Socio-Demographic and Behavioral Factors in Patients with DelayedDiagnosis of Human Immunodeficiency Virus: A Cross-SectionalStudy
Abstract
Objective: To find socio-demographic characteristics and behavioral factors of patients presenting in the late stage of HIV infectionMethods
This descriptive retrospective, cross sectional study was conducted at District Headquarter (DHQ) Teaching Hospital, Kohat Development Authority (KDA), Kohat from April 2020 to September 2020. Socio-demographic data was collected from patients record registered at HIV care center Kohat from either gender having age greater than 15 years with 3 CD4 count at the time of diagnosis less than 350/mm , or patient presenting with an AIDS defining illness on a pre designed form. Descriptive statistics were applied to find characteristics of patients with late HIV diagnosis.Results
A total of 152 patients had a CD4 count less than 350/mm at the time of diagnosis and registration at the HIV care center DHQ Teaching hospital. There were 87 (57.2%) males and 53 (34.9%) females. Majority of patients belonged to the age group of 31-45 years (40.8%), were unemployed (59.2%), married (63.2%) and were from area of Bannu (19.1%). A significant number of patients had a history of travelling abroad and were using smokeless tobacco while majority of patients didn't know about HIV infection and never visited health care worker in last year before registration at HIV Care Center Kohat.Conclusion
Delayed diagnosis of HIV is common in male, unemployed patients, with a history of travelling abroad and married patients with majority of patients having no knowledge about HIV infection. Public health authorities shall implement new methods of expanding the realm of diagnostic testing as well as targeting those populations at a higher risk i.e., unemployed, substance abuse history, uneducated and having history of travel abroad, will help in early HIV diagnosis, avoiding AIDS defining conditions and mortality associated with HIV virus infectionKeywords:
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Human immunodeficiency virus, Viral Diseases, Prevention, InfectionsPublished
2025/06/05
Issue
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