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Background People with HIV (PWH) commonly have elevated cholesterol and triglycerides levels that have been linked to medications. However, healthy behaviors including lifestyle changes can lower high cholesterol (CHOL) or high triglycerides (TG), thereby reducing individual risk for cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with high CHOL or TG among PWH in Texas. Methods Cross-sectional data of 981 PWH from the 2015–2017 Texas and Houston Medical Monitoring Projects were examined. High CHOL or TG was identified by medical chart diagnosis, CHOL or TG medication use, or most recent fasting lab ≥ 200 mg/dl (total CHOL) or ≥ 150 mg/dl (TG). High CHOL or TG associations with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were assessed using Rao-Scott chi-square tests. Prevalence of high CHOL or TG development was calculated using multivariable logistic regression model. Results High CHOL or TG prevalence was 41% with participants being mostly male (73%), ≥ 40 years (68%), with overweight (31%) or obesity (28%), and virally suppressed (62%). Compared with PWH Conclusion Since high CHOL and TG are modifiable CVD risk factors, increased education and lifestyle modification interventions are warranted to prevent the development of high CHOL or TG among PWH.

This study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) among people living with HIV (PLWH). Cross-sectional data of 989 PLWH in Texas obtained from the 2015-2017 Texas and Houston Medical Monitoring Project were examined. T2DM was identified by formal medical chart diagnosis, insulin/oral hypoglycemic prescriptions, or most recent fasting blood glucose ≥126 mg/dL. T2DM adjusted prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using multiple logistic regression. Participants were mostly male (72%), ≥40 years (68%), overweight (31%) or obese (28%) and virally suppressed (62%). T2DM prevalence was 15% with variations by age, body mass index, education and health insurance (

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) remain an urgent public health priority in the United States. CRE poses a major threat to patients in healthcare and a potential risk to the community. This study examined the epidemiological trends, clinical, and microbiological data of CRE in the Greater Houston region of Texas.A multi-institutional retrospective observational study was conducted using surveillance data collected from 2015 to 2020. Predictors of incidence rates of CRE were determined by a negative binomial regression fit using a generalized estimation equation.Over a 6-year period, 4236 CRE cases were reported, of which Klebsiella pneumoniae accounted for 84.8%. The results show a steady increase in CRE cases, with a sharp rise since 2018. The majority of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales were Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing (77.2%), followed by other rare carbapenemases, which includes OXA-48, NDM, IMP, VIM, coproduction of KPC with OXA-48, KPC with NDM, and NDM with OXA-48. Acute care hospitals (ACH) accounted for 68.5% of the source of CRE cases. The incidence rate of CRE cases reported from ACH and long-term acute care (LTAC) facilities was 1.16 times that of long-term care facilities (adjusted rate ratio [ARR] = 1.16, 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.04-1.30). The incidence rate of CRE among patients with indwelling devices was 15% (ARR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.79-0.92) lower than that of patients without indwelling devices.The rise in the rate of CRE cases despite aggressive infection prevention and control strategies in the region is alarming. Evaluating and improving the current infection control strategies may be warranted.

This study describes preventive care behaviors and explores opportunities to deliver preventive sexual healthcare to a high-risk vulnerable population. Data from the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) system high-risk heterosexuals (HET) cycle (2019) in Houston, Texas, was used to describe preventive care utilization and assess the relationship between healthcare utilization and sociodemographic characteristics. More than 47% reported having no usual source of healthcare, and 94.6% reported receiving no non-HIV STI testing in the past 12 months. Additionally, many sociodemographic factors were associated with healthcare utilization and having a usual source of healthcare. Future efforts should be targeted at increasing preventive healthcare utilization among high-risk vulnerable populations as well as implementing more preventive sexual healthcare services in the community health centers where these populations most frequently encounter healthcare.

