The American journal of medicine
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Late diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is detrimental to infected persons and to the public health. The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with late diagnosis of HIV infection, defined as an initial CD4 count <200 cells/microL, in a cohort of recently diagnosed persons. Additionally, we evaluated factors associated with HIV infection being diagnosed during hospitalization. ⋯ Late diagnosis of HIV infection is a considerable problem, particularly for older patients. Inpatient diagnosis of HIV infection is significantly more common among women and older patients. Improved HIV testing strategies may allow for more timely diagnosis of HIV infection, which may benefit both the infected individual and society.