Risk factors associated with HIV infection in Public hospitals of East Shewa Zone, Oromia region

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Globally, 37.9 million [32.7–44.0 million] people were living with HIV at the end of 2018. Two thirds of all people infected with HIV live in Sub-Saharan Africa, although this region contains little more than 12 percent of the world’s population(2). EDHS 2016 showed national HIV prevalence among women and men age 15-49 in Ethiopia was 0.9%(3). The world has committed to ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030. Progress to control it is far slower than what is required to reach the 2020 milestone of less than 500,000 new infections per year(4,5). Ethiopia targets to reduce adult new HIV infection by 50 percent from the 2016 baseline of 9,800 to 4,900 by 2020(6). Due to availability of HAART as HIV-infected persons live longer and healthier lives; secondary prevention (positive prevention) which is strategy of identifying risky behaviors and implementing behavior change programs for PLHIV showed important reduction in HIV infection transmission. Objective: To assess risk factors associated with HIV infection among patients diagnosed HIV/ AIDS from June 2016 to June 2019 in East shewa zone. Methodology: Unmatched Case control study was conducted in selected public hospitals of East Shewa Zone, Oromia region, Ethiopia. The ratio of cases to controls were 1:2. Results: From 294 participants included in study 196 were controls and 98 were cases. The mean age of the cases was 35.6 years while that of the controls was 36.55. Multivariate logistic regression showed that educational status had significant association with HIV infection. Those who attend their education at elementary level were five times risk of HIV infection (95%CI 1.849,13.694) when compared with illiterates. Those who had STD were 4.432 likely to develop HIV infection. Odds of substance abuse were 2.4(95% CI 1.04,5.54) times higher among case-patients than controls. Individuals who had other sexual partner were 3.171(95% CI 1.53,6.57) likely to had HIV infection than those who have one sexual partner. Those who reported no condom use had 3.73(95% CI 1.52,9.22) times likely to had HIV than those who used a condom Conclusion: The findings in this study indicated that age group, marital status, number of sexual partners, sexually transmitted infections and condom use were important predictors of HIV infection. As significant number of HIV positives had different risk factors for HIV infection transmission, prevention effort should give attention for secondary prevention strategy. Key words: HIV infection, Risk factors for HIV, HIV in East Shewa zone.