Department of Midwifery, Dilla University College of Health and Medical Science, Dilla, Ethiopia.
Yirgachefe Primary Hospital, Yirgachefe, Gedeo Zone, Southern Ethiopia.
Inquiry. 2024 Jan-Dec;61:469580241271185. doi: 10.1177/00469580241271185.
Index case Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) testing is a voluntary procedure wherein service providers request index clients to enumerate all sexual partners, including biological children, before proceeding with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) testing. This approach has demonstrated efficacy as a case-finding strategy aimed at curbing future transmission. Through index testing, we can pinpoint partners and children with undiagnosed infections, thereby facilitating early identification of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) -positive children who are currently healthy. The study aimed to assess the acceptance of index-case Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) testing and its associated factors among anti-retroviral therapy (ART) patients in public health facilities within the Gedeo zone, southern Ethiopia. The study employed a cross-sectional design with a document review. It involved 396 anti-retroviral therapy (ART) patients and utilized a pretested checklist to extract data from clients' medical records. A simple random sampling technique was used to select anti-retroviral therapy (ART) facilities in the Gedeo zone. Data collection was done from anti-retroviral therapy (ART) patient documents by ODK-Kobo Collect form and data analysis was conducted using statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 25, with bivariate and multivariate analyses performed to identify associations between index case testing and associated factors. A significance level of ≤ .05 was adopted. The findings were presented in textual format, tables, and graphs, providing a comprehensive overview of the results. The magnitude of the acceptance of the index case testing among anti-retroviral therapy (ART) patients was 240 (60.6% [95% CI: 56%-65%]). Concerning the adherence status of the index case, 156 (39.4%) and 54 (13.6%) had good and poor adherence, respectively. Duration on ART (AOR = 2.30 [95% CI: 1.86, 6.12]), HIV disclosure (AOR = 36.19 [95% CI: 7.26, 180.44]), and good ART adherence status (AOR = 14.52 [95% CI: 2.10, 100.2]) are found to be factors significantly associated with acceptance of index case testing. The study findings indicated that the overall acceptance rate of index case testing was 60%, which falls short of the national benchmark minimum acceptance rate of 95%. Factors significantly linked to the acceptance of index case testing included the duration of ART usage, disclosure of HIV status, and adherence to ART medication. To improve the magnitude of the index case testing, the government and other NGOs working in these areas should work on health education, awareness creation, and improvement of treatment adherence. Ensure the sustainability of ICT services in ART facilities and the provision of quality HIV index case testing services.
索引病例人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）检测是一项自愿程序，服务提供者在此程序中要求索引客户在进行 HIV 检测之前，列举所有性伴侣，包括亲生子女。该方法已被证明是一种有效的病例发现策略，旨在遏制未来的传播。通过索引检测，我们可以发现未确诊感染的伴侣和儿童，从而尽早发现目前健康的 HIV 阳性儿童。本研究旨在评估在埃塞俄比亚南部 Gedeo 地区公共卫生设施中接受抗逆转录病毒治疗（ART）的患者对索引病例 HIV 检测的接受程度及其相关因素。该研究采用了横断面设计和文件审查。研究对象为 396 名接受抗逆转录病毒治疗（ART）的患者，使用预先测试的检查表从患者病历中提取数据。采用简单随机抽样技术选择 Gedeo 地区的抗逆转录病毒治疗（ART）设施。通过 ODK-Kobo 收集表单从抗逆转录病毒治疗（ART）患者的文件中收集数据，并使用社会科学统计软件包（SPSS）版本 25 进行数据分析，采用双变量和多变量分析来确定索引病例检测与相关因素之间的关联。采用≤.05 的显著性水平。研究结果以文本格式、表格和图表呈现，全面概述了结果。接受抗逆转录病毒治疗（ART）患者索引病例检测的比例为 240 例（60.6%[95%CI：56%-65%]）。关于索引病例的依从性状况，156 例（39.4%）和 54 例（13.6%）的依从性良好和较差。抗逆转录病毒治疗（ART）持续时间（AOR=2.30[95%CI：1.86,6.12]）、HIV 披露（AOR=36.19[95%CI：7.26,180.44]）和良好的抗逆转录病毒治疗（ART）依从性状态（AOR=14.52[95%CI：2.10,100.2]）被发现是与接受索引病例检测显著相关的因素。研究结果表明，索引病例检测的总体接受率为 60%，低于全国最低接受率 95%的基准。与接受索引病例检测显著相关的因素包括使用抗逆转录病毒治疗的时间、HIV 状况的披露以及对 ART 药物的依从性。为了提高索引病例检测的比例，政府和其他在这些领域工作的非政府组织应开展健康教育、提高认识和改善治疗依从性。确保在 ART 设施中提供可持续的信息通信技术服务和高质量的 HIV 索引病例检测服务。
