2022
Impact of prerelease methadone on mortality among people with HIV and opioid use disorder after prison release: results from a randomized and participant choice open-label trial in Malaysia
Bazazi A, Culbert G, Wegman M, Heimer R, Kamarulzaman A, Altice F. Impact of prerelease methadone on mortality among people with HIV and opioid use disorder after prison release: results from a randomized and participant choice open-label trial in Malaysia. BMC Infectious Diseases 2022, 22: 837. PMID: 36368939, PMCID: PMC9652918, DOI: 10.1186/s12879-022-07804-6.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOpioid use disorderOpioid agonist therapyInfectious etiologyMost deathsUse disordersSample of menPrison releaseOpen-label trialT-lymphocyte countsPredictors of mortalityNational death recordsCrude mortality rateProportional hazards modelCovariate-adjusted modelsLow CD4Methadone initiationModified intentionAgonist therapySurvival benefitTreat analysisMethodsThis studyHIVHazards modelMortality rateMethadone
2020
Physician and patient prediction of adherence to antiretroviral therapy in HIV positive people in Saint-Petersburg, Russia
Vetrova M, Aleksandrova O, Paschenko A, Toropov S, Rassokhin V, Abyshev R, Levina O, Niccolai L, Heimer R. Physician and patient prediction of adherence to antiretroviral therapy in HIV positive people in Saint-Petersburg, Russia. AIDS Care 2020, 33: 473-477. PMID: 32148065, DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2020.1738005.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAntiretroviral therapyHIV-positive peopleART initiationPositive peopleHIV viral suppressionPatient predictionsAccuracy of providerReview of pharmacyART retentionHIV physiciansViral suppressionPhysicians' predictionsTreatment outcomesART outcomesPatientsAdherenceLaboratory dataTherapyLongitudinal analysisOutcomesProvidersInitiationPhysiciansCare
2018
Early stages of HIV treatment cascade in people living with HIV in Saint-Petersburg, Russia
Vetrova M, Aleksandrova O, Paschenko A, Toropov S, Rassokhin V, Abyshev R, Levina O, Niccolai L, Heimer R. Early stages of HIV treatment cascade in people living with HIV in Saint-Petersburg, Russia. AIDS Care 2018, 30: 857-862. PMID: 29325435, DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2017.1417536.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAntiretroviral therapyUndetectable VLART outcomesInitiation of ARTPilot studyProportion of PLWHMedical chart reviewHIV epidemic controlSuccessful treatment outcomeProportion of peopleChart reviewHIV treatmentDrug abuse statusDisease progressionTreatment outcomesOlder ageTreatment effectivenessART effectivenessEpidemic controlPLWHIllicit drugsHIVSignificant differencesAbuse statusOutcomes
2016
Psychiatric Distress, Drug Use, and HIV Viral Load Suppression in Russia
Ustinov A, Suvorova A, Belyakov A, Makhamatova A, Levina O, Krupitsky E, Lioznov D, Niccolai L, Heimer R. Psychiatric Distress, Drug Use, and HIV Viral Load Suppression in Russia. AIDS And Behavior 2016, 20: 1603-1608. PMID: 26809193, PMCID: PMC4945434, DOI: 10.1007/s10461-016-1297-x.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2011
Police training to align law enforcement and HIV prevention: preliminary evidence from the field.
