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.