Why was this study done?
TB
TUBERCULOSIS (TB)
HIV treatment guidelines worldwide recommend that antiretroviral therapy (ART) be initiated immediately or as soon as possible after HIV diagnosis, to improve linkage to care and treatment uptake.A substantial proportion of patients present with symptoms of tuberculosis (TB) at HIV diagnosis. TB testing is ideally conducted prior to ART initiation in symptomatic patients.The optimal timing of ART initiation for this patient population is unknown. From the health center perspective, a short delay in ART initiation facilitates TB testing. However, this strategy may result in extra visits for patients, which may result in loss to follow-up (LTFU).