Late presentations among HIV-infected patients

Abstract

Objective: The late diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and, therefore, initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the advanced stages of the disease is still a significant problem in many countries. This study aimed to define the prevalence of late presentation and advanced HIV disease among newly diagnosed HIV infected patients. Patients and Methods: The medical records of HIV-infected patients aged 18 and over, diagnosed between January 2011 and December 2019, were analysed retrospectively. The patients were grouped into three-year periods according to the date of diagnosis. Results: Of the 280 patients with HIV infection, 44 (15.7%) were female and 236 (84.3%) were male. It was found that 50.7% of the patients were late presenters, and 28.5% had advanced diseases. There was no statistical difference in the prevalence of late presentation and advanced HIV disease between the three-year periods. While there was no relationship between gender and late presentation, a statistically significant relationship was found between advanced age and late presentation. Conclusion: Despite advances in the diagnosis and treatment of HIV infection, the frequency of late presentation is still quite high, in Turkey. This situation highlights the importance of broad-based HIV screening programs to control the disease more effectively.