Impact of HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis on HIV Incidence and Hepatitis B Outcomes Among Sex Workers Living With Hepatitis B: A Modelling Analysis in Côte D'Ivoire.
Mohareb Amir M AM, Kim Arthur Y AY, Kouamé Menan Gérard MG, Nouaman Marcellin M et al.
Nearly 10% of sex workers in sub-Saharan Africa live with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV). HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) using tenofovir/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) has not been studied in this population, possibly due to concerns of hepatitis flares following TDF/FTC cessation. Using a microsimulation model of HIV and HBV disease and data from 2016 to 2024, we compared the clinical impact of TDF/FTC as PrEP versus no TDF/FTC among women who sell sex with HBV in Côte d'Ivoire. We incorporated the anti-HBV effects of TDF/FTC and the increased probability of hepatitis flares and HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) loss following TDF/FTC cessation. We estimated input parameters from published literature: HIV incidence (1.9-3.0 per 100 person-years), PrEP adherence (55%), disengagement from PrEP care (4% per month for the first 12 months, then 12.5% per month), hepatitis flare incidence (2.0-4.0 per 100 person-years) and rate of HBsAg loss (1.0 per 100 person-years), which both increase following TDF/FTC cessation. Model outcomes included cumulative HIV incidence, average hepatitis flares, HBsAg loss and survival over 2, 5 and 10 years. We conducted sensitivity analyses varying HIV incidence, PrEP adherence, disengagement from PrEP care and hepatitis flare rate. Compared with no TDF/FTC, TDF/FTC would reduce cumulative HIV incidence: 4.1% versus 5.6% at 2 years and 10.1% versus 12.7% at 5 years. TDF/FTC would result in more hepatitis flares (mean 0.76 vs. 0.19 per person) and more HBsAg loss (8.4% vs. 5.7%) than no TDF/FTC after 5 years. Two- and five-year survival would be similar between the two strategies, and TDF/FTC would improve survival over longer horizons. Improving adherence and reducing disengagement from care would increase clinical benefits. Even with high disengagement from care and high risk of hepatitis flares, TDF/FTC would reduce HIV acquisition and improve overall long-term survival. Women who sell sex with HBV in Côte d'Ivoire would benefit from TDF/FTC as PrEP to avoid HIV acquisition. The increased risk of hepatitis flares, while challenging to manage in resource-limited settings, would be outweighed by the benefits of HIV prevention. Efforts should be made to scale up PrEP in sex workers, including women with chronic HBV.