Does the high prevalence of late presentation of HIV infection persist?

5^th World Congress on Control and Prevention of HIV/AIDS, STDs & STIs

June 19-20, 2017 London, UK

Patricia Garcia de Olalla

Public Health Agency of Barcelona, Spain

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J AIDS Clin Res

Abstract :

Background & Aim: Early diagnosis of HIV infection and its treatment improves health of patients and is essential to prevent HIV transmission. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, describe the trend and identify the factors associated with late presentation (LP) of HIV-infection in Barcelona during the period 2013-2015. Methods: We analyzed the cases included in the register of HIV-infection. LP were defined as persons presenting for care with a CD4 count below 350 cells/�¼l or with an AIDS-defining event at the time of HIV diagnosis or within 6 months of the positive test, regardless of the CD4 cell count. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify predictors of LP. Results: Of the 1,115 cases studied, 479 (43.0%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 40.1%-45.9%) were LP. The prevalence of LP was 42.4% in 2013, 42.5% in 2014, 44.0% in 2015 (p=0.65). 39.6% (341 cases) of men who has sex with men (MSM) were LP, 60.2% (65 cases) of the heterosexual men (HTM) and 61% (22 cases) of the injecting drug users (IDU). After adjusting for place of birth and year of diagnosis, LP was more frequent in those older than 29 years (between 30 and 49 years old Odds ratio (OR): 1.4; CI: 1.1-1.8; older than 49 years old; OR: 2.5; CI: 1.2-5.38), in HTM and IDU when compared to MSM (OR: 2.5; CI: 1.2-5.38, and OR : 1.9, CI: 1.3-2.9, respectively), and in those reported from hospitals (OR: 2.1; CI: 1.3-3.2) when compared with those from units of sexually transmitted infections. Conclusion: LP in 2015 remains at levels of previous years and continues to be very high in all transmission groups despite initiatives to increase access to HIV testing in our city. It is necessary to improve and develop new interventions that are more efficient for an early diagnosis of HIV.

Biography :

Patricia Garcia de Olalla is a Medical Doctor, Specialist in Preventive Medicine and Public Health. She is an Associate Professor of Public Health, University Pompeu Fabra. Since 1993, she works as an Epidemiologist at the Epidemiology Department of the Public Health Agency of Barcelona. Since 1995, she is Incharge of surveillance, prevention and control of HIV/AIDS and others sexually transmitted infections in Barcelona. She coordinates the Program Saunas-based testing to detect HIV infection in Barcelona.

Email: polalla@aspb.cat