Awareness and openness to the use of PrEP among a nationally representative sample of South African adults.

Introduction: South Africa adopted for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in 2016, becoming the first African country to do so. Yet to date, uptake has been underwhelming, only about 165,000 South Africans were reported to be on PrEP in mid-2021. Lack of awareness has been cited as a contributory factor for the low uptake, but this has never been examined using a nationally representative sample.

Gender differences in use of cigarette and non-cigarette tobacco products among adolescents aged 13-15 years in 20 African countries.

Introduction: Examining gender differences in youth tobacco use is important as it aligns tobacco control within the context of broader human development goals seeking to eliminate gender inequalities. In this study, we examined gender differences in adolescent use of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, shisha, and e-cigarettes in Africa.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using data from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey.

A cross-sectional analysis of U=U as a potential educative Intervention to mitigate HIV stigma among youth living with HIV in South Africa.

Introduction: the HIV educative campaign Undetectable Equals Untransmissible (U=U) is a potential gamechanger to address HIV stigma. We investigated what percentage of South African adolescents were aware of U=U, and the associations with perceived HIV stigma and past-year HIV testing.

Methods: we used a cross-sectional design.

A Rapid Evaluation of the US Federal Tobacco 21 (T21) Law and Lessons From Statewide T21 Policies: Findings From Population-Level Surveys.

Background: On December 20, 2019, the minimum age for purchasing tobacco in the US was raised nationally to 21 years. We evaluated this law (Tobacco 21 [T21]) 1 year after implementation. We also compared states with versus without T21 policies during 2019 to explore potential equity impacts of T21 policies.

Gender norms, HIV risk, and attitudes towards pre-exposure prophylaxis and other HIV preventive interventions among South African adolescents.

Introduction: we examined HIV-related social norms and perceptions among South African adolescents aged 15-18 years and evaluated their openness to using pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to reduce HIV risk.

Methods: we analyzed cross-sectional data of 4,567 adolescents aged 15-18 years from the "fifth South African National HIV prevalence, HIV incidence, behaviour and communication survey (2017/2018)". Outcomes of interest in our study were HIV-related social norms and awareness of HIV prevention methods, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

Smoking Status of Faculty and Their Tobacco Cessation Counselling Advisory.

Introduction: Health professionals' own beliefs and practices, especially their smoking status, has been described to strongly influence their willingness to provide brief tobacco interventions (5 A's) to their patients. This study examines the association between the smoking status of faculty members in US dental programmes and (1) practice pattern; (2) perceived confidence; and (3) perceived educational preparedness of new graduates in providing the 5 A's to their patients.

Methods: This study presents data from the National Tobacco Survey of Personnel in Dental and Allied Academic Programs (TSPDAP) conducted in 2018.

Associations of Government-Mandated Closures and Restrictions With Aggregate Mobility Trends and SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Nigeria.

Importance: To prepare for future coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) waves, Nigerian policy makers need insights into community spread of COVID-19 and changes in rates of infection associated with government-mandated closures and restrictions.

Objectives: To measure the association of closures and restrictions with aggregate mobility and the association of mobility with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections and to characterize community spread of COVID-19.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cross-sectional study used aggregated anonymized mobility data from smartphone users in Nigeria who opted to provide location history (from a pool of up to 40 million individuals) collected between February 27 and July 21, 2020.