Objective: The late diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and, therefore, initiation of antiretroviral therapy
(ART) in the advanced stages of the disease is still a significant problem in many countries. This study aimed to define the prevalence
of late presentation and advanced HIV disease among newly diagnosed HIV infected patients.
Patients and Methods: The medical records of HIV-infected patients aged 18 and over, diagnosed between January 2011 and December
2019, were analysed retrospectively. The patients were grouped into three-year periods according to the date of diagnosis.
Results: Of the 280 patients with HIV infection, 44 (15.7%) were female and 236 (84.3%) were male. It was found that 50.7% of
the patients were late presenters, and 28.5% had advanced diseases. There was no statistical difference in the prevalence of late
presentation and advanced HIV disease between the three-year periods. While there was no relationship between gender and late
presentation, a statistically significant relationship was found between advanced age and late presentation.
Conclusion: Despite advances in the diagnosis and treatment of HIV infection, the frequency of late presentation is still quite high,
in Turkey. This situation highlights the importance of broad-based HIV screening programs to control the disease more effectively.
Primary Language | English |
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Subjects | Clinical Sciences |
Journal Section | Original Articles |
Authors | |
Publication Date | May 30, 2022 |
Published in Issue | Year 2022 Volume: 35 Issue: 2 |