Human Immunodeficiency Virus Types 1 and 2: Sero-prevalence and Risk Factors Among a Nigerian Rural Population of Women of Child-bearing Age

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) still continues to ravage the world since its discovery about three decades ago in spite of global intervention efforts. Women are the most infected, majority of which are found in sub-saharan Africa. OBJECTIVE: We set out to determine the sero-prevalence of HIV-1 and HIV-2 and to evaluate risk factors among women of child-bearing age in Obi Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, blood samples were randomly collected by venepuncture from 426 women aged 16-40 years, between February and April 2002; after having obtained ethical clearance, informed consent, structured questionnaires were selfadministered. rLAV EIA (Bio-Rad Laboratories, USA) and vironostika microelisa (Organon Teknika, USA) were both used for initial and confirmatory tests respectively. RESULTS: Overall 48 (11.3 %) were sero-positive for HIV. Of these, 38 (8.9 %) had HIV-1 and 10 (2.3 %) had HIV-2. Those aged 16-20 years had the highest prevalence rate of 13.9 % (38). Subjects who had history of STIs and multiple sex partners were significantly more likely to be infected. CONCLUSION: The high prevalence with a worse situation in the young age brackets underscores the necessity for sustainable intervention initiatives among women with the youth as a special focus. Efforts for vaccine development should take into consideration the reality of HIV-2 in Nigeria.