Assessment of intestinal parasites and associated factors among HIV/AIDS patients on antiretroviral therapy at Bule Hora General Hospital, West Guji, Ethiopia.

Objective: The study aimed to assess the prevalence of intestinal parasites and associated factors among people living with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy at Bule Hora General Hospital, West Guji, Oromia, Ethiopia. Introduction: Parasitic infection of the intestinal tract is a major source of disease in patients with HIV, particularly in the tropics, where diarrhea is a common complaint with variable severity. Method: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May to August 2021 on 179 systematic randomly selected HIV patients. Data on sociodemographics were collected by interviewing the study subjects using a pretested structured questionnaire. Stool specimens were collected from the study subjects and processed and examined by formol-ether concentration techniques. Data were obtained from each individual using data sheets and then entered into SPSS version 20 for analysis. The chi-square test was calculated, and a p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Out of 179 study subjects, 52 (29.1%) were infected with intestinal parasites. The most frequently detected parasites were Conclusion: There was moderate prevalence of intestinal parasites among HIV/AIDS patients; therefore, treating unprotected water before drinking and diagnosis of early parasites for HIV/AIDS patients whose CD4+ T-cell count is less than 200 cells/mm