AEGiS-15IAC: Profiling of HIV clinic patients for determining the prevalence of recent infection.

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

Profiling of HIV clinic patients for determining the prevalence of recent infection.

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. C10393)

Chan WK, Yuen CY, Wong KH
Integrated Treatment Center, Department of Health, Hong Kong SAR, China

BACKGROUND: Since 1984, a voluntary case-based reporting system has been in place to monitor the HIV/AIDS situation in Hong Kong. Since it is difficult to differentiate between recent and long-standing HIV infection from the reported data, we examined our patient cohort with a focus on the scene of recent infections.

METHODS: In 2001, we started collecting epidemiological data on HIV infection of patients newly seen at the Integrated Treatment Centre of the Department of Health. We defined recent HIV infection as having a negative antibody test and/or seroconversion within one year of first positive HIV antibody test. Through interview, trained nurse counsellors use a standard questionnaire to elicit information on demography, setting of HIV diagnosis, as well as how, when and where the virus was contracted. In this study, we compared the profile of recent vs. non-recent infections seen from 2001 to 2002.

RESULTS: A total of 240 patients attended our clinic in the 2-year period. Twenty-seven (11.3%) cases were found to be recent infections. Both recent and non-recent infections were predominantly male Chinese who acquired HIV sexually. Compared with non-recent infections, recent infections were more likely to be homosexuals (OR, 2.34; 95% CI, 0.93-5.48; P=0.039), professionals (OR, 3.13; 95% CI, 0.83-12.81; P=0.049), had received tertiary education (OR, 2.97; 95% CI, 1.15-7.40; P=0.08), with diagnosis made at HIV voluntary counseling and testing service (OR, 2.28; 95%CI, 0.93-5.83; P=0.046) and presented with CD4 >=200 (OR, 9.76; 95% CI, 2.31-86.62; P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: HIV clinic is a feasible setting for collecting epidemiological information that could be important to the design of targeted HIV prevention strategy. Difference in profile between recent and non-recent infections may reflect risk factors for on-going infections or confounding factors of higher awareness for making such diagnosis.

Keywords: AEGIS, Prevalence, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Seropositivity, HIV Infections, Communicable Diseases, Risk Factors, Ambulatory Care Facilities, Virus Diseases, Hong Kong, Male, Humans, epidemiology

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