학술논문

HIV testing uptake and prevalence among hospitalized older adults in Togo: A cross-sectional study.
Document Type
Article
Source
PLoS ONE. 2/2/2021, Vol. 16 Issue 2, p1-12. 12p.
Subject
*OLDER people
*HIV testing kits
*HIV infections
*CROSS-sectional method
*LIVING alone
*HEALTH facilities
*HIV
Language
ISSN
1932-6203
Abstract
Objectives: This study aimed to describe HIV testing uptake, as well as HIV prevalence and its associated factors among older adults aged ≥50 years in health facilities in Togo. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out from February 2018 to June 2019 among hospitalized older adults aged ≥50 years in tertiary and secondary hospitals in Togo. HIV testing was performed according to the national algorithm. Socio-demographic data and HIV testing history were collected using a standardized questionnaire. Results: A total of 619 patients (43.9% female) of median age 61 years, (IQR: 55–70) were recruited and offered HIV testing. Among them, 25.7% had never previously tested for HIV. In total, 91.6% (567/619) accepted HIV testing while 8.4% (52/619) refused to be tested. Of those who tested, forty patients were HIV positive, yielding a prevalence of 7.1%. Twenty-three patients (57.5%) were newly diagnosed with HIV infection. In multivariable analysis, two factors were associated with HIV infection: living alone (aOR = 5.83; 95%CI = [2.26–14.53]) and being <60 years (aOR = 3.12; 95%CI = [1.51–6.66]). Conclusion: The majority of older adults in this study accepted testing for HIV and almost three in five HIV positive older adults were newly diagnosed with HIV as a result of this testing. There is an urgent need to integrate older adults into responses to the HIV epidemic and to strengthen targeted prevention care and treatment in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]