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World AIDS Day reading list

World AIDS Day is a global campaign that raises awareness and funds for the estimated 34 million people living with HIV, and also commemorates the 35 million people who have died of the virus. The first one was held in 1988 and, as such, it is the longest running health day. Despite many medical advances, HIV remains one of the most devastating epidemics in human history. The search for a cure or vaccine for HIV continues, with new discoveries being published all the time. We’ve created a reading list of journal articles and books so that you can read some of the latest, cutting-edge texts on the subject:

‘Diagnosing acute and prevalent HIV-1 infection in young African adults seeking care for fever: a systematic review and audit of current practice‘, published in International HealthINTHEA
This article investigates the extent to which HIV-1 infection is considered in the diagnostic evaluation of febrile adults in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) through a systematic review of published literature and guidelines in the period 2003–2014.

Delivering TB/HIV services in Ghana: a comparative study of service delivery models‘, published in Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene
Three hospitals with different delivery models were identified and a survey of TB cases registered between June 2007 and December 2008 conducted.

‘HIV and HIV treatment: effects on fats, glucose and lipids‘, published in British Medical Bulletin
This review provides a brief summary of our current understanding of the epidemiology, clinical presentation and therapeutic approaches of what is termed ‘the HIV-associated lipodystrophy syndrome’ and of HIV-associated lipid and glucose metabolic abnormalities.

‘Increased Morbidity in Early Childhood Among HIV-exposed Uninfected Children in Uganda is Associated with Breastfeeding Duration’, published in Journal of Tropical Pediatrics
Studies in Sub-Saharan Africa have shown that HIV-exposed uninfected children (HEU) have an increased risk of morbidity and mortality compared with HIV-unexposed uninfected children (HUU). This article looks at how breastfeeding affects the relationship between HIV-exposure and morbidity and mortality.TROPEJ

‘Randomized community-level HIV prevention intervention trial for men who drink in South African alcohol-serving venues’, published in European Journal of Public Health
South African alcohol-serving establishments (i.e., shebeens) offer unique opportunities to reduce HIV risks among men who drink. Read the study in full

‘Primary Effusion Lymphoma (PEL) in the absence of HIV infection – Clinical presentation and management’, published in QJM
To clarify treatment issues in HIV-negative PEL patients, this report looks at two such patients who represent two opposing ends in the spectrum of treatment and review the literature regarding treatment options and patient outcomes.

‘Early diagnosis and treatment of HIV infection: magnitude of benefit on short-term mortality is greatest in older adults’, published in Age and Ageing
The number and proportion of adults diagnosed with HIV infection aged 50 years and older has risen. This study compares the effect of CD4 counts and anti-retroviral therapy (ART) on mortality rates among adults diagnosed aged ≥50 with those diagnosed at a younger age.AGEING

‘Attitudes about providing HIV care: voices from publicly funded clinics in California’, published in Family Practice
As the enactment of health care reform becomes a reality in the USA, it has been widely predicted that HIV+ patients will increasingly be cared for by primary care physicians (PCPs), many of whom lack the experience to deliver full-spectrum HIV care.

‘Community-based family-style group homes for children orphaned by AIDS in rural China: an ethnographic investigation’, published in Health Policy and Planning
As the number of children orphaned by AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) has reached 17.3 million, most living in resource-poor settings, interest has grown in identifying and evaluating appropriate care arrangements for them.

‘Physician communication behaviors from the perspective of adult HIV patients in Kenya’, published in International Journal for Quality in Health CareINTQHC
This study looks at the perceived physician communication behaviors and its association with adherence to care, among HIV patients in Kenya.

‘Glycodendrimers prevent HIV transmission via DC-SIGN on dendritic cells’, published in International Immunology
The authors design molecules that bind dendritic cells and block HIV-1 binding, thereby stopping transport to CD4+ T cells and preventing virus transmission.

‘Clinical Outcomes of AIDS-related Burkitt Lymphoma: A Multi-institution Retrospective Survey in Japan’, published in Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology
Highly intensive chemotherapy would bring a high remission rate and prolonged overall survival for patients with AIDS-related Burkitt lymphoma.