OBJECTIVES To compare the racial/ethnic differences in treatment quality among youth with primary care provider-initiated versus mental health specialist-initiated care for major depressive disorders (MDD). METHODS A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the 2005-2007 Medicaid claims data from Texas. Youth aged 10-20 during the study period were identified if they had two consecutive MDD diagnoses and received either medications for MDD or psychotherapy. Patients who received ≥84 days of medications and/or ≥4 sessions of psychotherapy for MDD treatment during 4 months of follow-up were considered meeting the minimum adequacy of treatment. RESULTS The generalized linear multilevel model (MLM) analysis revealed that both Hispanics and Blacks were approximately 30% less likely to receive adequate treatment (Hispanics - OR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.6-0.8) (Blacks - OR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.6-0.8) and Hispanic children were 50% more likely to undergo MH-related hospitalization (OR: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.1-2.2) compared to their White counterparts. The odds of meeting the minimum MDD treatment adequacy were comparable between pediatric MDD cases first identified by primary care providers (PCP-I) and psychiatrists (PSY-I) (PCP-I vs. PSY-I: OR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.8-1.2), and slightly lower in those first identified by social workers/psychologists (SWP-I) as compared to PSY-I (SWP-I vs. PSY-I: OR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.7-0.9). In all models, the interaction between race/ethnicity and type of provider who initiated MDD care was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Minority youths received less adequate MDD treatment compared to Whites. Hispanic children had the highest risk of having mental health-related hospitalization. The specialty of provider who initiated MDD care had limited impact on treatment quality and was not associated with the racial/ethnic variations in treatment completion and mental health-related hospitalizations.

Introduction:government measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be effective without widespread compliance by the public. A greater understanding of citizens' perceptions of these measures can help government agencies adapt their strategies to boost compliance. We examined citizens' perceptions of government's measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and its implications on compliance using data from Onitsha city, Anambra State Nigeria. Methods:data was obtained through in-person interviews of 140 consenting adults in March 2020. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to summarize the data. Results:most participants (84.7%) doubted government's ability to manage the COVID-19 outbreak, raising concerns about ineffective governance (25.7%) and inadequate health facilities (20.7%). However, participants expressed a favorable perception of school closures (92.3%) and a ban on large gatherings (83.9%), driven mostly by the need to contain the COVID-19 and avoid its spread. But, they were generally indifferent about the closure of the markets and workplaces due to concerns for food insecurity and lack of government's relief programs. Participants who had a positive perception of the ban on large gatherings were more likely to have high knowledge and to adopt good COVID-19 preventive practices. Conclusion:the study showed a lack of public's confidence in the government's ability to manage the pandemic. This provides an opportunity for the city government and the public to reflect on the existing relationships, build mutual trust, and devise collaborative engagement that will boost compliance and help contain the devastating impact of COVID-19 pandemic.

Polypharmacy, the concomitant use of 5 or more medications, is highly prevalent among older adults and individuals with multimorbid conditions and has been linked to suboptimal clinical outcomes in various diseases. However, little is known about the impact of polypharmacy on clinical outcomes among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.This systematic review summarizes the available literature on the association between polypharmacy and specific drug classes, and clinical outcomes among COVID-19 patients.We conducted an electronic database search on Embase, Medline, Cochrane, Scopus, Google Scholar, clinicaltrials.gov, LITCOVID, PubMed, PubMed Central (PMC), and China national knowledge infrastructure for studies on Polypharmacy among COVID-19 patients using relevant combinations of the keywords. Only studies published between November 2019 to September 2020 were included. Seven articles out of 1502 unique articles met the inclusion criteria and were used for the current study. We adopted the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline in conducting and reporting this systematic review.The total sample size of all studies was 474,342, out of which 10,519 patients were COVID-19 positive, and 4818 COVID-19 positive patients experienced polypharmacy. Five out of the 7 included studies found associations between polypharmacy and negative clinical outcomes among COVID-19 patients. Polypharmacy was associated with increase in the relative risk of a positive COVID-19 test result (P0.01), death among male COVID-19 patients (P0.001), increase in the rate of acute kidney injury (P = 0.003), and adverse drug reactions (P0.001). Antipsychotic drugs were associated with severe COVID-19 morbidity (OR = 2.79; 95% CI 2.23-3.49) and increased risk of death among COVID-19 infected men (OR = 1.71; 95% CI 1.18-2.48) and women (OR = 1.96; 95% CI 1.41-2.73).Polypharmacy and selected drug classes are associated with increased risk of adverse clinical outcomes among COVID-19 patients. Understanding these relationships can enhance risk stratification and evidence-based decision-making that may improve care and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 patients.

