HIV incidence, knowledge, attitude and practices of HIV/AIDS and antiretroviral therapy use in HIV-infected patients at Debre Elias district, North West Ethiopia
Accepted: 6 April 2024
HTML: 5
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Authors
Due to hotspots as development schemes that attract mobile groups, HIV/AIDS infections are the biggest health issue in communities with low awareness and safe practice, especially in smaller towns. This study examined HIV/AIDS and Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) use-related knowledge, attitude, and practice in AIDS patients. Debre Elias Health Center conducted a cross-sectional study (N=384) from June 10 to January 20, 2021. Participants were selected using systematic random sampling and interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Logistic regression calculated significance and association between dependent and independent variables. 236 (384) or 61.4% of 384 HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy were female. HIV rates increased from 2014 to 2019. Age difference was associated with patient knowledge of ART use (P=0.005). Patients’ attitudes towards HIV/AIDS and ART use were significantly correlated with age, residence, marital status, and education (P<0.001). HIV patients 25-30 were 2.2 times more likely to know about ART use. HIV patients with a degree or higher were five times more likely to support ART. HIV patients aged 14-24 with a positive ART outlook were 94% protective. HIV prevalence is rising, especially among 15 to 24-year-old women. Public protection is needed to reduce HIV transmission.
How to Cite
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.