Epidemiological situation of HIV infection in the Ryazan region

the article is devoted to a comprehensive assessment of the epidemiological situation of HIV infection in the Ryazan region in 2020-2024, with an emphasis on analyzing the dynamics of incidence, the structure of transmission routes, and baseline laboratory parameters in newly diagnosed patients. The aim of the study was to identify key trends of the regional epidemic and factors associated with late diagnosis of HIV infection, in order to substantiate priority areas for prevention and to improve clinical and laboratory diagnostics. It was found that, despite some decrease in incidence and the absence of a pronounced linear trend, there is a steady increase in HIV prevalence in the population due to the accumulation of patients on the background of effective antiretroviral therapy. A shift of the dominant transmission route from parenteral to heterosexual was identified, accompanied by a decrease in the proportion of injection-related transmission and a slight increase in homosexual transmission, with persistence of a minimal proportion of vertical transmission and a low proportion of cases with an undetermined route of infection. The “ageing” and feminization of the epidemic were demonstrated: the main burden falls on the 30-49-year age groups, with a substantial proportion of patients over 50 years of age and a male-to-female ratio of 1.21:1. The most unfavorable finding is a statistically significant decrease in the mean CD4+ level and an increase in the proportion of patients with immunodeficiency at the time of diagnosis to more than half of all new cases, as well as a trend toward higher viral load.

HIV infection, epidemiological situation, late diagnosis, laboratory monitoring, Ryazan region