Beletsky L, Agrawal A, Moreau B, Kumar P, Weiss-Laxer N, Heimer R. Police training to align law enforcement and HIV prevention: preliminary evidence from the field. American Journal Of Public Health 2011, 101: 2012-5. PMID: 21940924, PMCID: PMC3222387, DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2011.300254.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLegal knowledgeLaw enforcementSyringe accessOccupational safety educationOccupational safety knowledgePolice trainingAccess lawsPolice professionalsNeedlestick injuriesPublic health goalsEnforcementIntervention tailoringRisk overestimationOccupational SafetyPublic healthHealth goalsLawHIV preventionDrug useAccess contentAccessInjuryBaseline dataPreliminary evidenceSignificant shiftPrevalence, characteristics, and predictors of police training initiatives by US SEPs: Building an evidence base for structural interventions
Beletsky L, Grau LE, White E, Bowman S, Heimer R. Prevalence, characteristics, and predictors of police training initiatives by US SEPs: Building an evidence base for structural interventions. Drug And Alcohol Dependence 2011, 119: 145-149. PMID: 21705159, PMCID: PMC3192926, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2011.05.034.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSyringe exchange programsInjection drug usersNeedle stick injuriesCommunity-based prevention initiativesPublic health benefitsStick injuriesHIV transmissionPublic health rationaleDrug usersMost program managersMultivariate analysisSyringe possessionPrevention initiativesEvidence baseHealth benefitsCommunity healthOccupational healthHealth rationaleMultivariate modelingPrevalenceStructural interventionsSEP operationsPredictorsHealthPrevious year
2010
Comparing sexual risks and patterns of alcohol and drug use between injection drug users (IDUs) and non-IDUs who report sexual partnerships with IDUs in St. Petersburg, Russia
Abdala N, White E, Toussova OV, Krasnoselskikh TV, Verevochkin S, Kozlov AP, Heimer R. Comparing sexual risks and patterns of alcohol and drug use between injection drug users (IDUs) and non-IDUs who report sexual partnerships with IDUs in St. Petersburg, Russia. BMC Public Health 2010, 10: 676. PMID: 21054855, PMCID: PMC2988741, DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-10-676.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsInjection drug usersIDU sex partnersNon-IDUsRisky alcohol useSex partnersAlcohol useIDU populationSexual riskSexual transmissionUnprotected sexAlcohol Use Disorders Identification TestHIV prevention programsMultiple sexual partnersPatterns of alcoholSexual risk behaviorsSubstance use patternsDisorders Identification TestRisky sexual practicesHIV infectionMethamphetamine injectionAssessed associationsBackgroundTo dateCasual partnersGeneral populationDrug usersThe roles of law, client race and program visibility in shaping police interference with the operation of US syringe exchange programs
Beletsky L, Grau LE, White E, Bowman S, Heimer R. The roles of law, client race and program visibility in shaping police interference with the operation of US syringe exchange programs. Addiction 2010, 106: 357-365. PMID: 21054615, PMCID: PMC3088513, DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.03149.x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchThe Relative Role of Perceived Partner Risks in Promoting Condom Use in a Three-City Sample of High-Risk, Low-Income Women
Ober AJ, Iguchi MY, Weiss RE, Gorbach PM, Heimer R, Ouellet LJ, Shoptaw S, Anglin MD, Zule WA. The Relative Role of Perceived Partner Risks in Promoting Condom Use in a Three-City Sample of High-Risk, Low-Income Women. AIDS And Behavior 2010, 15: 1347-1358. PMID: 20976538, PMCID: PMC3180610, DOI: 10.1007/s10461-010-9840-7.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchDrug Network Characteristics and HIV Risk Among Injection Drug Users in Russia: The roles of Trust, Size, and Stability
