
Clinical and Demographic Profile of Newly Detected HIV Positive Patients Registered at Anti Retroviral Therapy Centre of a Medical College
1167-1170
Correspondence
Dr. Keshav Singh
Department of Medicine,
SS Medical College & SGMH Rewa (MP), India.
keshavsingh19@yahoo.com
Phone: 9425393808
Context:
AIDS, the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, which is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), is evolving as a global pandemic. In India, the total number of people who live with HIV/AIDS was estimated to be 24 lakh (19.3-30.4) in 2009. In Madhya Pradesh, the Rewa district has been classified in category A by National AIDS Control Organisation NACO due to its high prevalence of HIV, based on the Sentinel Surveillance. An Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART) Centre was established by NACO in Rewa, which started functioning in Jan 2010.
Objectives:
To study clinico demographic profile of the newly detected (who were not previously registered at any other ART centre ) seropositives who were registered at the Anti-retroviral Therapy Centre.
Material and Method:
The patients who were registered at the ART Centre were of two types, one, the newly detected HIV positives and the others, who are transferred from other ART centres. This was a cross sectional study in which the study group comprised of the recently detected positive cases who reported for the first time to the ART Centre, Rewa, from January to December 2010.
Results:
This study included 253 subjects, out of which of 143 were males and 110 were females. A majority of the subjects (83.39%) were in the age group of 15-45 years. The seropositivity was found to be associated with a low level of literacy and thus, to the unawareness about AIDS. Truck drivers and labourers who migrated for their livelihood were the important occupational groups among the males, who needed attention in the current preventive programme for AIDS.