Prevalence and risk factors of human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus infection among pregnant women attending antenatal care at a tertiary hospital in Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

Context: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) co-infection in pregnant women has increased potential for Mother-to-Child Transmission risks of both viruses. The reports on the prevalence and risk factors for HIV and HCV co-infection in pregnancy are limited in Nigeria. Aim: The aim of the study is to determine the prevalence and potential risk factors for HIV and HCV infection among pregnant women in Abuja. Study Design: A cross-sectional seroprevalence study carried out on pregnant women attending antenatal clinic of a tertiary hospital in Abuja from July 1 st to October 31 st 2016. Patients were recruited consecutively and counselled for HIV and HCV. Structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic data, and information on potential risk factors for HIV and HCV infections. Blood samples were collected for HIV and HCV screening using rapid test kits following the national testing algorithm. Data generated were analyzed with statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result: 252 pregnant women participated in this study. The mean age of the study population was 31.7 ± 4.9 years. The prevalence of HIV and HCV was 12.3% and 1.2% respectively. The prevalence of HIV/HCV co-infection was 0.8%. The prevalence of HCV among HIV positive cohorts was 6.5%. HIV infection was significantly associated with history of blood transfusion ( P = 0.047), presence of tattoo/scarification marks ( P = 0.009) and multiple sexual partners ( P < 0.0001). HCV infections was not significantly associated with any of the risk factors studied. Conclusion: HIV prevalence is high among the pregnant women. HCV co-infection is common in women who are HIV infected. HIV infection unlike HCV was significantly associated with history of blood transfusion, presence of tattoo/scarification marks and multiple sexual partners.

Magnitudes and Correlates of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis B Virus, and Syphilis among Pregnant Mothers Attending Antenatal Care in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

“…This result is consistent with a study conducted in Kenya (3.8%) [ 34 ], Tanzania (3.9%) [ 35 ], Dawro (3.5%) [ 36 ], and Bahir Dar, Ethiopia (3.8%) [ 37 ]. Conversely, this finding was lower than studies done in Kano, Nigeria (7.9%) [ 33 ], Ghana (9.5%) [ 38 ], Angola (7.5%) [ 31 ], Solomon Islands (13.8%) [ 39 ], Deder (6.9%) [ 40 ], Arbaminch (4.3%) [ 41 ], Dessie (4.7%), Yirgalem (7.2%) [ 42 ], and southern Ethiopia (7.8%) [ 43 ]. However, it is higher than studies reported in Egypt (1.6%) [ 44 ] and Sudan (2.93%) [ 29 ].…”

“…Pregnant women having a husband with a history of multiple sexual partners have 3.42 times more chance to acquire HIV infection compared to their counterparts. Studies conducted in Dessie, Ethiopia [ 21 ], Addis Ababa [ 6 ], Uganda [ 32 ], Cameroon [ 26 ], and Southwest Nigeria [ 33 ] showed that the habit of multiple sexual practices was significantly associated with the acquisition of HIV infection. This may be because husbands of pregnant women have risky sexual behavior that facilitates the acquisition of HIV both for them and for the women.…”

“…According to the current study, women who had history of abortion were 7.65 times more likely to be infected with HBV than women who had never had an abortion. Similarly, research conducted in Nigeria [ 33 ] and Deder [ 40 ] showed that women history of abortion was substantially linked with HBV infection. Participants in the study who had a history of rape were found to be 9.72 times more infected than their peers.…”

Evidence of Hiv/HCV Coinfection Among People Living With Hiv/Aids Attending Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, Nigeria

“…Contrarily, the rate of HIV/HCV coinfection in this study is higher than that of studies done in Ethiopia, which revealed a 1.3% rate (Balew et al, 2014). This 4.0% is also higher than the 0.5% for HIV/HCV coinfection among HIV-infected and HIV-naive children in Lagos (Lawal et al, 2020), the 1.7% in Northcentral, Nigeria (Durowaye et al, 2014), the 1.5% in the USA (Schuval et al, 2004), 1.0% was recorded by Aaron et al (2021) in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, the 0.16% prevalence in the southeast of Nigeria (Ikeako et al (2014), 0.5% in Anyigba (Omatola et al, 2019), 0.7% in the southeast (Diwe et al, 2013), 0.8% in Abuja (Agboghoroma & Ukaire, 2020), 0.8% in Osogbo (Oluremi et al (2021), 0.9% reported by Onyekwere and Hameed (2015) and 2.0% in Ethiopia (Deress et al, 2021).…”

Birth Preparedness Plans and Status Disclosure Among Pregnant Women Living with HIV Who are Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy in Ibadan, Southwest, Nigeria

“…34 However, the prevalence in this current study was approximately one-third compared to what was found in another study in Nigeria, which was 13 years before this current study. 35 The finding implies that the prevalence is decreasing with increasing years in Nigeria. Nonetheless, the identified prevalence in this study was higher and even double the prevalence in another study 36 conducted in Lesotho, despite Lesotho being a country with a high burden of HIV infection among women of reproductive age.…”