Knowledge of gynecologists
The majority of participants agreed on the importance of screening pregnant females on HBV during their first prenatal visit (n= 95, 88.8%). However more than half of them (n= 61, 57.0%) did not know that there is an obligatory protocol in Jordan demands the screening of pregnant females on HBV.
Most of the participants (n=89, 83.2%) agreed on referring pregnant females to a specialist if they were found to have a positive HBeAg result. However, only 57.0% (n=61) of them were familiar with the HBV DNA viral load that is required for referral to take place. Only 60.7% (n=65) of the practitioners were aware of the risk of perinatal transmission of HBV infection when the infant comes into contact with vaginal blood and secretions during delivery. Almost half of the practitioners believed that antiviral medications generally are not recommended for HBV during pregnancy (n= 49, 45.8%).
Only 47.7% (n=51) agreed on giving antiviral therapy for third trimester pregnant females with high viral loads (>1 million copies/mL or 200,000 IU/mL). There was a significant difference between rate of practitioners in public hospitals who agreed on recommending antiviral agents for third trimester pregnant females with high viral loads and practitioners in private hospitals (p= 0.042; Fig. 1).
A minority (29.9%, n=32) agreed on prescribing tenofovir as the first line treatment for pregnant females with HBV, while (46.7%, n=50) of the surveyed participants were undecided.
Furthermore, 69.2% (n=74) of participants disagreed on selecting c-section as the mode of delivery in the setting of maternal HBV, and 71% (n=76) agreed that carrier mothers of Hepatitis B can breastfeed their babies.