Abstract
INTRODUCTION:
Early diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) can decrease transmission and significantly affect morbidity and mortality; however, Brazil still confronts the reality of late HIV diagnosis.
METHODS:
Medical records of 284 HIV-positive patients were reviewed in this cross-sectional study.
RESULTS:
Of all patients, 28% were diagnosed in the context of health assessments, whereas 27% were symptomatic at diagnosis. Early HIV infection (Group 1) was diagnosed in 60.2% of participants. They were younger than those with late diagnosis (Group 2) (p = 0.002).
CONCLUSIONS:
These findings highlight the need for strategies to increase HIV testing in asymptomatic individuals and older patients.
Keywords:
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; HIV; Early diagnosis; STI
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