Demographic and Clinical Profile of HIV Patients Accessing Care at Art Centre, Palakkad, Kerala

The aim of the work is to assess the socio- demographic and clinical profile of HIV/AIDS patients at antiretroviral therapy (ART) centre. The study was carried out District hospital Palakkad, Kerala, India from January to July 2014. Two hundred and sixty one HIV positive patients coming to ART centre were included in the study. A preformed questionnaire was made which included socio-demographic characteristics like age, sex, literacy status, marital status, occupation and clinical presentation. The male (49.8%) and female (50.1%) patients were almost equal in number. More number of patients was between the age group of 28-37 years constituting about 40.2%. Majority of the population was married (63.6%) and of their family members were infected (48.2%). The literacy level of most of the patients were only up to secondary school(47.1%).The most predominant route of transmission was heterosexual (81.2%). Most of the affected population was from the reproductive age group i.e., 28- 47 years which increases the economic burden and affects the overall development of the family, community and country. The education status and lack awareness about the disease is also associated with the spread of HIV infection, so health education regarding the prevention of HIV can be given with the help of video, charts and posters. Timely initiation and continuous antiretroviral therapy helps to prolong the survival, prevent opportunistic infections and also prevent the transmission of disease.