About 40 percent of HIV-positive Ugandan patients are already ill or displaying symptoms of AIDS when they are diagnosed, a new study in the latest issue of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes has found.
The study, conducted by western Uganda's Mbarara University Teaching Hospital, noted that more than one-third of the 2,311 respondents were at World Health Organization disease stages three or four, when the immune system has already been severely damaged by HIV.
Lower education levels, unemployment, living in crowded households, being unmarried, and lack of spousal HIV status disclosure were associated with late presentation. On the other hand, being pregnant, having young children, and consuming alcohol in the prior year were associated with early presentation.
The authors called for targeted public health interventions to facilitate earlier entry into HIV care, as well as more research to determine whether late presentation was due to delays in testing or delays in accessing care.
More than 130,000 Ugandans are enrolled on the government's free antiretroviral programme, but more than 250,000 people are estimated to need treatment.
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The study, conducted by western Uganda's Mbarara University Teaching Hospital, noted that more than one-third of the 2,311 respondents were at World Health Organization disease stages three or four, when the immune system has already been severely damaged by HIV.
Lower education levels, unemployment, living in crowded households, being unmarried, and lack of spousal HIV status disclosure were associated with late presentation. On the other hand, being pregnant, having young children, and consuming alcohol in the prior year were associated with early presentation.
The authors called for targeted public health interventions to facilitate earlier entry into HIV care, as well as more research to determine whether late presentation was due to delays in testing or delays in accessing care.
More than 130,000 Ugandans are enrolled on the government's free antiretroviral programme, but more than 250,000 people are estimated to need treatment.
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