DOI: 10.11648/j.ijidt.20261103.12 ISSN: 2578-966X

Sociodemographic Profile and Recency of HIV Infections of Newly Diagnosed HIV-seropositives of a Rural Tertiary Hospital in South-south, Nigeria

Gbolagade Adewuyi, Bolanle Adewuyi
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HIV infection is still a leading global health concern. At the end of 2023, there were about 39.9 million PLHIV; 38.6 million adults of 15 years or older. Fifty-three percent of all these PLHIV were women and girls. About 5.4 million people did not know that they were living with HIV in 2023. Identifying and keeping track of new HIV infections is important in determining the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of HIV/AIDS control programs. This study aimed at determining the incidence of HIV and sociodemographically characterized the newly diagnosed in the study area. 190 new HIV positives were recruited. Excluded were known HIV positives. Recency test was done using limiting antigen avidity recency assay. Data were collected using laboratory records and a structured-questionnaire. 190 out of the 3982 tested (4.77%) were HIV positives. The modal age group was 21-30 years. 79.47% of positives were forty years and below. 138 (72.63%) were married. 113(59.47%) were females. 125(65.79%) were in low social class. 167(87.90%) had no knowledge of their partners’ HIV-status; while 8(4.21%) and 15(7.90%) had concordant and discordant partners respectively. Majority were not willing to disclose their HIV-status to their partners. Recent HIV infection rate in the study area was 1.05%. Majority of newly diagnosed individuals have longstanding infection. They are predominantly married women of low social class. Unprotected sexual exposure and having multiple sexual partners are still the major driver of HIV infection among the study population.

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