Hepatitis B prevalence in young women living in low-income areas: the population-based San Francisco Bay area's Young Women's Survey.
BACKGROUND
The risk of sexually transmitted hepatitis B virus infection is proportionally higher for young adults and women. Low socioeconomic groups have high rates of hepatitis B infection with no identified source of transmission. The prevalence and correlates of transmission of hepatitis B virus among young women of low socioeconomic status have not been well documented.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the population-based prevalence and correlates of sexually acquired hepatitis B virus infection in young low-income women in the San Francisco Bay Area.


METHODS
A three-county, door-to-door serosurvey of hepatitis B virus core antibody among young women living in low-income areas was conducted from April 1996 to January 1998. Multivariate analysis of sexually acquired hepatitis B virus infection excluded participants of Asian or Pacific Islander ethnicity or with a history of intravenous drug use or transfusion.


RESULTS
The prevalence of sexually acquired hepatitis B virus infection was 6.4% (95% CI, 4.7%-8.1%). Correlates of infection were black race (odds ratio, 3.9; 95% CI, 1.2-11.9 compared with white race) and herpes simplex virus type 2 infection (odds ratio, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.0-3.9).


CONCLUSIONS
Young black women have a higher risk of sexually acquired hepatitis B virus infection. Herpes simplex virus type 2 infection may predispose to hepatitis B virus infection and/or be a marker for lifetime sexual risk behavior.
Hernandez
M T
MT
San Francisco Department of Public Health and the California Department of Health Services, Berkeley, USA.
Klausner
J D
JD
McFarland
W
W
Wong
E
E
Bolan
G
G
Molitor
F
F
Ruiz
J D
JD
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D011203:Poverty; D015995:Prevalence; D012495:San Francisco / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016387:Women's Health