Abstract:
Background: Potential mother to child transmission of Hepatitis B virus is a major concern,
because of the associated long-term morbidity and mortality of the infection. Most chronic
Hepatitis B Virus infections occur during childhood. The presence of Hepatitis B surface
Antigen among Hepatitis B positive mothers is an indicator of active infection and the potential
for mother to child transmission of Hepatitis B virus infection. An attempt has been made to
provide recent data on prevalence and factors associated with Hepatitis B surface Antigen.
Objective: To determine the sero prevalence and factors associated with Hepatitis B surface
Antigen among antenatal care attendants in Shakiso woreda.
Method and Materials: Facility based crossectional study design was conducted among 422
consecutively enrolled antenatal care attendants at the four health centers in Shakiso woreda.
Data on potential risk factors were collected using interview and Bioline HBsAg One step
qualitative test was used for screening blood samples. Data was entered, checked and cleaned
by Epidata Version 3.1 and exported to statistical package for social science version 16 for
analysis. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariate analysis was performed.
Result: Four hundred seventeen pregnant women attended the four health facilities antenatal
care clinics from April 21/2014 to May 9/2014 were consecutively enrolled in this study. The
overall prevalence of Hepatitis B surface Antigen among antenatal care attendants in Shakiso
woreda was 6.9%. Unsafe abortion, unsafe dental procedure and history of multiple sexual
partners were the identified risk factors of hepatitis B virus infection. Those pregnant women
having exposure to unsafe dental procedure and unsafe abortion were about five fold at higher
risk of having hepatitis B virus infection (AOR=4.703 and 5.386) respectively and those
pregnant women experienced history of multiple sexual partner were about eight times at
higher risk of contracting hepatitis B virus infection (AOR=7.953).
Conclusion and recommendation: There is an intermediate Hepatitis B surface Antigen
Seroprevalence rate among antenatal care attendants in Shakiso woreda. Hence, incorporating
screening Hepatitis B surface Antigen among antenatal care attendants in Shakiso woreda as
routine package and having public health measures to control its associated risk factors is
mandatory
