The sociodemographic portrait of a patient living with HIV and visiting AIDS centers in Russia

Abstract

Aim. To study the sociodemographic data of people living with HIV who visit AIDS centers. Subjects and methods. A multicenter open-label study was conducted, which included the retrospective model “A patient’s portrait”. Outpatient records and questionnaires were analyzed in 7,000 patients older than 18 years of age who had visited AIDS centers in 27 regions of Russia from 1 April to 31 July 2014 and signed their informed consent form to participate in the study. Results. There were women accounting for 49% of the study participants, including one transgender. Their mean age was 35.6 years; the median age was 34 (18-79) years. 77.4% of the women were infected sexually; 57.4% of the men were infected parenterally; the men who had sex with men accounted for 2.5% of the whole group (4.7% among the men). Only 9.8% of the respondents reported that they had used intravenous drugs in the past 6 months. 87.8% of the respondents had secondary and higher education; 68.6% of the patients (73% were male and 64% were female) were employed; 59.3% of the respondents were married or cohabited; 66.2% of the patients reported that they had had sexual contacts with one partner, 14.2% had not had sexual intercourses. 38.3% of the women and 48.8% of the men had a permanent HIV-negative sexual partner. 46% of the study participants had dependent minor children. 30% of the women had given birth to at least one child after the diagnosis of HIV infection. Conclusion. People living with HIV in Russia and visiting AIDS centers do not differ in main social and demographic indicators from the Russian Federation citizens of the same age who do not have HIV. They represent an economically and socially active population and participate in demographic processes so one of the public health priorities is to maintain and improve their quality of life.