Study on the risk factors of HBV infection among spouses of HBsAg carriers

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the risks of HBV infection among the spouses of HBV surface antigen (HBsAg)carriers and to find out effective control strategies on hepatitis B control and prevention .Methods To use case-control study(1∶2) including spouses of HBsAg carriers aged 18 -59 years-old from the nationwide sero-epidemiological survey for Hepatitis B in Chonqing province in 2005 ,and the spouses of the healthy(HBsAg negative persons)as the control groups ,adopt euzymelinked immunosor-bent assay(ELISA) to carry out the sero-epidemiological testing (HBsAg ,anti-HBc ,anti-HBs) for Hepatitis B .Results The posi-tive rate of HBsAgamong the spouses of HBsAg carriers (14 .8% ) was higher than the rate of spouse among the healthy (7 .5% ) , with difference statistically significant (P<0 .01) ,the positive rate of HBsAg in female spouse was uptrend as the marriage age grown ,multiple factor analysis found that the risks of HBV infection among the spouses were their spouse with HBsAg and without condom when the sexual behavior .Conclusion The spouses of HBsAg carriers have high risks of HBV .Premarital examinations , safety sexual behaviors with condom ,timely hepatitis B vaccination etc .are helpful for the spouses of HBsAg carriers free of hepati-tis B virus ,especially female spouses should insist on using condom when the sexual behavior because of them easier to be infected by the hepatitis B virus .