RESUMEN
This study aims at estimating the recent trends in HIV-1 prevalence and the factors associated with infection among pregnant women in the Gulu District of north Uganda, a rural area severely affected by civil strife. In 2000-2003, a total of 4459 antenatal clinic attendees of Lacor Hospital were anonymously tested for HIV-1 infection. The overall and age-specific prevalence did not show any significant trend over time. The age-standardized prevalence slightly declined, from 12.1% in 2000 to 11.3% in 2003. Increased age [20-24 years: adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.63; 95% CI 1.18-2.25; >or=25 years: AOR 2.56; 95% CI 1.91-3.44], residence in urban areas (AOR 1.76; 95% CI 1.41-2.18), being unmarried (AOR 1.60; 95% CI 1.27-2.01), increased age of partner (25-34 years: AOR 1.87; 95% CI 1.29-2.73; >or=35 years: AOR 2.68; 95% CI 1.72-4.16), modern occupation of partner (AOR 1.98; 95% CI 1.53-2.58), and short time of residence at the current address (AOR 1.36; 95% CI 1.05-1.76) were associated with infection. The HIV-1 prevalence in this rural district is high and similar to that observed in urban antenatal clinics, probably reflecting the effect of the last 18 years of civil strife.
Asunto(s)
Infecciones por VIH/epidemiología , VIH-1 , Complicaciones Infecciosas del Embarazo/epidemiología , Adulto , Desórdenes Civiles , Femenino , Humanos , Embarazo , Prevalencia , Refugiados , Factores de Riesgo , Salud Rural , Uganda/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Since 1986, northern Uganda has been severely affected by civil strife with most of its population currently living internally displaced in protected camps. This study aims at estimating the HIV-1 prevalence among this population and the factors associated with infection. METHODS: In June-December 2005, a total of 3051 antenatal clinics attendees in Gulu, Kitgum and Pader districts were anonymously tested for HIV-1 infection as part of routine sentinel surveillance. Factors associated with the infection were evaluated using logistic regression models. RESULTS: The age-standardised HIV-1 prevalence was 10.3%, 9.1% and 4.3% in the Gulu, Kitgum and Pader district, respectively. The overall prevalence in the area comprised of these districts was 8.2% when data was weighted according to the districts' population size. Data from all sites combined show that, besides older women [20-24 years: adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.96, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.29-2.97; 25-29 years: AOR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.30-3.11; > or = 30 years: AOR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.23-2.97], unmarried women (AOR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.06-2.04), and those with a partner with a non-traditional occupation (AOR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.18-2.21), women living outside of protected camps for internally displaced persons have a higher risk of being HIV-1 infected than internally displaced women (AOR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.15-2.08). CONCLUSION: Although published data from Gulu district show a declining HIV-1 prevalence trend that is consistent with that observed at the national level since 1993, the prevalence in North Uganda is still high. Internally displaced women have a lower risk of being infected probably because of their reduced mobility and accessibility, and increased access to health prevention services.
RESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate a method for adjusting estimates of HIV prevalence based on data from a program for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV infection for the potential bias attributable to refusal of PMTCT-related testing. METHODS: Age-specific logistic regression models were used to estimate the HIV risk coefficients for 10 predictor variables among women who accepted the PMTCT-related testing (n = 1874) at an antenatal clinic in northern Uganda. These risk coefficients were used to predict the prevalence among women who were not tested (n = 1719) and to adjust the PMTCT-based prevalence for nonparticipation bias. Crude and adjusted PMTCT-based prevalence estimates were compared with the prevalence among women who were anonymously tested as part of routine sentinel surveillance (n = 2225). RESULTS: The PMTCT-based prevalence represented an underestimate compared with that based on anonymous surveillance in 2004 (9.0% vs. 10.5%); in 2005, it constituted an overestimate (11.8% vs. 10.9%). Adjusting the PMTCT-based prevalence reduced the difference attributable to nonparticipation bias by approximately 70% in both years, so that the adjusted prevalence (10.1% in 2004 and 11.2% in 2005) was similar to the surveillance-based prevalence. CONCLUSIONS: The adjustment method was effective in reducing the nonparticipation bias. Further studies are needed to assess the utility of PMTCT program data for HIV surveillance.