Prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection and associated risk factors among adult females infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Ogun State, Nigeria

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, and is frequently observed in individuals co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Objective: This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of serological markers for hepatitis B virus and identify the associated risk factors among women with HIV undergoing highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in Ogun State, Nigeria. Methods: Ethical approval was obtained from the Babcock University Health Research Ethics Committee (BUHREC) to recruit a total of 110 adult women infected with HIV, receiving treatment at the HIV clinics of Babcock University Teaching Hospital (BUTH) in Ilishan-Remo and General Hospital in Ijebu-Ode, both located in Ogun State, Nigeria. The participants’ HIV status were confirmed using three rapid diagnostic kits: Determine (Abbott Laboratories, Tokyo, Japan), Unigold HIV (Trinity Biotech Plc Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland), and 1/2 Stat Pak (Abbott Laboratories, Tokyo, Japan) (Chembio Diagnostic Systems, New York, USA). Additionally, an HBV 5 in 1 Panel manufactured by Innovation Biotechnology Co., Ltd in Beijing, China, was employed to detect HBV markers qualitatively in serum samples. Results: Out of the 110 subjects that voluntarily participated in the study, 4 (3.6%) tested positive for HBsAg, 2 (1.8%) tested positive for HBsAb, 81 (73.6%) tested positive for HBeAg, 3 (2.7%) tested positive for HBeAb, and 65 (59.1%) tested positive for HBcAb. There was no significant correlation between the occurrence of HBsAg and the socio-demographic characteristics of the participants ( P > 0.05). Various risk factors were identified, including lack of knowledge about HBV, absence of HBV vaccination history, history of blood transfusion, organ transplant, and engaging in unprotected sex, among others. Conclusion: The findings highlight the presence of HBV infection among HIV-positive women undergoing HAART in Ogun State, Nigeria, particularly within the age groups of 18–25 years and 26–30 years. These results emphasize the necessity for continuous and targeted public health interventions among this specific population.