Prevalence and predictors of serodiscordance Among couples in jimma university specialized Hospital vct center, south west ethiopia

Abstract

Background Human immune virus and acquired immune deficiency disease (HIV/AIDS) is the worst global pandemic that a human being ever faced. Prevention is a main strategy for tackling the global burden that HIV/AIDS poses. Hence identifying serodiscordant couples and implementing preventing strategies will protect the negative partner and also will have an impact on national and also global HIV/AIDS pandemic prevalence. The burden of serodiscordance and its predictors in Ethiopia is concealed behind statistics. Objective This study is designed to assess the prevalence and predictors of HIV sereodiscordance among couples tested in Jimma University Specialized Hospital voluntary counseling and testing center since 2003. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at VCT center of Jimma University specialized Hospital from October 1, 2010– October 25, 2010.on all 199 registered sereodiscordant couples and 199 seroconcordants which were selected from 658 seroconcordants with simple random sampling technique registered in the period of 2003-2010. A pre tested structured check list was used for data collection. Data was collected by four trained physicians and information needed to know the prevalence and predictors of serodiscordant was obtained by careful review of chart. The collected data was entered in SPSS of windows version 16 and was analyzed to valuable information based on the set of variables. Result The prevalence of serodiscordance in the study population was found to be 8.3%. Among which male discordant accounted for 5.7 %( 137) and female discordant accounted for 2.6% (62). The mean age of discordant was found to be31.9 years (SD=8.5 years) and that of concordant was found to be 31years (SD=8.1years).Persistent generalized lymphadenopathy (AOR= 3.2; 95% CI= 0.85-11.7) and active tuberculosis at enrollment (AOR= 17.7; 95% CI= 2.3-139.2) were found to be predictors of serodiscordance. Conclusion The prevalence of serodisordance in the study area was found to be low but it contributes to clinically significant population which mandates implementation of preventive strategy. HIV positive couple’s with persistent generalized lymphadenopathy and active tuberculosis are more likely to have negative partner hence seropositive individuals with consistent finding with PGL should be encouraged to have their partners screened. The fact that active infection is permissive to HIV transmission is against the association between active tuberculosis and serodiscordance in this study which underscores the need for further study to ascertain this association.