Risk of HIV Infection among Tuberculosis Patients of Jaintia Tribes, Meghalaya Mitra Arpita1,*, Deb Roumi2 1Research Scholar, Amity Institute of Anthropology, Amity University, Sector-125, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India 2Professor and Addl. Director, Amity Institute of Anthropology, Amity University, Sector-125, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India *Corresponding Author: Ms. Arpita Mitra Research Scholar, Amity Institute of AnthropologyAmity University, Sector-125, Noida, Uttar Pradesh-20130, India, E-mail ID- arpita.arpita.mitra@gmail.com
Online published on 8 March, 2019. Abstract Tuberculosis (TB) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) co-infection is associated with special diagnostic and therapeutic challenges and constitutes an immense burden on healthcare system of heavily infected countries like India. The association of TB with HIV is two-folded, and HIV infection being the most potent risk for a latent TB infection to convert to active disease. Aim of the study is to understand the risk factors associated with HIV infection among the TB patients of Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya. The data was collected from 317 TB patients belonging to the age group 15–50 years from different health centres of Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya. Out of all the TB patients, 39 (12.3%) were infected with HIV. The most important risk factors associated with HIV were found to be religion (p<0.0), marital status (P<0.01), education (p<0.02), occupation (p<0.00), income group (p<0.05). Early detection of TB and HIV co-infection is necessary to facilitate early treatment and ART initiation, thereby strengthening the control of TB and HIV. Top Keywords Tuberculosis, HIV, Co-Infection, Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya. Top |