Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Mar 23;10(3):e0121452.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121452. eCollection 2015.

Incidence of HIV and the prevalence of HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis among youths in Maputo, Mozambique: a cohort study

Affiliations

Incidence of HIV and the prevalence of HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis among youths in Maputo, Mozambique: a cohort study

Edna Omar Viegas et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Background: Prevalence of HIV in Mozambique among individuals aged 15-49 years is 11.5%. The HIV prevalence is higher in women than in men across the country, peaking at ages 25-29 years and 35-39 years, respectively. In this study, we aimed at determining the prevalence and incidence of HIV, prevalence of Hepatitis B (HBV), and prevalence of syphilis in youths. We also characterized a cohort of youths for future participation in phase I/II HIV vaccine trials.

Methods: The study was conducted at a youth clinic in Maputo Central Hospital from August 2009 to October 2011. Youths of both genders aged 18-24 years (n = 1380) were screened for HIV using a sequential algorithm of two immunochromatographic assays, HBV using an enzyme linked immunosorbant test, and syphilis using a treponemal immunochromatographic strip test. The HIV seronegative participants (n = 1309) were followed-up for 12 months with quarterly study visits. The clinical and behavioral data were collected using structured questionnaires. The HIV seroconversions were confirmed by a molecular assay.

Results: The study population was female dominant (76.8%). All participants had a formal education, with 44.6% studying for technical or higher education degrees. The mean age at sexual debut was 16.6 years (SD: ± 1.74), with 85.6% reporting more than one sexual partner in life. The screening showed the prevalence of HIV, HBV, and syphilis at 5.1% (95% CI: 3.97-6.31), 12.2% (95% CI 10.5%-14.0%), and 0.36% (95% CI 0.15%-0.84%), respectively. The HIV incidence rate was found to be 1.14/100 person years (95% CI: 0.67-1.92). Retention rates were stable throughout the study being 85.1% at the last visit.

Conclusion: Incidence of HIV in this cohort of youths in Maputo was relatively low. Also, the prevalence of HIV and syphilis was lower than the national values in this age group. However, the HBV prevalence was higher than in previous reports in the country.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Flow of participants during the study.
M, Month.

References

    1. UNAIDS JUNPoHA. Global report: UNAIDS report on the global AIDS epidemic 2013. Switzerland. 2013; p2–7.
    1. UNAIDS. AIDSinfo Epidemiological Status. 2014. Available: http://www.unaids.org/en/dataanalysis/datatools/aidsinfo/content/25/08/2014.
    1. Instituto Nacional de Saúde (INS) INdEsI, ICF Macro. Inquérito Nacional de Prevalência, Riscos Comportamentais e Informação sobre o HIV e SIDA em Moçambique 2009. Maputo, Mozambique. 2010;p151–181.
    1. UNAIDS. Core Epidemiology Slides. Available: http://www.unaids.org/en/media/unaids/contentassets/documents/epidemiolo....
    1. Carpenter LM, Kamali A, Payne M, Kiwuuwa S, Kintu P, Nakiyingi J, et al. Independent effects of reported sexually transmitted infections and sexual behavior on HIV-1 prevalence among adult women, men, and teenagers in rural Uganda. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2002;29: 174–180. - PubMed

Publication types