Introduction
Hepatitis B is a viral infection caused by DNA-viruses called Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), belonging to the family Hepadnaviridae. Normally, the virus attacks the liver causing both acute and chronic disease conditions 1. The World Health Organization (WHO) highlights HBV as a major global health problem, and the most serious type of viral hepatitis. The HBV is highly contagious and can be transmitted by percutaneous or mucosal exposure to infected blood and various body fluids, as well as through saliva, menstrual, vaginal, and seminal fluids 1. Based on the WHO estimation, about 780,000 people die each year because of Hepatitis B, if not treated well at an early stage 2. Those elevated numbers highlight the fact that Hepatitis B is a dangerous infectious disease that should be kept under control.
The Ministry of Health in Jordan has a clear protocol about HBV, which states that Hepatitis B tests should be done during pregnancy for all females 3. Vaccination against Hepatitis B has been mandatory to all newborns since 1995. In Jordan, a study by Batayneh and Bdour stated that about 86% of the pregnant females are susceptible to HBV infection, 10% have been previously infected, 3% had acute HBV infection and 1.5% had a chronic infection4. Apart from few prevalence studies conducted in Jordan 5 and the Middle East 6, there have been no previous studies done to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of gynecologists regarding Hepatitis B testing, specifically for pregnant females. This study is considered to be a pioneer in this area as it is aimed to provide vital information on the medical practice in Jordan regarding Hepatitis B screening for pregnant females.
Hence, the current study aims to assess gynecologists’ knowledge, attitude and practice regarding HBV screening on pregnant females in Jordan.