This qualitative study explored the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and access to mental health services from the perspectives of patients living with HIV and providers in California. In a brief report, we outline both the challenges and resiliencies that were shared by study informants and propose recommendations to improve access to patient-centered care.
Systemic racism is a public health crisis. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration applies the Population Health Standard in tobacco product review processes by weighing anticipated health benefits against risks associated with a given commercial tobacco product at the population level. However, systemic racism (ie, discriminatory policies and practices) contributes to an inequitable distribution of tobacco-related health benefits and risks between white and Black/African Americans at the population level. This Editorial describe how systemic racism contributes to disparities in tobacco-related outcomes and why these disparities are relevant for population-level risk assessments, then discusses four possible options for Black-centered data standards ... [Read More];
The population of people living with HIV is getting older. By the end of 2022, an estimated 70% of people living with HIV will be aged 50 years and older. With age and the cumulative effects of HIV, this population experiences exacerbated age-related health vulnerabilities and comorbid conditions.
The COVID-19 pandemic rapidly shifted how routine medical care was delivered and disrupted all aspects of everyday life, including HIV social and medical services. Our Policy Center conducted a qualitative study to understand how organizations serving people living with or at risk for HIV and their clients were affected by the pandemic as well as how agencies adapted to provide access to HIV-related services. We share an overview of our findings in this brief report.
The COVID-19 pandemic has renewed concerns about social and structural factors related to healthdisparities, including those related to HIV. The Lens tool is a partial response to an urgent need tounderstand whether elevated risk of COVID-19 disease and mortality among persons living withHIV (PLWH) results from related risk behaviors, a higher burden of comorbidities, and/or socialdeterminants of health. This tool can help decision-makers, community-based organizations andother stakeholders to access critical neighborhood-level information about the intersection ofsocio-economic and health vulnerabilities and HIV. The Lens portal also contains information onCOVID-19 case rates for counties where such information is available. We hope this ... [Read More];
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