Abstract
This study aimed to describe HIV testing uptake, as well as HIV prevalence and its associated factors among older adults aged ≥50 years in health facilities in Togo. A cross-sectional study was carried out from February 2018 to June 2019 among hospitalized older adults aged ≥50 years in tertiary and secondary hospitals in Togo. HIV testing was performed according to the national algorithm. Socio-demographic data and HIV testing history were collected using a standardized questionnaire. A total of 619 patients (43.9% female) of median age 61 years, (IQR: 55-70) were recruited and offered HIV testing. Among them, 25.7% had never previously tested for HIV. In total, 91.6% (567/619) accepted HIV testing while 8.4% (52/619) refused to be tested. Of those who tested, forty patients were HIV positive, yielding a prevalence of 7.1%. Twenty-three patients (57.5%) were newly diagnosed with HIV infection. In multivariable analysis, two factors were associated with HIV infection: living alone (aOR = 5.83; 95%CI = [2.26-14.53]) and being <60 years (aOR = 3.12; 95%CI = [1.51-6.66]). The majority of older adults in this study accepted testing for HIV and almost three in five HIV positive older adults were newly diagnosed with HIV as a result of this testing. There is an urgent need to integrate older adults into responses to the HIV epidemic and to strengthen targeted prevention care and treatment in this population.
Highlights
According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the number of people living with HIV aged 50 and older (PLWH50+) has increased in all regions of the world [1]
Two factors were associated with HIV infection: living alone and being
The majority of older adults in this study accepted testing for HIV and almost three in five HIV positive older adults were newly diagnosed with HIV as a result of this testing
Summary
According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the number of people living with HIV aged 50 and older (PLWH50+) has increased in all regions of the world [1]. Large-scale access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) has greatly contributed to the increase in the number of older people living with HIV (PLWH). Besides large-scale access to ART, the ageing of the population in all regions of the world has led to new infections being reported among older adults. In the United States (US), around one in six new HIV diagnoses occurred among people aged 50 years in 2017 [5], while an analysis of surveillance data from 31 European countries reported a significant increase in the notification rate of new diagnoses among older adults between 2004–2015 [6]
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.