Abstract

The increase in the spread of sexually transmitted infections among pregnant women is a public health concern, even as it puts the mother and foetus at high risk. The study aimed to determine the sero-prevalence of syphilis, hepatitis B, and C among pregnant women visiting antenatal clinics and the Okrika General Hospital facility. A cross-sectional and convenience sample research design was explored to recruit a total of 119 subjects. Their blood samples were aseptically obtained with a 5 ml sterile needle and syringe after oral and written consent was obtained from the subjects, even as their demographic data were obtained using structured questionnaire. Using rapid test kits, the collected blood samples were tested in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and the results were analysed statistically using SPSS, version 23. The study recorded no co-infection, but a prevalence of 9.2% and 8.4% were observed for hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Based on maternal age, it was recorded that the age bracket with the highest HBsAg prevalence was between 15 and 25 years, with a 5.0% prevalence rate. It was followed by the age bracket 26-35 years with a prevalence rate of 2.5%. The gestational age with the highest prevalence rate was second trimester with 6 (5.0%). In terms of parity, the highest prevalence was found among women who had two children with a percentage of 4.2%, followed by women with three children (3.4%) There is need for public awareness and continuous monitoring should be underpinned in our communities to reduce the trend.

Keywords

pregnancy, HIV, syphilis, hepatitis, risk factor, sero-prevalence - dynamics