CLINICAL PROFILE AND PREVALENCE OF HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS IN PATIENTS ATTENDING INTEGRATED COUNSELLING AND TESTING CENTER IN DISTRICT LALITPUR, UTTAR PRADESH: A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS

Background: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a significant public health concern worldwide, particularly in developing nations like India. Objective: The objective of the study was to study prevalence and the sociodemographic profile of people living with HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) attending a standalone Integrated Counseling and Testing Centre (ICTC) at Autonomous State Medical College and District Hospital Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh. Materials and Methods: A record-based study was carried out among the HIV-positive patients who were attending the ICTC at Autonomous State Medical College and District Hospital Lalitpur. Results: Prevalence of HIV infection was found to be 0.67% in and around Lalitpur region. Males were more commonly affected than females with a ratio of 1.6:1. Majority of HIV-positive patients (35.39%) belonged to 35–49 years of age group. Most common clinical presentation was fever (46.9%) among HIV-positive patients, followed by weight loss (36.88%) and diarrhea (32.55%). Sexual transmission (83.05%) was the most common route of HIV transmission seen in our study. Conclusion: Majority of HIV/AIDS study subjects were from the economically productive age group. Occupation, socioeconomic status, and marital status were found to be statistically associated. Practice of heterosexuality is the most common mode of transmission.