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Hepatitis B markers in men seeking human immunodeficiency virus antibody testing in Mexico City
L A Juárez-Figueroa1, F J Uribe-Salas, C J Conde-Glez
1National Institute of Public Health, Avenida Universidad, Morelos, México. lfigueroa@insp3.insp.mx
Objectives:
To estimate the prevalence and associated risk factors of hepatitis B virus (HBV) serologic markers in 1,377 men with high-risk sexual behavior attending a center for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) detection in Mexico City.
Methods:
The study population consisted of all men who were tested for HIV from March to September, 1992. Study participants responded to a standardized questionnaire and provided a blood sample for serology.
Results:
A total of 1.9% of the population were hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers, and there was a significant difference in HBsAg prevalence between HIV-negative (0.8%) and HIV-positive individuals (7.9%). Sexual preference was associated with HBsAg prevalence; only 0.3% of men who had female sexual partners exclusively were HBsAg carriers, compared with 4.8% of men who had male sexual partners exclusively. Prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) was 15.4%. However, men who reported only female partners had a 4.6% prevalence, whereas men who had only male partners had a 30.4% prevalence. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated an association of anti-HBc prevalence with age, marital status, sexual preference, seropositivity for HIV, and antibodies to herpes simplex virus type 2.
Conclusions:
These data demonstrate that coinfection with HBV is common in the HIV-positive men studied. The highest prevalences of HBsAg and anti-HBc were observed among homosexual men. These results highlight the need to intensify safe-sex education campaigns and to promote hepatitis B vaccination especially among this population group.