Determinants of HIV Testing Among Tuberculosis Patients on DOTS in East Wollega Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

The main aim of the study was to assess determinants of HIV testing among Tuberculosis patients on DOTS in East Wollega zone, Ethiopia. Institution based case control study was conducted from January – March 2011. Cases were tuberculosis patients who have not accepted HIV testing while the controls were those who have accepted HIV testing. A sample of 270 (90 cases and 180 controls) tuberculosis patients, with a ratio of two controls to one case, was used. Simple random sampling technique was used to recruit study subjects. Tuberculosis patients who was tested for HIV showed, 23(12.8%) of them were HIV positive and 157(87.2%) of them were HIV negative. The proportion of HIV infected individual was  10(13.2%) among males and 13(12.5%) among females. Among 23  patients, 19(16.4%) TB patients from urban and 4(6.2%) patients were from rural area. Tuberculosis patients having low knowledge about HIV and were more likely to reject HIV testing AOR 3.697 (CI 2.135, 6.402)  compared to those who are knowledgeable about HIV. Higher level of stigmatized attitude toward HIV and being from urban were also associated with rejecting HIV testing AOR 3.421(CI 1.870, 6.257) and AOR 5.692(CI 1.930, 16.783) respectively. Efforts to promote HIV testing utilization  require effective strategies to reduce stigmatizing beliefs towards HIV and PLWHA among TB patients. Health information dissemination regarding HIV testing and risky sexual behavior reduction should have to be targeted most at risk population like tuberculosis patients.