Has Diarrhea Ceased to be a Concern in Persons Living With HIV? Results From a Cross-sectional Study

Diarrhea has been associated with HIV throughout the epidemic. Few recent studies have addressed diarrhea in persons living with HIV (PLWH) despite evolving knowledge and ever-changing practice standards. The fact that patient care has become more complex, with comorbid conditions requiring additional attention without additional time allotment, potentiates the risk of common symptoms being overlooked. Patients (n = 190) 18 years and older, living with HIV, completed a questionnaire collecting information specific to attitudes, definitions, and beliefs regarding diarrhea. Of the 190 participants, only 5.3% said that they had diarrhea, but 11.1% described their bowel movements as being in the group associated with diarrhea. Approximately, 93.7% of the participants defined diarrhea as either soft or watery; 34.2% defined frequency as more than three times per day, but 64.2% said that it would have to be more than three times per day to mention it to a provider. PLWH continue to experience diarrhea warranting assessment and discussions between the PLWH and the provider.