Hepatitis B virus infection risk factors and immunity among sexually transmitted disease clinic clients.

Background And Objectives: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a sexually transmitted infection that can be prevented with hepatitis B vaccination.

Goal: The goal was to determine prevalence and risk factors for HBV infection and immunity among sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic clients.

Study Design: In this cross-sectional study, consenting adult STD clinic clients were interviewed regarding HBV risk factors and vaccination history, and blood was drawn for HBV serologic testing.

Results: Of the 682 participants, 154 (22.6%) had antibody to hepatitis B core antigen, indicating previous infection, and 64 (9.4%) had only antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen, indicating immunity as a result of hepatitis B vaccination. Only 130 (19.1%) of all participants reported receiving at least one dose of hepatitis B vaccine.

Conclusion: The majority of clients were susceptible to HBV, were at high risk for HBV infection, and would benefit from hepatitis B vaccination.