Background:

India has the third largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS.Heterosexual contact is the predominant mode of transmission and main risk factor of HIV.

Objective:To assess the socio–demographiccharacteristics and risk factors of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIVs) attending ART plus centre.

Material and methods: The study was carried among 250 newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS positive persons attending the ART plus centre of Hamidia hospital Bhopal India. All the patientsin the age range of 18–65 years, were willing to participate were included in the study. The study was conducted from April 2017 to March 2018 and the socio–demographic parameters and associated risk factors of the HIV/ AIDS disease were studied.

Results:In the study population (18 years to 65 years), 69.2% were males and 30.0% were females and 0.8%were transgender. Majority of the patient (91.6%) were in age group of (18 to 50 years). Most common occupation found among males were laborers while most of females were house wives 24.0% and 23.2% respectively. Majority of patients belonged to class IV (39.6%) and class III (30.4%) of socioeconomic status. The commonest associatedsystemic disease was tuberculosis found in 14% of the patients. Unprotected sexual route was the most common (73.6%) mode of transmission; and of them heterosexual route was found to be the commonest (71.6%).

Conclusion:Majority of patients in the study belong to low socioeconomic class. Amongst the young and productive age group the heterosexual contact was the commonest mode of HIV/AIDStransmission.