PrEP acceptability and initiation among women engaged in sex work in Uganda: Implications for HIV prevention.

Background: Women engaged in sex work (WESW) are disproportionately affected by HIV. In Uganda, HIV prevalence among WESW is estimated at 37%, accounting for 18% of all new infections in the country. WESW experience poverty, gender-based violence, and other issues that reduce their power and limit their ability to negotiate condom use.

Support for COVID-19-Related Substance Use Services Policy Changes: a New York State-Wide Survey.

This study aims to describe which substance use service (SUS) organizations and who within these organizations support the maintenance of policies targeted at improving substance use treatment services. An online survey assessing respondent, organizational and program demographics, and knowledge and support regarding policy changes was distributed to all certified SUS and harm reduction programs in NYS. Bivariate and latent class analyses were used to identify patterns and associations to policy choices.

Differences in Diabetic Prescription Drug Utilization and Costs Among Patients With Diabetes Enrolled in Colorado Marketplace and Medicaid Plans, 2014-2015.

Importance: Increasing prices of antidiabetic medications in the US have raised substantial concerns about the effects of drug affordability on diabetes care. There has been little rigorous evidence comparing the experiences of patients with diabetes across different types of insurance coverage.

Objective: To compare the utilization patterns and costs of prescription drugs to treat diabetes among low-income adults with Medicaid vs those with Marketplace insurance in Colorado during 2014 and 2015.

Overlapping needs for sexual and reproductive health and HIV prevention in women with substance use disorders.

Objectives: Women with substance use disorders have high unmet needs for HIV prevention and drug treatment and face challenges accessing care for other unique health issues, including their sexual and reproductive health.

Methods: We did a cross-sectional evaluation of sexual and reproductive health behaviors and outcomes among women with substance use disorders, who were enrolled in one of two concurrent clinical trials of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Descriptive analyses and bivariate logistic regression were used to assess factors driving contraceptive use, and other essential sexual and reproductive health services utilization and outcomes.

"I was 15 when I started doing drugs with my dad": Victimization, Social Determinants of Health, and Criminogenic Risk Among Women Opioid Intervention Court Participants.

The presence and severity of childhood and adult victimization increase the likelihood of substance use disorder (SUD), crimes, antisocial behaviors, arrests, convictions, and medical and psychiatric disorders among women more than men. These problems are compounded by the impact of social determinants of health (SDH) challenges, which include predisposition to the understudied, dramatic increase in opioid dependence among women. This study examined victimization, related SDH challenges, gender-based criminogenic risk factors for female participants, and public health opportunities to address these problems.

Racism May Interrupt Age-related Brain Growth of African American Children in the United States.

Background: Considerable research has documented age-related growth in brain size as a marker of normal brain development. This is particularly important because brain volume has a significant role in overall cognitive performance. However, less research is done on whether age-related changes in the global brain volume differ across diverse racial and ethnic groups.

Mental Health and Postpartum Care in California: Implications from California's Provisional Postpartum Care Extension.

Background: California's Provisional Postpartum Care Extension (PPCE) extended Medicaid eligibility through 1 year postpartum for women enrolled in Medi-Cal with annual household incomes of 138%-322% of the federal poverty level and maternal mental health diagnoses.

Methods: For this cross-sectional descriptive study, we used the 2017 Listening to Mothers in California survey of postpartum women to identify those potentially eligible for PPCE. We then sought to describe their demographic characteristics, self-reported mental health, and utilization of postpartum care and mental health services compared with those with Medi-Cal during pregnancy who did not meet PPCE eligibility criteria.

Association of Medicaid vs Marketplace Eligibility on Maternal Coverage and Access With Prenatal and Postpartum Care.

Importance: Policy makers are considering insurance expansions to improve maternal health. The tradeoffs between expanding Medicaid or subsidized private insurance for maternal coverage and care are unknown.

Objective: To compare maternal coverage and care by Medicaid vs marketplace eligibility.

The Evolution and Impact of Federal Antipoverty Programs for Children.

