Matthew L Romo

Biographic Data

ID6652051
NAMEMatthew L Romo
GIVEN NAMESMatthew L
FAMILY NAMERomo
SIGNATUREROMO M L
AFFILIATIONSCity University of New York
ORCID0000-0002-3038-0644
VERIFIEDYes
TOTAL WORKS15
TOTAL CITATIONS0
AUTHOR COUNT15
EDITOR COUNT0
FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR2017
LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR2026
H-INDEX0

  • Lingering sex and age disparities in dolutegravir uptake among adults with HIV

    Open AccessEllen Brazier, Matthew L Romo et al.ARTICLEBMJ Global Health2026

    INTRODUCTION: Since July 2019, the WHO has recommended dolutegravir (DTG)-based regimens as preferred first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) for adults and adolescents living with HIV (DTG-for-All), a reversal of a 2018 safety alert on use of DTG-based regimens by women of reproductive age (WRA). We examined sex and age disparities in DTG uptake before and after DTG-for-All in the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS. METHODS: W…

  • Gaps in hypertension and diabetes treatment among people living with and without HIV

    Open AccessMatthew L Romo, Nicole Dear et al.ARTICLEPLOS Global Public Health2025

    Hypertension and diabetes are increasingly important contributors to morbidity and mortality in African countries, including among people living with HIV (PLWH) who are on lifelong antiretroviral therapy. However, local HIV care programs have historically not included management of noncommunicable diseases. The African Cohort Study enrolls PLWH and people living without HIV (PLWoH) aged 15 years and older who are receiving clinical care at 12 PEP…

  • Using the Health Belief Model to Understand Why Making Oral HIV Self-Testing Available to Truck Drivers in Kenya Had Little Impact on Six-Month Testing

    Open AccessThaung Naing Oo, Thae Aient Aient Oo et al.ARTICLEAIDS and Behavior2024

    Research has found that offering HIV self-testing (HIVST) to truckers in Kenya increased testing rates at baseline but not over 6-month follow-up. We explored possible explanations based on the Health Belief Model by assessing HIV risk perception, self-efficacy, and fatalism as possible effect modifiers of the impact of offering HIVST (intervention n = 150) versus standard of care (SOC n = 155) on 6-month testing on the multiplicative and additiv…

  • Evaluating effect modification by HIV testing history to understand the mechanisms behind the impact of announcing HIV self-testing availability in a clinic system in Kenya

    Open AccessElizabeth A Kelvin, Matthew L Romo et al.ARTICLEFrontiers in Public Health2023

    Background In sub-Saharan Africa, truckers and female sex workers (FSWs) have high HIV risk and face challenges accessing HIV testing. Adding HIV self-testing (HIVST) to standard of care (SOC) programs increases testing rates. However, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. HIVST may decrease barriers (inconvenient clinic hours, confidentiality concerns) and thus we would expect a greater impact among those not accessing SOC testing …

  • Impact of the First Year of the Covid-19 on Unmet Healthcare Need among New York City Adults

    Open AccessMadelyn S Carlson, Matthew L Romo et al.ARTICLEJournal of Urban Health2023

  • Preferences, beliefs, and attitudes about oral fluid and blood-based HIV self-testing among truck drivers in Kenya choosing not to test for HIV

    Open AccessJoanne E Mantell, Aleya Khalifa et al.ARTICLEFrontiers in Public Health2022

    Introduction: Clinical trials in sub-Saharan Africa support that HIV self-testing (HIVST) can increase testing rates in difficult-to-reach populations. However, trials mostly evaluate oral fluid HIVST only. We describe preferences for oral fluid vs. blood-based HIVST to elucidate prior trial results and inform testing programs. Methods: Participants were recruited from a HIVST randomized controlled trial in Nakuru County, Kenya, which aimed to te…

  • The Impact on HIV Testing Over 6 Months When Free Oral HIV Self-Test Kits Were Available to Truck Drivers in Kenya

    Open AccessElizabeth A Kelvin, Gavin George et al.ARTICLEFrontiers in Public Health2021

    Background: Studies suggest that offering HIV self-testing (HIVST) increases short-term HIV testing rates, but few have looked at long-term outcomes. Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RIDIE 55847d64a454f) on the impact of offering free oral HIVST to 305 truck drivers recruited from two clinics in Kenya. We previously reported that those offered HIVST were more likely to accept testing. Here we report on the 6-month follow-up du…

