Dr. Breschine Cummins (Dept. of Mathematical Sciences, MSU) 

11/03/2022  3:10pm

Abstract: 

The Health Resources and Services Administration and the CDC have issued a roadmap to eradicate the HIV epidemic by 2030. One major tool for achieving this goal is antiretroviral therapy (ART). It is effective at suppressing viral load, not only improving health outcomes but also reducing the probability of spread. Another tool is PrEP, pre-exposure prophylaxis, which is highly effective at preventing HIV infection even when an individual is exposed. Both of these treatments require a prescription, and therefore regular visits to a health clinic. However, people in the highest-risk groups may be unwilling to go to a clinic because their activities are stigmatized or illegal, such as men who have sex with men (MSM), intravenous drug users, and sex workers. In this talk, I will discuss a simulation study in which we model recruitment techniques for increasing the number of HIV-positive individuals that engage with the public healthcare system. I will present the model framework, parameterization, validation, and preliminary results.