title: Late presentation for diagnosis of HIV infection among HIV positive patients in South Tigray Zone, Ethiopia.
abstract: In spite of the availability and accessibility of HIV testing opportunities and efforts, people are being late to test in the course of HIV infection. Late diagnosis leads to late anti-retroviral therapy initiation which in turn results in poor treatment outcome and prognosis of the disease. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and predictors of late HIV diagnosis among HIV-infected patients in South Tigray Zone, Ethiopia.
  
  
  
  A facility based cross sectional study was conducted among HIV positive patients from February 1-30, 2014 in Southern Tigray, Ethiopia. Multistage sampling technique was employed to select the study participants. Data were collected by reviewing patient medical card and interviewing using structured questionnaire. Data were entered using Epi-Data version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were modeled to evaluate the association of predictors with late diagnosis of HIV infection.
  
  
  
  Out of 789 study participants, 68.8 % of them were late for HIV diagnosis. Feeling healthy (65.7 %), fear of stigma and discrimination (32.4 %) and using traditional treatment (1.5 %) were reported as the main reasons for late HIV diagnosis. Use of Khat [AOR = 3.27, 95 % CI (1.75, 6.13)], bed ridden functional status [AOR = 2.66, 95 % CI (1.60, 4.42)], ambulatory functional status [AOR = 1.56, 95 % CI (1.03, 2.35)] and Muslim religion [AOR = 2.26, 95 % CI (1.13, 4.49)] were significantly associated with late presentation for HIV diagnosis.
  
  
  
  High prevalence of late HIV diagnosis was recorded in Southern Tigray Zone, Ethiopia. Public health educations and campaigns targeted at improving early diagnosis and prognosis of people living with HIV/AIDS in Southern Tigray, Northern Ethiopia should be underway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Admassu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Assen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Fantahun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Molla
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Abrham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wondimu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Solomon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abrha
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia. melkamwondim@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Wondim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Melkam
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Ebisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tadesse
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Zewdu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yilma
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Tadele
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eticha
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Hagos
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abrha
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Birhanu Demeke
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Workneh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D057210:Delayed Diagnosis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Ethiopia; HIV infection; Late HIV diagnosis; Positive; Tigray