Screening homosexual men for hepatitis B.

Homosexual men have been routinely screened for hepatitis B in an infectious diseases clinic since 1982. Of 159 patients, 65.4% were susceptible to the disease on initial screening, but only 10.6% underwent vaccination. Of the 159 patients, 7.5% are currently carriers of hepatitis B. The risks of long-term sequelae in terms of morbidity, mortality, and cost to the health care system must be balanced against the cost of promoting and funding preventive measures. In the interest of public health, screening and vaccination of susceptible homosexual men for hepatitis B should be provided free by government health-care agencies.