PREVALENCE AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH LATE DIAGNOSIS OF THE HIV INFECTION IN A MUNICIPALITY OF SÃO PAULO

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: to identify the prevalence and factors associated with late diagnosis of the infection by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), in a municipality of São Paulo. Method: an epidemiological, analytical and retrospective study that analyzed the HIV and AIDS cases notified by the health services in the period from 2015 to 2017 using data from the notifications of the Information System for Notifiable Diseases (SINAN Net) corresponding to the users recently diagnosed with HIV/AIDS infection in the municipality of Ribeirão Preto/SP, Brazil. Data collection was in May 2018. The chi-square test was performed, as well as binary logistic regression, where the dependent variable was the AIDS criterion at the moment of notifying infection by HIV. A p-value<0.05 was considered for the association between the variables studied in relation to late diagnosis. Results: of the 829 (100%) new HIV cases, 290 (35.0%) were diagnosed in the condition of AIDS. Most of the population was male and aged between 15 and 34 years old. Oral candidiasis and weight loss greater than 10% were the main symptoms associated with AIDS. It was observed that people with lower schooling levels and older were more prone to late diagnoses. Conclusion: it is necessary to devise strategies that favor timely diagnosis in the municipality under study, particularly among the individuals aged over 45 years old and with lower schooling levels.