Prevalence and Factors Associated with Viral Suppression of Perinatally Infected Thai Adolescents Living with HIV/AIDS in Lower North-Eastern Region

Abstract

Objective: To explore prevalence of viral suppression and to identifyfactors associated with viral suppression among perinatally infected Thaiadolescents living HIV/AIDS (ALWHs) in Lower North-Eastern Region,Thailand. Methods: A cross-sectional study. Questionnaires and clinicaldata collection form were employed to collect data from perinatally infectedThai ALWHs at immunology clinic of public hospitals in Surin, Buriram andRoiet province from January – April 2014. Data were analyzed withdescriptive statistics and regression analysis. Results: A total of 245perinatally Thai ALWHs from 21 hospital sites were included into study.There were 11, 7 and 3 sites from Surin, Buriram and Roiet province,respectively. The majority of them were female (57.55%), mean age was15-year-old (15.41  2.41), studying at school (76.73%), and not having acaregiver (62.45%). The prevalence of viral suppression was 85.31%.Factors significantly associated with viral suppression were adherence level≥ 95% (OR = 12.73; 95%CI = 5.01 – 32.40), CD4 level more than 600cell/ml. (OR = 11.10; 95%CI = 3.70 – 33.25) and CD4 level 401 - 600cell/ml. (OR = 6.20; 95%CI = 1.92 – 20.00). Conclusions: Viralsuppression was found in 85.31% of perinatally infected Thai ALWHs inLower North-Eastern Region, Thailand. Factors associated with viralsuppression were adherence to ART and CD4 level.Keywords: viral suppression, adolescents, HIV/AIDS, adherence