Social Networks and HIV Care Outcomes in Rural Kenya and Uganda.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Social isolation among HIV-positive persons might be an important barrier to care. Using data from the SEARCH Study in rural Kenya and Uganda, we constructed 32 community-wide, sociocentric networks and evaluated whether less socially connected HIV-positive persons were less likely to know their status, have initiated treatment, and be virally suppressed.

Methods

Between 2013 and 2014, 168,720 adult residents in the SEARCH Study were census-enumerated, offered HIV testing, and asked to name social contacts. Social networks were constructed by matching named contacts to other residents. We characterized the resulting networks and estimated risk ratios (aRR) associated with poor HIV care outcomes, adjusting for sociodemographic factors and clustering by community wi

SUBMITTER: Chen YT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8159862 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature