Screening for hepatitis B among pregnant patients in a rural population

From February 1988 to April 1990, we collected blood for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) from all women coming to the Texas Tech University Health Science Center in Lubbock for prenatal care. These patients were from rural western Texas and eastern New Mexico. They were also screened for hepatitis B risk factors, as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control. We reviewed the prenatal records of all HBsAg-positive women. Six of 4452 women (0.13%) had a positive HBsAg test. Four of the six women had identifiable risk factors and two did not; two were non-Hispanic caucasian (Anglo), two were Hispanic, and two were black. Anglos comprised 49.5% of the rural population, Hispanics 34.9%, blacks 12.8%, and Asians 2.8%. No Asian women were positive for HBsAg. The prevalence of HBsAg positivity was lower in this rural population than in previously reported urban populations. While the prevalence in the studied blacks and Hispanics was similar to that in previous reports, the prevalence in the rural Anglos was lower.