Demographic and socioeconomic profile of HIV/AIDS patients: Study from a rural tertiary center of West Bengal, India

Introduction: HIV/AIDS is a spectrum of disorders ranging from primary infection to the advanced disease, characterized by opportunistic infection and neoplasms. It is a chronic disease, which is prevalent in a significant number of population throughout the world and as well as in India. Approximately 10% of total people living with HIV/AIDS of India live in the state of West Bengal both in rural and urban area. This study was done to see the difference in socioeconomic status and demographic variation in the HIV patients, who were enlisted for the treatment in the antiretroviral treatment (ART) center of Murshidabad district of West Bengal. Methods: It was a cross-sectional and observational study conducted in the ART center of Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital from October 2014 to January 2017. The enlisted HIV/AIDS patients of ART center of Murshidabad district were included in this study after obtaining written consent from each patient. The data were analyzed by Microsoft Excel format. Results and Conclusion: A total of 822 HIV/AIDS patients were included in this ART center-based survey. The results showed that the incidence of HIV infection varies with the age, sex, literacy, occupation, and socioeconomic status. The incidence of infection was more in the sexually active male, illiterate, unemployed, and low socioeconomic status due to the lack of proper knowledge, abnormal behavioral pattern, and migration to distant places for employment.