‘Interview with Dr. Deborah Cotton about HIV Treatment and the Early Years of the Epidemic’, published in Open Forum Infectious DiseasesOFID
In this podcast, Editor-in-Chief Paul Sax, MD, speaks with colleague Deborah Cotton, MD, MPH, about the recent OFID article “A Glimpse of the Early Years of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Epidemic: A Fellow’s Experience in 2014.” Drs. Sax and Cotton compare their experiences in Boston with those of the authors at Atlanta’s Grady Hospital, which still cares for a large number of patients with untreated HIV

‘Improvements in HIV Care Engagement and Viral Load Suppression Following Enrollment in a Comprehensive HIV Care Coordination Program’, published in Clinical Infectious Diseases
Gaps in the HIV care continuum jeopardize the success of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. A pre-post analysis of 1-year outcomes among New York City Ryan White Care Coordination clients demonstrated improvements in HIV care engagement and viral suppression.

‘Frailty in People Aging With Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection’, published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases
The increasing life spans of people infected with HIV reflect enormous treatment successes and present new challenges related to aging. This review explains how frailty has been conceptualized and measured in the general population, critically reviews emerging data on frailty in people with HIV infection, and explores how the concept of frailty might inform HIV research and care.

‘Factors Associated With Retention Among Non–Perinatally HIV-Infected Youth in the HIV Research Network’, published in Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases SocietyJPIDS
The transmission of HIV among youth through high-risk behaviors continues to increase. Retention in care is associated with positive clinical outcomes and a decrease in HIV transmission risk behaviors, but this retrospective analysis shows alarmingly high proportions of newly enrolled non-perinatally HIV-infected youth were not retained.

‘Sex differences in atazanavir pharmacokinetics and associations with time to clinical events: AIDS Clinical Trials Group Study A5202’, published in Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
This new research from the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy examines whether HIV-1 antiretroviral exposure and clinical response varies between males and females. The study of 786 participants revealed that average atazanavir clearance was slower in females than males.

Oxford Textbook of Medicine, edited by David A. Warrell, Timothy M. Cox, and John D. FirthOxford-textbook-of-medicine
Giving an unparalleled integration of HIV/AIDS basic science and clinical practice, this chapter is taken from the Oxford Textbook of Medicine, the most comprehensive, authoritative, and international medical textbook available.

Oxford Handbook of Genitourinary Medicine, HIV, and Sexual Health, edited by Richard Pattman, Nathan Sankar, Babiker Elawad, Pauline Handy, and David Ashley Price
Taken from the Oxford Handbook of Genitourinary Medicine, HIV, and Sexual Health, this chapter provides evidence based, practical information on HIV/AIDS and details the pathogenesis of HIV infection.

Fitness For Work, edited by Keith T Palmer, Ian Brown, and John Hobson
Comprehensive coverage of occupational health issues relating to HIV. While antiretroviral treatment (ART) has increased survival, many HIV-infected people remain symptomatic, either through drug side effects, HIV-related illnesses, or the psychological morbidity associated with the diagnosis and disease. All of these factors can have a significant effect on an individual’s ability to find, and remain in, work.

Oxford Handbook of Tropical Medicine, edited by Andrew Brent, Robert Davidson, and Anna SealeOH-of-Tropical-Medicine
This guide to HIV is from the Oxford Handbook of Tropical Medicine, a definitive resource for medical problems in tropical regions, and low-resource countries. Covering diagnosis and associated diseases, through to treatment and prevention strategies, this chapter is a comprehensive guide to clinical practice.

Challenging Concepts in Infectious Disease, edited by Amber Arnold and George Griffin
Part of a compendium of challenging cases, this chapter examines prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission in a case where a 26-year-old Nigerian lady presented with a week-long history of worsening fever, cough, and shortness of breath. She was 28 weeks into her first pregnancy, which had otherwise been uneventful and had included a negative routine antenatal test for HIV at 12 weeks’ gestation.

Virus Hunt, by Dorothy H. Crawford9780199641147_450
The hunt for the origin of the AIDS virus began over twenty years ago. It was a journey that went around the world and involved painstaking research to unravel how, when, and where the virus first infected humans.

The Aids Generation, by Perry Halkitis
Perry Halkitis narrates a story of HIV survival, based on his interviews with the AIDS Generation, those gay men who came of age at the onset of the epidemic, prior to any effective treatments. This chapter provides a historical and epidemiological background of the HIV/AIDS epidemic as it has manifested itself over the last three decades.

African Health Leaders, edited by Francis Omaswa and Nigel CrispAfrican-Health-Leaders
Written by Africans, who have themselves led improvements in their own countries, the book discusses the creativity, innovation and leadership that has been involved tackling everything from HIV/AIDs, to maternal, and child mortality and neglected tropical diseases.

Featured image credit: World AIDS Day, White House, by tedeytan. CC-BY-SA-2.0 via Flickr.

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