Human Immunodeficiency Virus among Elderly Medical Patients at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana

Abstract

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has now spread to all parts of the world with rates particularly high in young people (15-49 years) than older people (>50 years). Despite the global attention being paid to the epidemic of infection with HIV, the rates among older people in the sub-Saharan Africa has been a neglected area of study. This cross-sectional study carried out between the months of November, 2012 and January 2014 sought to determine the prevalence of HIV among elderly patients on admission at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and also the correlates of HIV infection among the patients (1,100 patients on admission at the SME and Medical Wards of KBTH). Of the total consenting elderly patients (aged 50 years and above) 60% were females and 40% were males. The patients voluntarily completed a risk-factor questionnaire and provided blood specimen for HIV testing. The data was analyzed using univariate analysis and the median age of the patients was 63 years (range age 50-100 years). HIV sero-prevalence was 4.18% and the main determinants of HIV in the study population were, homosexuality (OR: 47.86; 95% CI: 4.27-537.91), long distance trading (OR 2.28; 95% CI 0.85-6.12), multiple sexual partners (OR: 1.25 95% CI: 0.69-2-28) and chewing tobacco (OR: 1.57; 95% CI 0.69-3.64). The knowledge and awareness of HIV transmission among the study population was also very low. Consistent with the few studies worldwide, these results may suggest high prevalence of HIV infections among the elderly population in Ghana.