Transgender women (TW) experience significant inequities in healthcare access and health disparities compared to cisgender populations. Access to non-transition related healthcare is understudied among TW. We aimed to assess the association between access to care and gender minority stress and resilience factors among TW living with and without HIV in eastern and southern United States.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The increasing global demand for plasma protein products has raised concerns in various countries that rely on imports, emphasizing the need for effective recruitment and retention strategies for diverse plasma donors to support local donation systems.
  • - A series of three systematic reviews will analyze existing qualitative and survey-based literature to identify barriers and enablers to source plasma donation and evaluate which strategies effectively encourage donation.
  • - The methodology includes searching multiple electronic databases for relevant studies, with a focus on different study designs, and will employ various analysis techniques, including meta-analyses, to synthesize findings across the reviews.
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Introduction: Transgender women in the United States experience high HIV incidence and suboptimal Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) engagement. We sought to estimate PrEP initiation and discontinuation rates and characterize PrEP discontinuation experiences among a prospective cohort of transgender women.

Methods: Using a sequential, explanatory, mixed-methods design, 1312 transgender women at risk for HIV acquisition were enrolled from March 2018 to August 2020 and followed through July 2022 (median follow-up 24 months; interquartile range 15-36).

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Background: In many countries, sexually active gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) continue to be screened based on their sex or gender and the sex or gender of their sexual partner. However, there is growing support that screening based on specific sexual behaviors that pose risk of transfusion transmissible infection is a better approach to donor screening.

Study Design And Methods: This paper reports results from Phase 1 (qualitative) of a mixed-methods study on Canadian blood and plasma donors' views on expanding eligibility for gbMSM by changing to sexual behavior-based screening.

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Background: Differences of sex development (DSD or disorders of sex development) are uncommon congenital conditions, characterized by atypical development of chromosomal, gonadal, or anatomic sex.

Objective: Dermatologic care is an important component of the multidisciplinary care needed for individuals with DSD. This article discusses the most common primary dermatologic manifestations of DSD in addition to the cutaneous manifestations of hormonal and surgical therapies in individuals with DSD.

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Background: Many blood operators around the world face the challenge of increasing the number of donors of African ancestry to meet the transfusion needs of people living with sickle cell disease. This article reports results of the barriers to blood donation for young adults (aged 19-35) in Canada who identify as African, Caribbean, or Black.

Study Design And Methods: A community-based qualitative study was conducted by researchers from community organizations, blood operator, and universities.

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Background And Objectives: In Canada, the time deferral for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) to donate blood has gradually decreased. In September 2022, this deferral was replaced with sexual behaviour-based screening for all donors. We investigate how data from targeted research programmes addressed knowledge gaps to support this change.

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Emerging adults with diabetes, particularly in underserved communities, represent a growing but less studied population whose needs may differ from older adults. This study investigated perspectives of underserved emerging adults regarding diabetes self-management influences and provider interactions. Focus groups and interviews with emerging adults in a safety-net health care setting were conducted to identify perspectives regarding self-management influences and patient-provider interactions.

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Background: Epidemiological monitoring of HIV among transgender women is minimal despite prioritisation of this group in the US National HIV/AIDS Strategy (2022-2025). We aimed to estimate HIV incidence in a multisite cohort of transgender women in the eastern and southern USA. Participant deaths were identified during follow-up; thus, we felt it was an ethical imperative to report mortality alongside HIV incidence.

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Importance: Consistent medication use is critical for diabetes management. Population surveillance of consistency of medication use may identify opportunities to improve diabetes care.

Objective: To evaluate trends in longitudinal use of glucose-, blood pressure-, and lipid-lowering medications by adults with diabetes.

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The increasing number of emerging adults with diabetes (EAWD) being cared for in adult health care settings requires a better understanding of the needs of EAWD and their interactions with adult health care providers (HCPs). This article describes findings from interviews with endocrinologists and diabetes nurses from a safety-net health care system to investigate HCPs' perspectives regarding influences on EAWD self-management and HCP interactions with EAWD. HCPs frequently perceived lower EAWD engagement in diabetes management, which was complicated by barriers such as the emotional burden of diabetes, busy lives and multiple responsibilities, and limited access to resources; however, HCPs valued the role of information and communication at visits in tailoring care for EAWD.

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Quantum random number generators (QRNGs) are able to generate numbers that are certifiably random, even to an agent who holds some side information. Such systems typically require that the elements being used are precisely calibrated and validly certified for a credible security analysis. However, this can be experimentally challenging and result in potential side-channels which could compromise the security of the QRNG.

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Background: Blood operators screen donors to reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs). Many are evolving screening procedures from those that defer all who have had a sexual interaction with gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) to an approach that assesses individual donors' recent sexual risk behavior with any partner.

Study Design And Methods: A representative sample of current blood donors (N = 1194) was recruited online and randomized to complete either the existing (at the time of the study) Canadian Blood Services' donor questionnaire (DQ) that screens out those with recent gbMSM sexual experience, a modified donor questionnaire (MDQ) that assesses individuals' recent sexual behavior with any partner, or an MDQ that assesses individual sexual behavior with any partner and explains why these questions are asked.

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There are limited tools to address equity in diabetes research and clinical trials. The T1D Exchange has established a 10-step equity framework to advance equity in diabetes research. Herein, the authors outline this approach and expand on its practical application.

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Context: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has instituted common program requirements related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) for postgraduate trainees in the United States; however, the extent to which DEI training is being incorporated across endocrinology fellowship programs is unknown.

Objectives: To describe the sociodemographic representation and DEI training experiences within endocrinology fellowship programs.

Design, Setting, And Participants: National cross-sectional survey study of fellows and fellowship program leaders in the United States whose fellowships were members of the Association of Program Directors in Endocrinology and Metabolism.

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Importance: Little is known about emergency department (ED) use among people with diabetes and whether the pattern of ED use varies across geographic areas and population subgroups.

Objective: To estimate recent national- and state-level trends in diabetes-related ED use overall and by race and ethnicity, rural or urban location, and insurance status.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cross-sectional study of adults visiting the ED with a diabetes-related diagnosis used serial data from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, a nationally representative database, and discharge records from 11 state emergency department databases for 2008, 2011, 2014, and 2016 to 2017.

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Objectives: To understand motivations and deterrents to donate COVID-19 convalescent plasma for a clinical trial and determine whether they predict intention to donate source plasma.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian Blood Services was involved in three nationally coordinated convalescent plasma clinical trials, requiring the recruitment of several thousand prospective convalescent plasma donors. Understanding the motivations and deterrents of donors in the unique context of a clinical trial and ongoing pandemic can inform recruitment for source plasma donation beyond a clinical trial.

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Purpose: Adherence to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) during periods of PrEP-indication (i.e., prevention-effective adherence) is critical for preventing HIV.

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