Cepeda JA, Odinokova VA, Heimer R, Grau LE, Lyubimova A, Safiullina L, Levina OS, Niccolai LM. Drug Network Characteristics and HIV Risk Among Injection Drug Users in Russia: The roles of Trust, Size, and Stability. AIDS And Behavior 2010, 15: 1003-1010. PMID: 20872063, PMCID: PMC3112286, DOI: 10.1007/s10461-010-9816-7.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchEstimates of HIV incidence among drug users in St. Petersburg, Russia: continued growth of a rapidly expanding epidemic
Niccolai LM, Verevochkin SV, Toussova OV, White E, Barbour R, Kozlov AP, Heimer R. Estimates of HIV incidence among drug users in St. Petersburg, Russia: continued growth of a rapidly expanding epidemic. European Journal Of Public Health 2010, 21: 613-619. PMID: 20798184, PMCID: PMC3180633, DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckq115.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsInjection drug usersRetrospective cohort analysisHIV incidenceEnzyme immunoassayHIV epidemicCohort analysisDrug usersBED capture enzyme immunoassayHIV incident casesRecent HIV incidenceHigh HIV incidenceHIV prevention interventionsCross-sectional studyCapture enzyme immunoassayIncident infectionsIncident casesEstimate incidenceIndependent correlatesIncidence rateIncidence estimatesPrevention interventionsCurrent epidemic situationIncidenceVulnerable populationsLow specificityHIV Disclosure, Condom Use, and Awareness of HIV Infection Among HIV-Positive, Heterosexual Drug Injectors in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
Grau LE, White E, Niccolai LM, Toussova OV, Verevochkin SV, Kozlov AP, Heimer R. HIV Disclosure, Condom Use, and Awareness of HIV Infection Among HIV-Positive, Heterosexual Drug Injectors in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation. AIDS And Behavior 2010, 15: 45-57. PMID: 20700645, PMCID: PMC3023022, DOI: 10.1007/s10461-010-9775-z.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPrevalence and predictors of transitions to and away from syringe exchange use over time in 3 US cities with varied syringe dispensing policies
Green TC, Bluthenthal RN, Singer M, Beletsky L, Grau LE, Marshall P, Heimer R. Prevalence and predictors of transitions to and away from syringe exchange use over time in 3 US cities with varied syringe dispensing policies. Drug And Alcohol Dependence 2010, 111: 74-81. PMID: 20537814, PMCID: PMC3087197, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2010.03.022.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSyringe exchange programsSEP usersSEP useThree-City cohort studyPolicy change analysisSyringe exchange usePredictors of transitionSecondary syringe exchangePolice contactCohort studyFemale sexHIV riskSyringe availabilityExchange useSyringe exchangeDrug usersDrug paraphernaliaHealth interventionsUS citiesLatino ethnicityIDUsPolicyContextual factorsMultinomial regressionTypologyPatterns of drug use and abuse among aging adults with and without HIV: A latent class analysis of a US Veteran cohort
Green TC, Kershaw T, Lin H, Heimer R, Goulet JL, Kraemer KL, Gordon AJ, Maisto SA, Day NL, Bryant K, Fiellin DA, Justice AC. Patterns of drug use and abuse among aging adults with and without HIV: A latent class analysis of a US Veteran cohort. Drug And Alcohol Dependence 2010, 110: 208-220. PMID: 20395074, PMCID: PMC3087206, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2010.02.020.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsVeterans Aging Cohort StudyHIV statusMultidrug usersDrug useLatent class analysisUS Veteran cohortAging Cohort StudyActive drug useSelf-reported drug useMental health disordersProblem of obesityElectronic medical recordsUninfected veteransCohort studyClinical variablesDrug use consequencesSocio-demographic covariatesMedical recordsHigh prevalenceUninfected adultsAge 50HIVHealth disordersDrug usersVeteran cohortEstimation of the number of injection drug users in St. Petersburg, Russia
Heimer R, White E. Estimation of the number of injection drug users in St. Petersburg, Russia. Drug And Alcohol Dependence 2010, 109: 79-83. PMID: 20060238, PMCID: PMC2875272, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2009.12.010.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2009
Potential Bridges of Heterosexual HIV Transmission from Drug Users to the General Population in St. Petersburg, Russia: Is it Easy to be a Young Female?
