The Evidence Project: Protocol for Systematic Reviews of Behavioral Interventions and Behavioral Aspects of Biomedical Interventions for HIV Prevention, Treatment, and Health Service Delivery in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

The Evidence Project conducts systematic reviews and meta-analyses of HIV behavioral interventions, behavioral aspects of biomedical interventions, combination prevention strategies, modes of service delivery, and integrated programs in low- and middle-income countries. Here, we present the overall protocol for our reviews. For each topic, we conduct a comprehensive search of five online databases, complemented by secondary reference searching.

Advancing Adolescent and Young Adult HIV Prevention and Care and Treatment Through Use of Multi-level Theories and Frameworks: A Scoping Review and Adapted HIV Ecological Framework.

While multi-level theories and frameworks have become a cornerstone in broader efforts to address HIV inequities, little is known regarding their application in adolescent and young adult (AYA) HIV research. To address this gap, we conducted a scoping review to assess the use and application of multi-level theories and frameworks in AYA HIV prevention and care and treatment empirical research. We systematically searched five databases for articles published between 2010 and May 2020, screened abstracts, and reviewed eligible full-text articles for inclusion.

Self-collected samples as an additional option for STI testing in low-resource settings: a qualitative study of acceptability among adults in Rakai, Uganda.

Introduction: Self-collected samples (SCS) for sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing have been shown to be feasible and acceptable in high-resource settings. However, few studies have assessed the acceptability of SCS for STI testing in a general population in low-resource settings. This study explored the acceptability of SCS among adults in south-central Uganda.

Untapped Potential: Real-Time Measurements of Opioid Exocytosis at Single Cells.

The endogenous opioid system is commonly targeted in pain treatment, but the fundamental nature of neuropeptide release remains poorly understood due to a lack of methods for direct detection of specific opioid neuropeptides in situ. These peptides are concentrated in, and released from, large dense-core vesicles in chromaffin cells. Although catecholamine release from these neuroendocrine cells is well characterized, the direct quantification of opioid peptide exocytosis events has not previously been achieved.

"Project YES! has given me a task to reach undetectable": Qualitative findings from a peer mentoring program for youth living with HIV in Zambia.

The Project YES! clinic-based peer mentoring program was a randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted among 276 youth from four HIV clinics to test the impact of the program on promoting HIV self-management and reducing internalized stigma among youth living with HIV (ages 15-24 years) in Ndola, Zambia. We conducted a qualitative sub-study involving in-depth interviews with 40 intervention youth participants (21 female, 19 male) to explore their experiences with Project YES! which included: an orientation meeting led by a healthcare provider, monthly individual and group counseling sessions over six months, and three optional caregiver group sessions. Using baseline RCT data, we used maximum variation sampling to purposively select youth by sex, age, change in virologic results between baseline and midline, and study clinic.