Prevalence of HBs Antigen carriage in a population of recruits of the National Gendarmerie of Ivory Coast

Antigen HBs carriage is a major Health problem due to such severe complications as cirrhosis and liver cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Antigen HBs carriage within the recruits of the Ivorian Gendarmerie. It was a prospective cross-sectional study conducted from April 7, to September 12, 2010 at the Military Hospital of Abidjan. We included 891 male recruits whose mean age was 22.5 years [1826 years]. The prevalence of AgHBs carriage in this population of recruits was 15.6%. The prevalence of AgHBs carriage was higher in recruits aged 18 (24%), in married ones (33.3%), in those who had more than three sexual partners during the last 6 months preceding the survey (19.4%). This prevalence of AgHBs carriage was also high in recruits who had never used condom (20.6%) and those who had received blood transfusion (27%).The prevalence of HBs Ag carriage was high in the recruits of the Ivorian gendarmerie in 2010 notably in younger ones, those who had received blood transfusion and those with risky sexual behaviors.