Risk Factors Among HIV Seropositive Cases Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital of a North-Eastern State of India: A...

Introduction Despite the relatively low HIV incidence in Assam, the region is at a critical juncture due to its strategic location as the gateway to north-eastern India and its proximity to three states with high HIV prevalence. This study, conducted from July 2022 to August 2023, aimed to assess the risk factors among HIV seropositive cases in Assam. Methods This hospital-based retrospective cross-sectional study included all HIV seropositive patients enrolled at the Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre (ICTC), Dhubri, Assam, India. The diagnosis was carried out following Strategy III of the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), India guidelines, ensuring the thoroughness and reliability of the data. The difference in proportions was examined using a chi-square test with a p-value of less than 0.05 as significant. For identifying factors independently associated with the HIV transmission route, binary logistic regression was used. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results Out of 151 HIV seropositive patients, the majority, 133 (88.1%), were male. Most patients (95%, n=143) belonged to the young adult age group ranging from 15 to 49 years. A significant association between age of patients and gender was observed (p-value=0.002). HIV seropositivity was noted more among rural patients (n=99; 65.6%) and married female patients (p-value<0.001). The majority, 43.0% (n=65), of the patients were educated up to high school level. Injectable drug use was the leading mode of transmission (n=104; 68.9%). Route of HIV transmission was found to be significantly associated with age (p-value<0.001), gender (p-value<0.001), marital status (p-value<0.001), education (p-value<0.05), migration (p-value<0.001), and occupation (p-value<0.001). Conclusion The significant rise in new HIV infections, particularly among injectable drug users, underscores the urgent need for increased testing and awareness programs. These, along with better access to antiretroviral medication, rehabilitation programs, and stricter laws on illegal drug trafficking, could play a crucial role in controlling the spread of the disease.