RECENT HIV INFECTION AMONG NEWLY DIAGNOSED HIV POSITIVE CLIENTS AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS IN TIGRAY, NORTHER ETHIOPIA 2024: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

By the end of 2023, there were a projected 39 million HIV-positive individuals worldwide, and 1.3 million new cases of HIV infection. An estimated 51% of new HIV infections occurred in Sub-Saharan Africa. In order to support evidence-based decision-making, HIV case-based surveillance gathers information on recently diagnosed HIV cases, recent HIV infections, and other sentinel events. In the Tigray region, there is little evidence of these. Recent HIV infections were infections that were acquired within the previous six to twelve months as detected by Asante’s recency HIV test kit. Identifying individuals with recent HIV infection from a long-term and assessing the risk-factors such as age, sex, residence, educational status, occupations, OIs, sexual practice, illicit drug utilization, and others particularly in those who have recently been infected, is a critical step to control the epidemic and to end HIV/AIDS as a public-health threat by 2030. The proportion of recent HIV infections was 22.9% (95%CI, 19.4, and 26.4). 24.3% of recent HIV infections occurred in the Mekelle Special Zone, while the clients with the largest percentage of recent infections in the Tigray region were female (367, 72%) and employed (23%). The factors associated with recent HIV infections were age 15–24 years (AOR = 2.60, 95% CI: 1.150, 5.742), employment (AOR = 2.78, 95% CI: 1.23, 6.304), female sex workers (AOR = 2.8, 95% CI: 1.119, 7.037), and those paid or received money or a gift for sex (AOR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.368, 3.673).