HIV medical care providers need a wide range of evidence-based clinical information resources to manage their patients’ health. We determined whether providers’ choice of information sources for HIV care and treatment are associated with their demographic and medical practice characteristics. Data used for this study were obtained from a probability sample of HIV medical care providers in 13 outpatient HIV facilities in Houston/Harris County, Texas, surveyed between June and September 2009. The mean number of information sources used by HIV medical care providers for HIV care and treatment was 5.83 (95% confidence interval: 4.90–6.75). Antiretroviral therapy guidelines (95.6%), medical journals and textbooks (82.6%), and Internet sources (69.5%) were ranked first, second, and third as sources of clinical information. At least one of the providers’ demographic or medical practice characteristics was significantly ( p ⩽ 0.05) associated with six of the clinical information sources. Integration of these information resources into clinicians’ workflow may enhance efficiency of HIV care and treatment and facilitate improved patients’ care and health outcomes.

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) pharmacotherapy on the risk of substance use within each ADHD subtype.The study used data from the National Comorbidity Survey-Adolescent supplement, a nationally representative sample of US adolescents (ages 13-18) collected from 6,483 adolescent-parent interviews conducted between 2001 and 2004. ADHD was categorized into three subtypes: ADHD-predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type (ADHD-H); ADHD-predominantly inattentive type (ADHD-I); and ADHD-combined type (ADHD-C) using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV criteria. Substance use information was obtained from the adolescents' interview. The impact of ADHD-pharmacotherapy on substance use was examined using multivariable logistic regression analysis.Among the adolescents with ADHD, ADHD pharmacotherapy significantly associated with reduced risk of substance use (OR = 0.53, 95%CI [0.31-0.90]); with regards to ADHD subtypes, ADHD pharmacotherapy is negatively associated with substance use in adolescents with ADHD-C (OR = 0.53, 95%CI [0.24-0.97]) and those with ADHD-H (OR = 0.23, 95% CI [0.07-0.78]), but it did not have statistically significant effect on risk of substance use in those with ADHD-I subtype (OR = 0.49, 95%CI [0.17-1.39]). Among the group who never received ADHD-pharmacotherapy before the interview, individuals with ADHD-H and ADHD-C had a similar risk of substance use compared to adolescents with ADHD-I (ADHD-C: OR = 1.5, 95%CI [0.77-2.95] and ADHD-H: OR = 2.10, 95%CI [0.87-4.95]).Adolescents with ADHD were equally susceptible to future substance use disregard their ADHD subtypes. Receipt of pharmacotherapy could decrease risk of substance use in adolescents with ADHD-H and ADHD-C, but it may not affect risk of substance use among individuals with ADHD-I.

BackgroundInfectious disease forecasting aims to predict characteristics of both seasonal epidemics and future pandemics. Accurate and timely infectious disease forecasts could aid public health responses by informing key preparation and mitigation efforts.Main bodyFor forecasts to be fully integrated into public health decision-making, federal, state, and local officials must understand how forecasts were made, how to interpret forecasts, and how well the forecasts have performed in the past. Since the 2013–14 influenza season, the Influenza Division at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has hosted collaborative challenges to forecast the timing, intensity, and short-term trajectory of influenza-like illness in the United States. Additional efforts to advance forecasting science have included influenza initiatives focused on state-level and hospitalization forecasts, as well as other infectious diseases. Using CDC influenza forecasting challenges as an example, this paper provides an overview of infectious disease forecasting; applications of forecasting to public health; and current work to develop best practices for forecast methodology, applications, and communication.ConclusionsThese efforts, along with other infectious disease forecasting initiatives, can foster the continued advancement of forecasting science.

