Background. The World Health Organization currently encourages enhanced adherence counseling for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositive people with a high viral load count before a treatment switch to the second-line regimen, yet little is known about viral load suppression after the outcome of enhanced adherence counseling. Therefore, this study aimed to assess viral suppression after enhanced adherence counseling sessions and its predictors among high viral load HIV seropositive people. Methods. Institutional-based retrospective cohort study was conducted among 235 randomly selected HIV seropositive people who were on ART and had a high viral load (>1000 copies/ml) from June 2016 to January 2019. The proportion of viral load suppression after enhanced adherence counseling was determined. Time to completion of counseling sessions and time to second viral load tests were estimated by the Kaplan–Meier curve. Log binomial regression was used to identify predictors of viral re-suppression after enhanced adherence counseling sessions. Result. The overall viral load suppression after enhanced adherence counseling was 66.4% (60.0–72.4). The median time to start adherence counseling session after high viral load detected date was 8 weeks (IQR 4–8 weeks), and the median time to complete the counseling session was 13 weeks (IQR 8–25 weeks). The probability of viral load suppression was higher among females (ARR = 1.2, 95% CI: 1.02–1.19) and higher educational status (ARR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.25–2.16). The probability of viral load suppression was lower among people who had 36–59 months duration on ART (ARR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.130–0.9491) and people who had > 10,000 baseline viral load count (ARR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.28–0.71). Conclusion. This study showed that viral suppression after enhanced adherence counseling was near to the WHO target (70%) but highlights gaps in time to enrolment into counseling session, timely completion of counseling session, and repeat viral load testing after completing the session.

Background: Adequate knowledge and safe practice of infection prevention among healthcare providers are vital to prevent nosocomial infections. Thus, this study aimed to assess the level of knowledge and practices of healthcare providers towards infection prevention and its associated factors in the health facilities of Wogdie District, Northern Ethiopia. Methods: Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted among 171 healthcare providers who were selected by a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using interviewer-administered questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with knowledge and practice of infection prevention. Result: About 70.8 and 55.0% of healthcare providers had adequate knowledge and safe practice of infection prevention respectively. Having infection prevention guideline (AOR = 3.65, 95% CI; 1.26, 10.54), taking infection prevention training (AOR = 2.2, 95% CI; 1.01, 4.75), having five years or more work experience (AOR = 1.52: 95%CI; 1.13, 4.51), and working in maternity unit (AOR = 1.67:95%CI; 1.38-5.23) were positively associated with adequate knowledge of infection prevention. The odds of safe practice were higher in participants who received infection prevention training (AOR: 2.4; 95% CI; 1.01, 4.75) but lower among healthcare providers who are working in the facility which has no continuous water supply (AOR = 0.48:95% CI; 0.21, 0.83). Conclusion: A significant proportion of healthcare providers had inadequate knowledge and unsafe practice of infection prevention. To improve healthcare worker's knowledge of infection prevention, adequate preservice as well as on job training should be given.

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Background In Ethiopia, HIV/AIDS continues to be a major public health problem mostly due to the high prevalence of risky sexual behaviors. However, research on risky sexual behavior and its determinants among unmarried men (never married, widowed, and divorced) who are highly vulnerable to risky sexual behavior was limited. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the magnitude of risky sexual behavior and its determinants among non-married men using a nationally representative sample. Methods The analysis was done on 5680 sexually active unmarried men aged 15–59 years using data from the 2016 Ethiopia Demographic Health Survey (EDHS). The main outcome variable was risky sexual behavior which defined as having at least one of the following: multiple sexual partners; initiation of sex before the age of 18 years; inconsistent condom use in the last 12 months; alcohol consumption at last sex. Multivariable generalized linear mixed-effects regression was employed to identify variables associated with risky sexual behavior. Result The overall magnitude of risky sexual behavior was 26.9% (95% CI; 25.7, 28.0). Currently employed (AOR = 2.49, 95% CI = 1.64–3.77), history of HIV testing (AOR = 2.51, 95% C = 1.95–3.23), drinking alcohol almost every day (AOR = 5.49, 95 CI = 2.73–11.02), and using Internet daily (AOR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.06–3.74) increase the odds of risky sexual behavior. Whereas, primary education (AOR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.32–0.61), secondary education level (AOR = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.29–0.72) and a high proportion of community-level media exposure (AOR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.12–0.75) decrease the odds of risky sexual behavior. Conclusion In general, a significant proportion of sexually active unmarried men in Ethiopia have practiced risky sexual behavior. An intervention should be designed which are against the factors found to increase the odds of risky sexual behavior to reduce the incidence of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

Background HIV testing is the critical first step in identifying and linking HIV infected people to the treatment cascade and it also provides an important opportunity to reinforce HIV prevention among the negatives. The aim of this study was examine factors associated with HIV testing among youth women. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study design was used and a nationally representative secondary data analysis was done on the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey(EDHS). A total of 6401 youth women were eligible in the study. The data were analyzed by SPSS version 20. Frequencies and weighted percentage of the variables were calculated. Chi-square tests and logistic regression models were used to assess predictors of HIV testing. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to control confounders and to identify the independent contribution of each variable to the outcome variable. Result A total of 6401 youth women aged 15 to 24 years of age were included. Only 37.7% (95% CI:(33.6-39.1%)) of participants were ever tested for HIV in their life. In the final multivariable model age, marital status, level of educational, media access, number of sexual partner, STIs in Past 12 months and comprehensive knowledge to HIV, were significantly associated with ever been tested for HIV. Youth women who were in the age group between 20 to 24 (AOR=2.18; 95CI:(1.800-2.652), who were married (AOR=4.70; 95% CI:(3.674-6.008)), were divorced (AOR=6.16; 95% CI (3.976-9.541)), who had no access to media (AOR = 0.69; 95 CI %: (0.540-0.870)), who had no comprehensive HIV knowledge (AOR = 0.68; 65% CI: (0.530-0.861)) and having one or more sexual partners (AOR=2.48; 95% CI:(1.350-4.551)) were significantly associated with ever been tested for HIV.