Despite our wealth, child poverty in the United States remains too high. The social safety net prevents and mitigates poverty for millions of children each year and evidence demonstrates long-term positive effects for recipients. But absent a commitment to universalism, our public investments in children produce uneven - and often inequitable - results.

Grief and the COVID-19 Pandemic in Older Adults.

(Appeared originally in Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2020; 28:10 1119-1125).

"I would rather do it myself": injection initiation and current injection patterns among women who inject drugs in Tijuana, Mexico.

Background: Women who inject drugs (WWID) experience unique risks and adverse health outcomes related to injection initiation and patterns of injection drug use. However, there is limited information on injection initiation experiences and injection patterns among women and the protective strategies employed to limit injection-related harms, especially in low- and middle-income settings. Therefore, this study sought to explore injection initiation and current injection patterns (e.

The Increased Risk for HIV and Other Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Substance-Using and Depressed Women in the Legal System.

This study was conducted in Alabama's Black Belt Counties to examine the association between household food insecurity and self-reported health status. Data were collected from 400 households to measure household food insecurity and self-reported general health status using the U.S.

Pain Management in Primary Care: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Computerized Decision Support Tool.

Background: Primary care providers manage most patients with chronic pain. Pain is a complex problem, particularly in underserved populations. A technology-enabled, point-of-care decision support tool may improve pain management outcomes.

Well-Being of Health Care Professionals Treating Opioid Use Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results From a National Survey.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected health care delivery, effects that are juxtaposed with health care professional (HCP) burnout and mental distress. The Opioid Use Disorder Provider COVID-19 Survey was conducted to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on clinical practice and HCP well-being.

Methods: The cross-sectional survey was e-mailed to listservs with approximately 157,000 subscribers of diverse professions between July 14 and August 15, 2020.

Socio-ecological and pharmacy-level factors associated with buprenorphine stocking at pharmacies in New York City.

Background: Research is lacking on community and pharmacy-level factors that are associated with stocking buprenorphine. To address these gaps, this study applied a socio-ecological framework to estimate the association between community- and pharmacy-level factors and buprenorphine stocking among a sample of pharmacies in New York City.

Methods: A telephone survey recruitment strategy was used to administer surveys to 662 pharmacies on the New York City Naloxone Standing Order Pharmacy list in 2018.

COVID-19 related substance use services policy changes: Policymaker perspectives on policy development & implementation.

Introduction: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, regulations for substance use services changed to accommodate stay-at-home orders and physical distancing guidelines.

Methods: Using in-depth interviews (N = 14) and framework analysis, we describe how policymakers developed, adopted, and implemented regulations governing services for substance use disorders during COVID-19, and how policymakers' perceived the impacts of these regulations in New York State.

Results: During the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers shifted to more inclusive approaches of knowledge generation and co-production of recommendations.

Association of Hispanic ethnicity and linguistic acculturation with cardiovascular medication adherence in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome.

Despite a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, Hispanic-Americans have lower rates of CVD-related and all-cause mortality, as well as higher life expectancy than non-Hispanic whites - a phenomenon known as the . However, this survival benefit attenuates with increased acculturation to Western lifestyles, potentially due to adoption of unhealthy behaviors. Accordingly, we assessed whether Hispanic ethnicity and linguistic acculturation, as measured by English proficiency, were associated with nonadherence to cardiovascular medications.

Comparison of Income Eligibility for Medicaid vs Marketplace Coverage for Insurance Enrollment Among Low-Income US Adults.

Importance: The Affordable Care Act created 2 new coverage options for uninsured adults: Medicaid expansion, which in most states provides comprehensive coverage without premiums and deductibles; and private marketplace coverage, which requires a premium contribution and cost-sharing, though with generous federal subsidies at lower incomes. How enrollment rates compare in the marketplace vs Medicaid is an important policy question as states continue to weigh alternative coverage options such as Medicaid buy-in programs, enrolling Medicaid-eligible populations into marketplace plans, or creating a public option.

Objective: To assess the association between income eligibility for Medicaid vs marketplace coverage and insurance enrollment among low-income adults in Colorado.