HIV Infection Late Detection in AIDS Patients of an European City with Increased Immigration Since Mid 1990s

Abstract

The study goal is to identify predictors of HIV infection late detection in an European city with increased immigration, and determine the effects of HAART era in HIV infection detection. We used Barcelona city AIDS registry (1987-2006). Late testers were those diagnosed of AIDS defining illness within less than 3 months from time of testing positive for HIV infection. Independent variables were: date of birth, sex, country of origin, HIV transmission category, prison history, city district of residence, AIDS diagnostic disease and HAART era when diagnosed. The statistical methods were based on logistic regression (Odds Ratio, OR and 95% confidence interval, CI). Among the 6186 AIDS patients, 43.9% (n=2741) were late testers. Being a male (OR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.35-1.83), either < 30 years (OR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.06-1.38) or > 40 years (OR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.03-1.40), with heterosexual (OR: 3.07, 95% CI: 2.59-3.63) routes of transmission or men who have sex with men (OR: 2.20, 95% CI: 1.89-2.57) and with Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumoniae (OR: 1.71, 95% CI: 1.47-2.00) or tuberculosis (OR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.36-1.82) were all independent risk factors for being a late tester. Conversely, injecting drug use (IDU) was associated with early detection (OR: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.33-0.40). Being migrant was associated with late testing only in the univariate analysis. Individuals with the detected factors (male, having any sexual risk behaviour and being > 50 years) should be in the main focus for HIV testing to further ensure continuous decrease in the slope of late detected HIV infections overall.