Epidemiologic characteristics of AIDS patients with HAART in Nangang district of Harbin city

Objective To describe epidemiologic characteristics of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome(AIDS)patients under highly active anti-retroviral therapy(HAART)in Nangang district of Harbin city,Heilongjiang province,and to provide evidences for effective intervention,surveillance and management on AIDS patients.Methods Data on demographic and clinical information of 490 AIDS patients with HAART in Nangang district of Harbin city were collected from March 18,2006 to September 23,2013 and analyzed with SPSS 17.0.Results The male to female ratio was as high as 14.31:1 among the patients and 77.96%of the patients were at the ages of 21-50 years.Of the patients,404(82.45%)were infected through sexual contact,including 348 homosexuals.There was a significant gender difference in the infection route among the patients(P<0.005).The base level of CD4⁺ count increased from 78/μL in 2006 to 234.59±146.98/μL in 2013,suggesting an obvious improvement in outcome of HAART(P<0.001).Conclusion The number of AIDS patients receiving treatment increased yearly in Nangang district of Harbin city.HAART can effectively enhance the immune function of AIDS patients.The intervention on AIDS related behaviors should be strengthened among the populations with active sexual activity,especially among homosexual population.