SUMMARYThe Houston Health Department (HHD) in Texas tracks influenza-like illness (ILI) in the community through its Influenza Sentinel Surveillance Program, which began in 2008. After the influenza A(H1N1) pandemic (pH1N1) in 2009, investigators sought to assess the feasibility of this program as a non-traditional data source for tracking and monitoring care-seeking activities. Through the process of characterizing and describing patients who had ‘return visits’, or who were considered the heaviest ILI-related care-utilizers, the investigators sought to understand the strengths and limitations of this data source. Data used for this study were obtained from a multispecialty clinic in Houston, Texas between August 2008 and January 2011 across three phases: pre-pH1N1, pH1N1, and post-pH1N1. The data, which comprised of 4047 patient visits, yielded 150 return visits. We found an increase in the number of visits for ILI and proportion of return visits during the pandemic phase (pH1N1), as well as differences in the likelihood of a return visit between genders and age groups. More broadly, the findings of this study provide important considerations for future research and expose important gaps in using surveillance data to assess sick-role behaviors.

This study evaluates the frequency and determinants of preventive care counseling by HIV medical care providers (HMCPs) during encounters with newly diagnosed and established HIV-infected patients. Data used were from a probability sample of HMCPs in Houston/Harris County, Texas, surveyed in 2009. Overall, HMCPs offered more preventive care counseling to newly diagnosed than the established patients (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 7.28; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.86-16.80). They were more likely to counsel newly diagnosed patients than the established ones on medication and adherence (AOR = 14.70; 95% CI = 1.24-24.94), HIV risk reduction (AOR = 5.91; 95% CI = 0.48-7.13), and disease screening (AOR = 7.20; 95% CI = 0.72-11.81). HIV medical care providers who were less than 45 years of age, infectious disease specialists, and had less than 30 minutes of encounter time were less likely to counsel patients regardless of the status. Our findings suggest the need for HMCPs to improve their preventive care counseling efforts, in order to help patients build skills for adopting and maintaining safe behavior that could assist in reducing the risk of HIV transmission.

This study explored post-migration experiences of recently migrated Pakistani Muslim adolescent females residing in the United States. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirty Pakistani Muslim adolescent females between the ages of 15 and 18 years living with their families in Houston, Texas. Data obtained from the interviews were evaluated using discourse analysis to identify major reoccurring themes. Participants discussed factors associated with the process of adaptation to the American culture. The results revealed that the main factors associated with adaptation process included positive motivation for migration, family bonding, social support networks, inter-familial communication, aspiration of adolescents to learn other cultures, availability of English-as-second-language programs, participation in community rebuilding activities, and faith practices, English proficiency, peer pressure, and inter-generational conflicts. This study provided much needed information on factors associated with adaptation process of Pakistani Muslim adolescent females in the United States. The results have important implications for improving the adaptation process of this group and offer potential directions for intervention and counseling services.

This study examined the socio-demographic and selected behavioral characteristics associated with self-perceived and epidemiologic notions of risk for acquiring STIs/HIV infection using data from a cross-sectional survey involving 346 consenting female military personnel from two cantonments in Southwestern Nigeria. Findings revealed significant discordance in participants’ risk status based on the two assessment methods, with Kappa coefficients ranging from −0.021 to 0.115. Using epidemiologic assessment as the “gold standard”, 45.4% of the study population were able to accurately assess their risk levels through self-perception with significant (P < 0.01) socio-demographic variations. Multivariate logistic regression analyses indicate that STIs/HIV risk models using both self-perceived and epidemiologic notions of risk were significantly determined by different set of covariates. It is recommended that STIs/HIV prevention intervention should integrate the identified covariates and be targeted at changing individual risk behaviors and perceptions, as well as the social contexts in which risky behaviors occur in the military population.

