Predictors of Late Presentation for HIV/AIDS in West Arsi Zone Public Health Institutions, South Ethiopia: Unmatched Case-Control Study.

Background Late presentation for HIV/AIDS care is defined as individuals newly presenting for HIV/AIDS care with a CD4 count below 350 cells/μl or presenting for care with WHO clinical staging of stage III or IV. Globally, around 21.7 million people living with HIV/AIDS were receiving ART in 2017, with an increase of 2.3 million since 2016. Despite this progress, most people start ART late in their disease progression. Objective This study aims to identify predictors of late presentation for HIV/AIDS among people living with HIV and attending ART clinics in West Arsi Zone public health institutions, South Ethiopia, 2019. Methodology A facility-based unmatched case-control study was conducted among people living with HIV attending ART clinics in West Arsi Zone public health institutions, with a total sample size of 500 (167 cases and 333 controls). The sample size was calculated using Epi info version 7 and participants were selected using the case-based control selection sampling technique. Descriptive statistics were carried out to summarize the data. Bi-variate binary logistic regression analysis was carried for selecting candidate variables for multivariate binary logistic regression. A p-value of <0.05 was taken to declare the presence of a statistical association between outcomes and explanatory variables. Results Rural residence (AOR=7.74 95% CI (3.4-17.6)), being single (AOR=0.18 95% CI (0.06-0.49)) symptom(s) at first HIV diagnosis (AOR=7.69 95% CI (4.09-14.4)), no private house (AOR=5.09 95% CI (2.47-10.45)), fear of losing job (AOR=4.12 95% CI (2.04-8.31)), alcohol consumption (AOR=4.35 95% CI (2.18-8.69), and having chronic medical illness (AOR=5.04 95% CI (2.48-10.24)) were identified as having significant associations with late presentation of HIV/AIDS care. Conclusion Rural residence, fear of losing a job, and chronic medical illness were potential risk factors for late presentation of HIV/AIDS care. Being single is the only protective factor for the late presentation of HIV/AIDS care.