Impacts of COVID-19 on sexual risk behaviors, safe injection practices, and access to HIV services among key populations in Zambia: Findings from a rapid qualitative formative assessment.

Background: Despite achievements in the HIV response, social and structural barriers impede access to HIV services for key populations (KP) including men who have sex with men (MSM), transgender women (TGW), and people who inject drugs (PWID). This may be worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic or future pandemic threats. We explored the impact of COVID-19 on HIV services and sexual and substance use behaviors among MSM/TGW and PWID in Zambia as part of a formative assessment for two biobehavioral surveys.

Feasibility of using infant testing during immunization to estimate HIV mother-to-child-transmission rates in Zambia.

Background: This study piloted the feasibility of infant testing in immunization services as a strategy for estimating MTCT rates among the population of HIV exposed infants at national and subnational levels in Zambia.

Methods: The study recruited a cross-sectional nationally representative sample of 8042 caregiver-baby pairs in 38 high volume immunization sites in 7 towns across 3 provinces of Zambia. All mothers who brought their children below the age of one year for immunization at the study facilities were invited to participate in the study.

Maternal HIV, antiretroviral timing, and spontaneous preterm birth in an urban Zambian cohort: the role of local and systemic inflammation.

Objective: To assess plasma and vaginal inflammation in three antenatal groups (HIV-uninfected women, HIV-infected women entering care on preconceptional ART, and HIV-infected women not on preconceptional ART) and whether these measures are associated with spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB).

Design: Case--control study nested within a pregnancy cohort in Lusaka, Zambia.

Methods: We analyzed 11 pro-inflammatory and two anti-inflammatory markers in 207 women with paired plasma and vaginal specimens collected between 16 and 20 gestational weeks.

Quality of care and HIV service utilization among key populations in Zambia: a qualitative comparative analysis among female sex workers, men who have sex with men and people who use drugs.

HIV epidemic control requires improving access and uptake of HIV services by key populations (KPs). In Zambia, the behaviors of female sex workers (FSWs), men who have sex with men (MSM), and people of who use drugs (PWUD) are criminalized, and little information exists about their HIV/STI service use. Using a quality of care (QOC) framework, we compared barriers to and opportunities for HIV/STI service access and uptake among the three KPs.