Search

Mental health disorders account for a heavy disease burden in Uganda. In order to provide culturally appropriate mental health prevention and treatment approaches, it is necessary to understand how mental health is conceptualized in the population. Three focus group discussions (FGDs) and 31 in-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted with men and women aged 14 to 62 years residing in rural, urban, and semi-urban low-income communities in central and western Uganda to explore perceptions and knowledge of mental health. Interpretive thematic analysis was undertaken; results were organized through the lens of the mental health literacy framework. Environmental and societal stressors were identified as primary underlying causes of poor mental health. While participants recognized symptoms of poor mental health, gaps in mental health literacy also emerged. Mental health resources are needed in this setting and additional qualitative work assessing knowledge and attitudes toward mental health care seeking behavior can inform the development of acceptable integrated services.

Objective To assess completed wound healing after medical male circumcision ( MMC) among human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV)-negative and HIV-positive men with cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) counts of <350 and ≥350 cells/mm3, as minimal data are available on the safety of MMC among HIV-positive men with low CD4 counts., Patients and Methods In all, 262 HIV-negative and 177 HIV-positive consenting males aged ≥12 years accepted MMC using the dorsal slit procedure and were enrolled in the study., Socio-demographic and behavioural data and blood for HIV testing and CD4 counts were collected at baseline., Participants were followed weekly to collect information on resumption of sex, condom use and both self-reported and clinically assessed wound healing., The proportions healed among HIV-positive men were compared with HIV-negative men. Time to complete wound healing was assessed by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis., Results There were no statistically significant differences in the proportion of men healed by HIV status., At 4 weeks, the proportions healed were 85.9% in HIV-negative men, 77.4% in HIV-positive men with a CD4 count of ≥350 cells/mm3 and 87.1% in HIV-positive men with a CD4 count of <350 cells/mm3., The median time to healing was 4 weeks and did not vary by HIV or CD4 status., All men had certified complete wound healing at 6 weeks after MMC. In all, 1.4% of HIV-positive men with a CD4 count of <350 cells/mm3 resumed sex before healing, compared with 8.5% among HIV-positive men with a CD4 count of ≥350 cells/mm3 ( P = 0.052) and 7.8% ( P = 0.081) among HIV-negative men., Conclusion Inclusion of HIV-positive men with low CD4 counts in MMC services is not deleterious to postoperative wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The association between human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seroconversion is unclear, and the genital cellular immunology has not been evaluated.Methods. A case-control analysis nested within a male circumcision trial was conducted. Cases consisted of 44 male HIV seroconverters, and controls were 787 males who were persistently negative for HIV. The Roche HPV Linear Array Genotype Test detected high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) and low-risk HPV (LR-HPV) genotypes. Generalized estimating equations logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aORs) of HIV seroconversion. In addition, densities of CD1a+ dendritic cells, CD4+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells were measured using immunohistochemistry analysis in foreskins of 79 males randomly selected from participants in the circumcision trial.Results. HR-HPV or LR-HPV acquisition was not significantly associated with HIV seroconversion, after adjustment for sexual behaviors. However, HR-HPV and LR-HPV clearance was significantly associated with HIV seroconversion (aOR, 3.25 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.11–9.55] and 3.18 [95% CI, 1.14–8.90], respectively). The odds of HIV seroconversion increased with increasing number of HPV genotypes cleared (P < .001, by the test for trend). The median CD1a+ dendritic cell density in the foreskin epidermis was significantly higher among males who cleared HPV (72.0 cells/mm2 [interquartile range {IQR}, 29.4–138.3 cells/mm2]), compared with males who were persistently negative for HPV (32.1 cells/mm2 [IQR, 3.1–96.2 cells/mm2]; P = .047), and increased progressively with the number of HPV genotypes cleared (P = .05).Conclusions. HPV clearance was associated with subsequent HIV seroconversion and also with increased epidermal dendritic cell density, which potentially mediates HIV seroconversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE To assess the number of procedures required to achieve optimal competency (time required for surgery with minimal adverse events) in Rakai, Uganda, and thus facilitate the development of guidelines for training providers, as male circumcision reduces the acquisition of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in men and is recommended for HIV prevention. PATIENTS AND METHODS In a randomized trial, 3011 men were circumcised, using the sleeve method, by six physicians who had completed training, which included 15–20 supervised procedures. The duration of surgery from local anaesthesia to wound closure, moderate or severe surgery-related adverse events (AEs), and wound healing were assessed in relation to the number of procedures done by each physician. RESULTS The median age of the patients was 24 years. The number of procedures per surgeon was 20–981. The mean time required to complete surgery was ≈40 min for the first 100 procedures and declined to 25 min for the subsequent 100 circumcisions. After controlling for the number of procedures there was no significant difference in duration of the surgery by patient HIV status or age. The rate of moderate and severe AEs was 8.8% (10/114) for the first 19 unsupervised procedures after training, 4.0% for the next 20–99 (13/328) and 2.0% for the last 100 ( P for trend, 0.003). All AEs resolved with management. CONCLUSION The completion of more than 100 circumcisions was required before newly trained physicians achieved the optimum duration of surgery. AEs were higher immediately after training and additional supervision is needed for at least the first 20 procedures after completing training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]