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Biomedical subjects

I Weisfuse

Publications and source records attributed to I Weisfuse.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Transfer of behavioral intervention technology to a sexually transmitted disease clinic.

This article describes the authors' approach to introducing a behavioral counseling intervention into a local health department STD clinic setting. The goal of the intervention was to change the sexual practices of clients with STDs. The project was a collaborative effort with a local health department, school of public health, and a community training organization. The authors used an organizational change framework for implementing the intervention.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Partner notification with HIV-infected drug users: results of formative research.

The authors conducted formative research on the use of partner notification with HIV-infected drug users (i.e. those who use/abuse injectable drugs, crack or cocaine) in order to guide the development of an effective intervention for this population in New York City. Structured focus group and personal interviews were conducted with 25 in- and out-of-treatment drug users, 23 counsellors from a sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic and a methadone maintenance treatment programme (MMTP), and nine experts in the field of HIV partner notification and/or substance abuse prevention and treatment. Results revealed factors associated with HIV-positive disclosure, the strengths and barriers of existing partner notification programmes and issues that should be considered in designing an effective intervention with HIV-infected drug users. Further research and planning activities are recommended before piloting and evaluating such a programme.

Ambulatory Care↗
PubMed1998

Etiology of genital ulcers and prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus coinfection in 10 US cities. The Genital Ulcer Disease Surveillance Group.

To determine the etiology of genital ulcers and to assess the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in ulcer patients in 10 US cities, ulcer and serum specimens were collected from approximately 50 ulcer patients at a sexually transmitted disease clinic in each city. Ulcer specimens were tested using a multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay to detect Haemophilus ducreyi, Treponema pallidum, and herpes simplex virus (HSV); sera were tested for antibody to HIV. H. ducreyi was detected in ulcer specimens from patients in Memphis (20% of specimens) and Chicago (12%). T. pallidum was detected in ulcer specimens from every city except Los Angeles (median, 9% of specimens; range, 0%-46%). HSV was detected in >/=50% of specimens from all cities except Memphis (42%). HIV seroprevalence in ulcer patients was 6% (range by city, 0%-18%). These data suggest that chancroid is prevalent in some US cities and that persons with genital ulcers should be a focus of HIV prevention activities.

Female↗
PubMed1996

Evaluating HIV prevention community planning.

To improve human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention efforts nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has funded HIV Prevention Community Planning, an initiative that promotes parity, representativeness, and inclusion of community and the application of scientific principles for decision making. This initiative was welcomed enthusiastically in New York City, an AIDS epicenter with limited prevention resources. In the first year of implementation, the New York City Department of Health (NYCDOH) supported a comprehensive evaluation of the planning initiative. This article reviews the evaluation design, including its process and outcome components, the study findings, and its strengths and limitations. It provides overall guidance for those who are assessing prevention planning in HIV as well as other health areas.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.↗
PubMed1995

Improved outcomes for patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

We conducted a retrospective study of patients with culture-confirmed multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center (South Bronx, NY) to determine what factors affected clinical and microbiological responses and survival. For the 38 patients with MDR-TB, reporting of first-line drug susceptibilities was relatively rapid (median time, 30 days). Thirty-four patients (89%) were infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and initial and overall response rates were 59% and 50%, respectively; the median survival was 315 days; and 50% of these patients died of tuberculosis. Bivariate analysis revealed that the following factors had a positive impact on response and survival: receiving > or = 2 consecutive weeks of appropriate therapy with at least two drugs to which the isolate was susceptible in vitro; starting appropriate therapy within 4 weeks of the diagnosis; and having tuberculosis that was limited to the lungs. Multivariate analysis revealed that the only variable associated with response was receipt of appropriate therapy for > or = 2 consecutive weeks. In contrast to findings in the published literature, our results indicate the outcome of MDR-TB can be improved, particularly for severely immunosuppressed HIV-infected patients. Rapid reporting of susceptibilities and prompt initiation and continuation of appropriate antituberculous therapy improved response and survival.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1986

Hepatitis B virus transmission between heterosexuals.

To determine if heterosexual activity was a risk factor for acquiring hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, we studied attendees at a sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic and students at a large university. Responses to self-administered questionnaires were used to exclude persons with factors known to be related to the acquisition of HBV and to determine the number of recent (past four months) and lifetime sexual partners. Serum samples were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen, antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen, and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen. For white heterosexuals in the STD group, the prevalence of HBV infection was 6% for those with fewer than five recent partners vs 21% for those with five or more partners, and 5% for those with fewer than 50 lifetime partners vs 20% for those with 50 or more partners. For black heterosexuals in the STD group, no association was found between prevalence of HBV infection and number of recent or lifetime sexual partners. For the heterosexual student group (all white), the prevalence of HBV infection was 1.5% for fewer than three recent partners vs 14% for three or more partners, and 2% for fewer than ten lifetime partners vs 7% for ten or more partners. For white heterosexuals, the risk of acquiring HBV infection increases with increasing amounts of sexual activity and may reach a level similar to that of other groups previously recognized to be at high risk of acquiring hepatitis B.

Adult↗