FREQUENCY AND REASONS OF DELAYED INITIATION OF TREATMENT AFTER DIAGNOSIS OF HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV): A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Background and Objective: The rise in incidence and prevalence of cases of Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has made it a disease of public health concern especially in under-developed countries. Timely diagnosis and initiation of treatment, the only effective strategy to break the chain of transmission in the community, is a caveat in the measures taken for its prevention. The objective of this study was to determine frequency and the reasons behind delay in initiating treatment after being diagnosed with HIV among patients presenting to a public sector hospital. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the HIV center of Aziz Bhatti Hospital, Gujrat for six months after approval from ERB. About 200 diagnosed HIV patients fulfilling the selection criteria were included in the study after an informed consent. Data were collected by personal interviews and information regarding their timing of initiation of therapy and reasons behind delay in treatment were noted in a questionnaire. Data entry and analysis was done using SPSS version 23.0 and cross tabulation was done keeping p-value <0.05 as significant. Results: Among 200 study participants, mean age was 26.5 ± 5.68 years including 126 (63%) males and 74 (27%) females. About 34 (17%) of patients were found to have a delay in initiation of treatment for more than 6 months. Patients reported multiple reasons behind the delay in initiation of treatment the most frequent was being in denial in which they did not believe the test results 32 (94%) followed by difficulty in accessing health care 28 (82.3%). Age was found to be significantly related with delay (p= <0.001) while relationship of gender with delay in treatment was found to be insignificant. Conclusion: It can be concluded that a considerable proportion of patients diagnosed with HIV delay their treatment because of lack of acceptance of results or access to health care. Proper educational session of these patients along with increasing the accessibility to health care facilities can result in timely management and better outcomes in these patients.