title: Trends in HIV prevalence from 2008 to 2012 among young adults in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The pandemic of HIV lines amongst the utmost infectious disease menaces in antiquity. HIV remains a problem worldwide and it's a grave health snags in developing nations particularly in Nigeria.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study focused on "trends in HIV reporting from 2008 to 2012 among young adults in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Secondary data were collected from BMSH, Port Harcourt using a Performa specifically intended for this determination. Socio-demographic data for the subjects were recovered from coded patients' medical records kept at BMSH. The data generated was exposed to Fisher's Exact Test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study showed that a total of 3081 HIV-positive cases were reported between 2008 and 2012. The HIV trend were not well defined, it peaked in 2009(36.6%) and 2008(32.8%) and a decrease in 2011(16.6%), 2012(8.3%) and 2010(5.7%). A 3.8% increase was observed between 2008 and 2009 and 30.9% decrease between 2009 and 2010. However, the prevalence seemed to stabilize between 2009 and 2012. HIV patterns among various age-groups is not well-defined, it rose with increasing age and peaked at 26-30 years (35.7%) after which it declined. Sex differences (P<0.05) in the trend was observed. Males ages 26-30 years showed uniform pattern with an increasing trend while 36-40 years showed decreasing trend except in 2009(34.1%). Females ages 26-30 years showed uniform pattern with an increasing trend from 2008(21.7%) to 2010(41.9%) and decreased from 41.9% (2010) to 36.5%(2012). The low HIV prevalence in 2010 could be attributed to the fact that the proportion of centers giving ART enlarged from 2005 to date. Health care facilities providing HIV/AIDS counselling and testing services also increased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The long decades fight against HIV especially in Rivers State is making progress, though an unstable one. The observed increase in years with high HIV prevalences calls for an intensified focus of intervention.
authors.affiliation: Medical Microbiology Unit, Department of Microbiology, University of Port Harcourt, P.M.B. 5323, Choba, East-West Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, 500102, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Iheanyi Omezuruike
authors.initials: IO
authors.lastname: Okonko
authors.affiliation: Medical Microbiology Unit, Department of Microbiology, University of Port Harcourt, P.M.B. 5323, Choba, East-West Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, 500102, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Lasbry Chidi
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Nnodim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: AIDS; Anti-retroviral therapy (ART); HIV; Health facilities; Prevalence Trends