Toussova O, Shcherbakova I, Volkova G, Niccolai L, Heimer R, Kozlov A. Potential Bridges of Heterosexual HIV Transmission from Drug Users to the General Population in St. Petersburg, Russia: Is it Easy to be a Young Female? Journal Of Urban Health 2009, 86: 121-130. PMID: 19533368, PMCID: PMC2705483, DOI: 10.1007/s11524-009-9364-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsIDU sex partnersInjection drug usersSex partnersNon-IDUsGeneral populationDrug usersYoung femalesHeterosexual HIV transmissionEpidemic of HIVHIV diagnosisHIV transmissionSexual transmissionHIV preventionPotential bridgeFurther transmissionYoung womenAlcohol useConvenience sampleSignificant correlatesSignificant predictorsUrgent effortsFemalesEpidemicLast yearsLow levelsThe Potential for Bridging of HIV Transmission in the Russian Federation: Sex Risk Behaviors and HIV Prevalence among Drug Users (DUs) and their Non-DU Sex Partners
Niccolai LM, Shcherbakova IS, Toussova OV, Kozlov AP, Heimer R. The Potential for Bridging of HIV Transmission in the Russian Federation: Sex Risk Behaviors and HIV Prevalence among Drug Users (DUs) and their Non-DU Sex Partners. Journal Of Urban Health 2009, 86: 131-143. PMID: 19507037, PMCID: PMC2705488, DOI: 10.1007/s11524-009-9369-0.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAdultFemaleHIV InfectionsHumansInterviews as TopicMaleRisk-TakingRussiaSexual BehaviorSubstance-Related DisordersConceptsSex risk behaviorsNew sex partnerDrug usersHIV prevalenceSex partnersHIV transmissionRisk behaviorsHigh-risk sexual behaviorUnknown status partnersMale drug usersMultiple sex partnersSexual behaviorFemale drug usersHIV casesHIV epidemicHigh prevalenceGeneralized epidemicsUnprotected intercourseLast sexSexual contactFurther transmissionPrevalenceRecent evidenceMonthsFurther studiesSimultaneous Recruitment of Drug Users and Men Who Have Sex with Men in the United States and Russia Using Respondent-Driven Sampling: Sampling Methods and Implications
Iguchi MY, Ober AJ, Berry SH, Fain T, Heckathorn DD, Gorbach PM, Heimer R, Kozlov A, Ouellet LJ, Shoptaw S, Zule WA. Simultaneous Recruitment of Drug Users and Men Who Have Sex with Men in the United States and Russia Using Respondent-Driven Sampling: Sampling Methods and Implications. Journal Of Urban Health 2009, 86: 5. PMID: 19472058, PMCID: PMC2705484, DOI: 10.1007/s11524-009-9365-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsHuman immunodeficiency virusHigh-risk groupRespondent-driven samplingSample of MSMDrug usersSex partnersTraditional high-risk groupsHIV Cooperative Agreement ProgramGeneralized HIV epidemicsRace/ethnicitySexual acquisitionImmunodeficiency virusSexual transmissionHIV epidemicRisk groupsYoung MSMBlack MSMDrug useUS sitesMSMRecruitment biasMSM sampleMenPeer recruitmentSex
2008
High HIV Prevalence, Suboptimal HIV Testing, and Low Knowledge of HIV-Positive Serostatus Among Injection Drug Users in St. Petersburg, Russia
Niccolai LM, Toussova OV, Verevochkin SV, Barbour R, Heimer R, Kozlov AP. High HIV Prevalence, Suboptimal HIV Testing, and Low Knowledge of HIV-Positive Serostatus Among Injection Drug Users in St. Petersburg, Russia. AIDS And Behavior 2008, 14: 932-941. PMID: 18843531, PMCID: PMC3116648, DOI: 10.1007/s10461-008-9469-y.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsInjection drug usersHIV-positive serostatusHIV prevalenceHIV testingDrug usersHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalenceRecent doctor visitHigh HIV prevalenceUnsafe injectionsPositive serostatusDoctor visitsSerostatusHIVPrevalencePoor knowledgeVirus prevalenceLow knowledgeTesting patternsHistory/Adequate coverageCorrelatesInfectionVisitsMonthsCommunity coverage and HIV prevention: Assessing metrics for estimating HIV incidence through syringe exchange
Heimer R. Community coverage and HIV prevention: Assessing metrics for estimating HIV incidence through syringe exchange. International Journal Of Drug Policy 2008, 19: 65-73. PMID: 18207726, PMCID: PMC2367433, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2007.12.004.Peer-Reviewed Original Research