  • Applying a social-ecological lens to opinions about HIV self-testing among Kenyan truckers who declined to test

    Open AccessStephanie N Christian, Joanne E Mantell et al.ARTICLEAfrican Journal of AIDS Research2020

    HIV prevalence among truckers in Africa is high and testing rates suboptimal. With numerous African countries having approved HIV self-testing kits, more information on how to design acceptable and accessible self-testing programs for high-risk populations is necessary. We explored views about self-testing via in-depth interviews with 24 truckers participating in a randomised controlled trial who refused HIV testing. A social-ecological lens was …

  • Announcing the availability of oral HIV self-test kits via text message to increase HIV testing among hard-to-reach truckers in Kenya

    Open AccessElizabeth A Kelvin, Gavin George et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2019

    This trial was registered prior to enrollment at the Registry for International Impact Evaluations (RIDIE STUDY ID: 582a2462ae2ab): http://ridie.3ieimpact.org/index.php?r=search/detailView&id=492 . It was also registered after completion at ClinicalTrials.gov ( ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03662165): https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03662165?term=NCT03662165&type=Intr&cond=HIV&rank=1

  • Offering self-administered oral HIV testing to truck drivers in Kenya to increase testing

    Open AccessElizabeth A Kelvin, Gavin George et al.ARTICLEAIDS Care2018

    We conducted a randomized controlled trial among 305 truck drivers from two North Star Alliance roadside wellness clinics in Kenya to see if offering HIV testing choices would increase HIV testing uptake. Participants were randomized to be offered (1) a provider-administered rapid blood (finger-prick) HIV test (i.e., standard of care [SOC]) or (2) a Choice between SOC or a self-administered oral rapid HIV test with provider supervision in the cli…

  • HIV testing preferences among long distance truck drivers in Kenya

    Open AccessMichael Strauss, Gavin George et al.ARTICLEAIDS Care2018

    Providing HIV testing services to truck drivers in Africa is crucial but has proven challenging. The introduction of HIV self-testing promises to provide expanded service delivery options for clients, potentially increasing demand for services and expanding coverage - especially important for high-risk and difficult-to-reach populations. This study examines the preferences regarding HIV testing service delivery models, among long distance truck d…

  • Psychosocial characteristics of primary care-seeking long-distance truck drivers in Kenya and associations with HIV testing

    Open AccessMatthew L Romo, Gavin George et al.ARTICLEAfrican Journal of AIDS Research2018

    The 90-90-90 strategy from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) to end the AIDS epidemic by 2020 includes, as its first goal, to have 90% of all people living with HIV to know their status. Achieving this goal will depend on effectively reaching high risk populations, which include mobile populations such as truck drivers. This study aimed to characterise a sample of 305 truck drivers recruited from 2 roadside wellness clinics …

  • Stated and revealed preferences for HIV testing

    Open AccessMichael Strauss, Gavin George et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2018

    This trial is registered with the Registry for International Development Impact Evaluations ( RIDE ID#55847d64a454f )

  • A Randomized Controlled Trial to Increase HIV Testing Demand Among Female Sex Workers in Kenya Through Announcing the Availability of HIV Self-testing Via Text Message

    Open AccessElizabeth A Kelvin, Gavin George et al.ARTICLEAIDS and Behavior2018

    We assessed whether informing female sex workers about the availability of HIV self-testing at clinics in Kenya using text messages would increase HIV testing rates. We selected a sample of 2196 female sex workers registered in an electronic health record system who were irregular HIV testers and randomized them to be sent a text message announcing the availability of (1) HIV self-test kits sent three times (intervention), (2) general HIV testing…

  • Offering Self-administered Oral HIV Testing as a Choice to Truck Drivers in Kenya

    Open AccessElizabeth A Kelvin, Gavin George et al.ARTICLEAIDS and Behavior2017

    We assessed predictors of choosing self-administered oral HIV testing in the clinic with supervision versus the standard provider-administered blood test when offered the choice among 149 Kenyan truck drivers, described the types of guidance participants needed during self-testing and predictors of needing guidance. Overall, 56.38% of participants chose the self-test, 23.49% the provider-administered test, and 20.13% refused testing. In the adjus…