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We aimed to (a) describe the readiness for hospital discharge in people living with HIV and (b) explore factors associated with readiness for hospital discharge. A cross-sectional survey was conducted at two infectious disease hospitals in Hunan, China, from May to November 2017. The readiness for hospital discharge scale (RHDS) was used to assess discharge readiness. The average item mean for theRHDSranges from 0 to 10, and higher scores represent a higher level of readiness for hospital discharge. The mean score of the RHDS was 7.78 (95% confidence interval 7.586-7.968), and 27.6% of participants (n 5 56/203) felt unready for discharge (RHDS,7). We found that older age, lack of medical insurance, lower self-rated health status, poorer quality of discharge teaching, and more severe depressive symptoms were significantly associated with a lower level of readiness for hospital discharge. Interventions are needed to improve readiness of people living with HIV for hospital discharge in Hunan, China, especially for those of advanced age, without medical insurance, with worse self-rated health status, and those with higher levels of depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HIV self-testing (HIVST) could increase HIV testing. However, HIVST uptake rate among Chinese men who have sex with men (MSM) is low. We conducted qualitative interviews with 23 MSM, 4 workers from community-based organizations, and 7 officials from both provincial Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and affiliated city-level Centers for Disease Control and Preventions to explore facilitators and barriers of HIVST among Chinese MSM. Eight barriers were identified, including fear of being duped by a fake test, concern for cost, fear of disclosing sexual orientation, limited access, lack of consulting services, biosafety concerns, lack of policy support, and concern for lost opportunities to link men to care. Five facilitators were identified, including convenience, confidentiality, easy operation, partner HIV testing, and peers' influence. Officials and scholars should urgently address structural barriers and provide accessible, affordable, and high-quality HIVST services that are accompanied by counseling to develop culturally appropriate HIVST guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cultural context and precipitants for initiating methamphetamine (MA) using among Chinese men who have sex with men (MSM) are unclear. This qualitative descriptive study, which explores the specific precipitants of MA initiation within a cultural context among MSM in China, was conducted with data from semistructured, face-to-face interviews with 24 MA-using MSM (8 HIV positive). Two themes were identified, internal precipitants included the following: (a) curiosity, (b) desire for maximum sexual pleasure, (c) experience with other drugs, and (d) strong sense of self-control capacity. External precipitants included (a) Xiao [?] (filial piety), (b) peer pressure, (c) negative life events, (d) parental emotional neglect, and (e) experiences of homophobia. Internal precipitants toMA initiation for Chinese MSM are consistent with past research. External precipitants were more culture specific. This exacerbates the vulnerability of MSM to MA initiation and keeps it hidden among this population. Future drug use prevention interventions for MSM should address external precipitants and integrate culture-specific strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our cross-sectional study examined the prevalence of cognitive impairment among people living with HIV (PLWH) aged 60 years or older. The sample, composed of 250 PLWH, was recruited from 2 clinics in Hunan, China. Structured questionnaires guided face-toface interviews, including items addressing demographic characteristics, regimens of antiretroviral therapy, and cognitive status as measured by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Findings revealed cognitive function of this population was significantly lower than that of uninfected individuals based on historical comparisons; 87.2% (n 5 218) of PLWH in our study had cognitive impairment. Global cognitive function as well as the domains of language and orientation decreased with age. Global cognitive function was associated with sex and education, but not with antiretroviral therapy regimens. These findings support an urgent need to include routine screening for cognitive function in older PLWH and the need to consider the complexity of the evaluation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consensus has been reached about the important role of partner notification (PN) for HIV prevention and control programs. We used a qualitative study to explore facilitators of and barriers to PNto understand reasons for disclosure and nondisclosure by people living with HIV in China. Our main goal was to identify information related to PN that may be unique to the Chinese cultural context. Of 41 participants who were interviewed, 33 had disclosed their HIV status to sexual partners. Facilitators for PN included preserving the integrity of the partnership, social support, and potential benefits of notification; barriers included perceived discrimination/stigma, possible negative consequences, and safety concerns. Participant physical health conditions, strength of the relationship, and concordant identification were found to be conditional factors of PN. Our findings provide information for a better understanding of PN in Chinese culture and offer a reference for developing more specific strategies to facilitate PN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]