Incidence of HIV and its associated factors in blood donors from a hemocenter in Medellín, Colombia.

Abstract

IntroductionHuman Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection remains a global public health concern due to its high morbidity and mortality rates, as well as the significant costs associated with treatment and healthcare services.ObjectiveTo determine the incidence of HIV and its associated factors among blood donors in the city of Medellín, Colombia.MethodsA longitudinal study was conducted using secondary data from 23,122 repeat blood donors at a blood bank in Medellín. The cumulative incidence was estimated along with its 95% confidence interval. Pearson's chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and relative risk calculations were used to identify associated factors.ResultsThe HIV incidence was 9.1 per 10,000 donors (95% CI: 5.0-13.2). Subgroups with the highest incidence per 10,000 donors included those recruited through mobile blood drives (12.3), individuals under 40 years of age (12.0), men (11.3), and altruistic donors (10.6).ConclusionA relatively low number of new HIV cases was found among repeat donors. However, the identification of subgroups with higher incidence is critical for developing targeted strategies to ensure the safety of these priority populations and to enhance active epidemiological surveillance systems for HIV in the general population.