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. 2024 Aug 8;24(1):795.
doi: 10.1186/s12879-024-09698-y.

Prevalence and factors associated with hepatitis B susceptibility among men who sex with men on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in Northeastern Brazil: a cross-sectional study

Hareton Teixeira Vechi  1 , Cláudio Henrique Silva de Freitas  2 , Fernanda de Lira Nunes Paulino  2 , Marina Gabriela Medeiros de Moura  2 , Júlia Gomes Fernandes Costa de Sant'anna  2 , Mônica Baumgardt Bay  3 , Kenio Costa de Lima  4
Affiliations

Prevalence and factors associated with hepatitis B susceptibility among men who sex with men on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in Northeastern Brazil: a cross-sectional study

Hareton Teixeira Vechi et al. BMC Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with susceptibility to hepatitis B virus (HBV) among cisgender men who have sex with men (MSM) on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in Northeastern Brazil.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional, analytical study conducted between September 2021 and June 2023. Participants underwent structured interviews to collect sociodemographic and clinical information, including hepatitis B vaccination history, HIV PrEP use and sexual health history. Blood samples were collected for hepatitis B serologic testing: HBV surface antigen (HBsAg), HBV surface antibody (anti-HBs), total and IgM HBV core antibody (anti-HBc). HBV susceptibility was defined as nonreactive results for all these serological markers.

Results: A total of 287 participants were enrolled into the study. The median age of the individuals was 31 years (interquartile range: 27; 36). HBV susceptibility was found in 58 out 286 individuals (20.3%; 95% CI: 15.9-25.2). Seventy-six percent of the participants reported completing the three-dose hepatitis B vaccine schedule. Susceptibility was significantly associated with a monthly income ≤ 5 minimum wages (PR: 2.02; 95% CI: 1.01-4.05), lack of complete hepatitis B vaccination schedule (PR: 4.52; 95% CI: 2.89-7.06), initiation of HIV PrEP (PR: 2.18; 95% CI: 1.21-3.94), duration of six months of HIV PrEP (PR: 2.16; 95% CI: 1.19-3.91), absence of tattoos (PR: 1.55; 95% CI: 1.00-2.40) and no history of sexually transmitted infections (PR: 1.65; 95% CI: 1.07-2.54).

Conclusion: Our findings highlight the significant burden of HBV susceptibility among MSM on HIV PrEP in Northeastern Brazil. Socioeconomic factors, vaccination status, PrEP use and sexual health behaviors play critical roles in determining susceptibility to HBV. Integrating hepatitis B screening and vaccination into PrEP services is critical for identifying and addressing HBV susceptibility among MSM. Interventions aimed at increasing vaccination coverage and promoting safer sexual practices are essential for mitigating the burden of HBV infection in this population.

Keywords: Hepatitis B; Men who have sex with men; Pre-exposure prophylaxis; Vaccines.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no competing interests as defined by BMC, or other interests that might be perceived to influence the results and/or discussion reported in this paper.

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