The advent of the novel H1N1 virus prompted the Houston Department of Health and Human services (HDHHS) to use the existing sentinel surveillance system to effectively monitor the situation of novel H1N1 virus in the Houston metropolitan area. The objective of this study was to evaluate the demographic characteristics and common symptoms associated with confirmed cases of seasonal influenza and Novel H1N1 virus reported to HDHHS between October 2008 and October 2009. A total of 30 providers were randomly selected using the probability proportional to size (PPS) sampling technique to participate in a sentinel surveillance system. The system was used to effectively monitor both seasonal and novel H1N1 virus in the Houston metropolitan area. These providers collected and submitted specimens for testing at HDHHS laboratory from patients with influenza-like illness (ILI) symptoms who visited their clinics during the period, October 2008 and October 2009. These data formed the basis of the current study. Data obtained were subjected to both descriptive and inferential statistical analyses using SAS software version 9.1.3. Overall a total of 1,122 ILI cases were reported to HDHHS by sentinel providers and tested by HDHHS laboratory. Of this number 296 (67.5%) specimens tested positive for influenza A; 140 (32.0%) for influenza B, and 2 (0.46%) for influenza A/B. Two hundred and fifty-nine (59%) were confirmed cases of seasonal influenza and 179 (41%) were novel H1N1 subtype, respectively. The median ages for seasonal influenza and novel H1N1 virus were 7 and 8 years, with majority of the cases reported among children of age 5-9 years. Fever was the most common symptom reported among patients with seasonal flu and novel H1N1 virus, followed by cough. Twenty-three percent (23%) of patients who were vaccinated against seasonal flu prior to the epidemic were infected with seasonal flu virus. The sentinel surveillance system provided timely data on the circulating ILI that assisted in making decisions regarding response activities for both seasonal and novel H1N1 influenza.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that the HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in several African armed forces are high, with gender inequality rendering female military personnel more vulnerable to the disease. The object of this study was to replicate a successful videotape-based HIV prevention intervention among Nigerian female military personnel in an effort to establish the cross-cultural stability, feasible and cost-effectiveness of this approach in resource-limited countries. Enlisted women (N=346) were recruited from two cantonments in Southwestern Nigeria and randomly assigned to either (a) a 5-session video-based, small group, cognitive-behavioral, HIV prevention intervention or (b) a 5-session, video-based, contact-matched, HIV education control condition. Participants provided self-report of their HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and sexual behaviors at baseline, 3 and 6 months after completing the intervention. The results indicate that the motivational skills-building intervention did not improve participants’ knowledge of HIV/AIDS any better than did the HIV education control condition at each assessment period, but it significantly (p

Uniformed services personnel are at an increased risk of HIV infection. We examined the HIV/AIDS knowledge and sexual risk behaviors among female military personnel to determine the correlates of HIV risk behaviors in this population. The study used a cross-sectional design to examine HIV/AIDS knowledge and sexual risk behaviors in a sample of 346 females drawn from two military cantonments in Southwestern Nigeria. Data was collected between 2006 and 2008. Using bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression, HIV/AIDS knowledge and sexual behaviors were described in relation to socio-demographic characteristics of the participants. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that level of education and knowing someone infected with HIV/AIDS were significant (P < 0.05) predictors of HIV knowledge in this sample. HIV prevention self-efficacy was significantly (P < 0.05) predicted by annual income and race/ethnicity. Condom use attitudes were also significantly (P < 0.05) associated with number of children, annual income, and number of sexual partners. Data indicates the importance of incorporating these predictor variables into intervention designs.

Background: The current US HIV treatment guidelines support initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for persons with HIV for personal health benefits and prevention of HIV transmission. However, high levels of adherence to ART are critical to maximize individual and public health benefits. We examined the nonclinical barriers to ART initiation for clinically eligible individuals and the provider- and patient-related factors associated with these barriers among HIV-infected patients in Houston/Harris County, Texas. Methods: We analyzed data obtained from a probability sample of HIV medical care providers (HMCPs) in 13 outpatient facilities in Houston/Harris County, Texas surveyed between June and September 2009. We used an inductive thematic approach to code HMCP responses to an open-ended question that asked the main reasons why providers may delay initiating ART for clinically eligible patients. Results: The reasons cited by providers for delaying ART for clinically eligible patients were adherence (42.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 28.5-57.8), acceptance (30%; 95% CI: 18.1-45.4), and structural concerns (27.5%; 95% CI: 16.1-42.8), with significant variations ( P < .0001) noted across patients’ race/ethnicity and transmission category. HIV medical care providers with 6 to 10 years’ experience in HIV care and those providing medical care for more than 100 patients monthly were about 4 times (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 3.80; 95% CI: 1.20-5.92; P = .039) and 10 times (aOR: 10.36; 95% CI: 1.42-22.70; P = .019) more likely to state adherence and acceptance concerns, respectively, as reasons for delaying ART for clinically eligible patients. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the fact that clinical guidelines are only a starting point for medical decision-making process and that patients themselves play an important role. HMCP access to referrals for other medical issues, support services, and treatment education may help improve adherence and patient readiness for ART, thereby avoiding systemic delays.

