The role of family planning in achieving safe pregnancy for serodiscordant couples: commentary from the United States government's interagency task force on family planning and HIV service integration.

Introduction: People living with HIV (PLHIV) have the right to exercise voluntary choices about their health, including their reproductive health. This commentary discusses the integral role that family planning (FP) plays in helping PLHIV, including those in serodiscordant relationships, achieve conception safely. The United States (US) President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is committed to meeting the reproductive health needs of PLHIV by improving their access to voluntary FP counselling and services, including prevention of unintended pregnancy and counselling for safer conception.

Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Attitudes and Experiences among Nine Sub-Saharan African Militaries.

Introduction: While sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is recognized as an important factor driving the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa, attitudes toward and prevalence of SGBV within sub-Saharan African military populations are unknown. Data on SGBV were collected from military service members of nine sub-Saharan African militaries. Attitudes related to SGBV and characteristics of those who commit and experience SGBV are reported.

The effects of traumatic stressors and HIV-related trauma symptoms on health and health related quality of life.

The study identified relations among traumatic stressors, HIV-related trauma symptoms, comorbid medical conditions, and health related quality of life (HRQL) in individuals with HIV. Participants (N = 118) completed a structured clinical interview on HIV as a traumatic stressor and other severe traumatic stressors and completed the Impact of Event Scale to assess HIV-related trauma symptoms and the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form (SF-36) to assess HRQL. Medical chart reviews determined comorbid conditions.

Non-conventional practices and immune functioning among individuals receiving conventional care for HIV.

Objective: to examine the relationships among non-conventional practices, adherence and immune functioning in individuals with HIV.

Methods: 92 participants completed an interview on non-conventional practices (complementary and alternative medicines (CAM), psychosocial therapies, and religious practice). They also completed the Psychiatric Symptom Index and the AIDS Clinical Trials Group Adherence Follow-up Questionnaire.

The impact of receiving an HIV diagnosis and cognitive processing on psychological distress and posttraumatic growth.

This study examined human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as a traumatic stressor, intrusive and deliberate cognitive processing, psychological distress, and posttraumatic growth. One-hundred twelve participants completed interviews on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Criterion A, Rumination Scale-Revised, Impact of Event Scale, and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory; relationships were modeled using path analysis. Model 1 attempted to replicate prior empirical research, Model 2 attempted to empirically replicate part of the posttraumatic growth theoretical model, and Model 3 attempted to empirically replicate an integrated model of posttraumatic growth and traumatic stress theories.