Retention in Care among HIV infected Men who have Sex with Men attending a Community Health Centre, Yaba Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Given the burden of HIV infection among men who have sex with men (MSM), the paucity of research on strategies that could successfully engage and retain them in care is striking. The aim of this study was to assess the retention in care among HIV infected MSM attending a Community Health Centre, Yaba Lagos, Nigeria. Methods: This retrospective study was carried out at Community Health Centre Yaba, Lagos Nigeria. Out of 300 clients in HIV care in the facility, a total number of participants were enrolled into the study. Two approaches were used for data collection. First, the clinical data of 181 participants in HIV care were abstracted from the clinic electronic records from May 2015 and then followed up to June 2016 to assess their retention in care; the second one was pretested interviewer administered semi-structured questionnaire which was used to collect information on the MSM specific factors that either facilitate or act as barriers to their retention in HIV care from the same respondents. Data was analyzed using SPSS 20. Descriptive analysis was used to analyze quantitative variables while chi square was used to measure the association. A p-value<0.05 was considered statistically significant for this study. Result: The mean age of the participants sampled was 25.4. Overall, a total number of 151 (83%) participants were retained in care within 1 year. While distance 50% and full-time job 30% were found as major barriers to retention in care, friendly clinic service 43% was identified as the major facilitators for their retention in HIV care. Conclusion: Majority of the participants were retained in HIV care over time due to robust strategies and policies put in place. Strategies to sustain the retention capacity of MSM in HIV care should be sustained.