ResultsThe overall prevalence of HIV infection was (3.7%). The prevalence of HIV was marginally higher in women (3.94%) than in men (3.15%) and in urban dwellers (3.8%) than in rural ones (3.1%). Participants who were divorced or widowed had significantly higher odds of HIV infection than those who were single after controlling for potential confounders (COR = 4.62% and COR = 4.43%, respectively). The odds of being HIV-positive were 10.57 times higher for participants who reported having three or more lifetime sexual partners than for those who reported having no lifetime sexual partners (COR = 10.57%). The majority of respondents (94.5%) showed a good understanding of HIV/AIDS, and 63.3% had positive attitudes. Nonetheless, poor HIV preventive practices were reported by more than half of the participants (56.5%).ConclusionThis study demonstrated a notable prevalence of HIV infection in the study area, with significant associations observed with socio-demographic and behavioral factors. Although knowledge and attitudes toward HIV/AIDS were generally high, unsafe practices remained common. These findings highlight the need for strengthened, community-based HIV prevention, care, and support programs that focus on translating knowledge into safer practices, particularly among high-risk and vulnerable populations.
Gorfu et al. (Thu,) studied this question.