The sub-Saharan region of Africa is the most severely affected HIV/AIDS region in the world. The population of this region accounts for 67% of all people living with HIV/AIDS and 72% of all AIDS-related deaths. As international collaboration makes access to HIV treatment more widely available in this region the need to increase the population’s awareness of its serostatus becomes greater. The incorporation of provider-initiated HIV testing and counseling (routine HIV testing model) as part of a routine medical care would not only increase the population’s serostatus awareness but also lead to a better understanding of HIV prevention and treatment and ultimately, increased utilization of available HIV/AIDS prevention programs on a much larger scale. This mini-review summarizes some important regional, sociocultural, economic, legal, and ethical issues that may be deterrent factors to maximal implementation and integration of provider initiated HIV testing and counseling as part of routine medical care in the sub-Saharan African region.

The study describes the HIV care providers' sociodemographic and medical practice characteristics and the health care services offered to patients during medical care encounters in Houston/Harris County, Texas. We used data from the pilot cycle of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Medical Monitoring Project Provider Survey conducted in June to September 2009. The average age and HIV care experience of the providers were 46.7 and 11.7 years, respectively, and they provided care to an average of 113 patients monthly. The average proportion of HIV-infected patients seen per month by race/ethnicity was 43.3% for blacks, 28.5% for whites, 26.6% for Hispanics, 1.3% for Asians, and 0.6% for other races. A total of 67% of providers offered HIV testing to all patients 13 to 64 years of age. Most HIV care providers (73.9%) reported that patients in their practices sought HIV care only after experiencing symptoms. Understanding the HIV care delivery system from providers' perspectives may help enhance support services, patients' ongoing care and retention, leading to improved health outcomes.

In the United States, a considerable number of people diagnosed with HIV are not receiving HIV medical care due to some barriers. Using data from the Medical Monitoring Project survey of HIV medical care providers in Houston/Harris County, Texas, we assessed the HIV medical care providers’ perspectives of the system and patient barriers to HIV care experienced by people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The study findings indicate that of the 14 HIV care barriers identified, only 1 system barrier and 7 patient barriers were considered of significant ( P ≤ .05) importance, with the proportion of HIV medical care providers’ agreement to these barriers ranging from 73.9% (cost of health care) to 100% (lack of social support systems and drug abuse problems). Providers’ perception of important system and patient barriers varied significantly ( P ≤ .05) by profession, race/ethnicity, and years of experience in HIV care. To improve access to and for consistent engagement in HIV care, effective intervention programs are needed to address the barriers identified especially in the context of the new health care delivery system.

The prevalence of antibodies to human platelet antigens (HPA) and human leukocyte antigens (HLA) class 1 antigens among Nigerian pregnant women has not been reported in our country. This study was therefore aimed at screening the obstetric population for evidence of alloimmunization due to human platelet and HLA class 1 antigens. One hundred and forty four (144) pregnant women attending the obstetric clinic of Military Hospital, Port Harcourt, participated in the study. Their sera were tested for antibodies to HPA and HLA class 1 antigens using GTI PakPlus solid phase ELISA Kit. The total prevalence rate of antibody production was 60.5% (87 out of 144). Among the positive samples, 60 had platelet glycoprotein specific antibodies (41.7%) and 27 had HLA class 1 antibodies (18.8%). In 39.6% of the pregnant women, both platelet specific antibodies and HLA class 1 antibodies appeared. The prevalence of platelet specific glycoprotein antibodies were obtained as follows: GP 11b/111a 12 (8.3%), GP 1a/11a 35 (20.8%), GP Ib/IX 18 (12.5%) and GP IV 9 (6.3%). The prevalence of each platelet antibody subgroup was obtained as follows: anti-HPA-1a,-3a,-4a (4.2%), anti-HPA-1b,-3b,-4a (4.2%), anti-HPA-30 5a and anti-GP Ib/IX (12.5% each), anti-HPA-5b (8.3%) and anti-GP IV (6.3%). A high prevalence rate of human platelet arid cytotoxic antibodies has been observed in our obstetric population. There is need to establish platelet serology laboratory for the proper antenatal and postnatal management of pregnant mothers in this region.