HEPATITIS-B VIRUS, HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE-1, AND SYPHILIS AMONG WOMEN ATTENDING PRENATAL CLINICS IN BELIZE, CENTRAL-AMERICA

Women and their infants may benefit from therapeutic interventions whe n hepatitis B, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), or syphilis are det ected during the prenatal period. We initiated hepatitis B and HIV scr eening of women attending prenatal clinics in Belize. Risk factor asse ssment information for hepatitis B infection and demographic data were determined by interview. Of 543 evaluable women, 81 (14.9%) were sero positive for hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc); one woman had asymp tomatic hepatitis B surface antigenemia. Antibodies to HIV-1 were dete cted in one woman. Reactive syphilis serologies were detected in 15 (2 .8%) women. Anti-HBc seroprevalence varied by district (range 3.1-43.5 %) and by ethnicity (range 0.0-40.98). Significant identified risks fo r anti-HBc seropositivity from univariate analyses included being of t he Garifuna ethnic group, residence or birth in the Stann Creek or Tol edo districts, a reactive syphilis serology, a household size of eight or greater, and five or more lifetime sexual partners. Multivariate a nalyses identified ethnicity and a reactive rapid plasma reagin as the best predictors of anti-HBc seropositivity. Highly variable differenc es in anti-HBc prevalence by district may permit the targeting of limi ted public health resources for education, screening, and prevention p rograms.