Kassak Kassem, Mahfoud Ziyad, Kreidieh Khalil, Shamra Sarah, Afifi Rima, Ramia Sami
Health Management and Policy Department, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107, 2020, Lebanon.
Sex Health. 2011 Jun;8(2):229-33. doi: 10.1071/SH10080.
The aim of our study was to study the prevalence of and the risk behaviours associated with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections among two high-risk groups: female sex workers (FSW) and men who have sex with men (MSM). Furthermore, since vaccination is a key component of HBV prevention programs, the immune status of HBV infection in these two high-risk groups was evaluated.
Participants included in this study were part of a bio-behavioural surveillance study done to assess HIV prevalence among four vulnerable groups in Lebanon. Participants were recruited using a respondent-driven sampling method. The total number of eligible participants were 101 MSM and 103 FSW. Blood samples were collected as dried blood spots and then eluted to be tested for HCV, HBV and HIV by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
None of the 204 individuals tested has been exposed to HCV. In the 101 MSM, only one (0.99%) was an HBsAg carrier and one (0.99%) was confirmed as anti-HIV-positive. Among FSW, 30% showed they were immune to HBV compared with only ~10% among MSM. The distribution of socio-demographic characteristics and potential risk factors in both groups were shown.
Our results highlight the urgent need to raise awareness among FSW and MSM and their health care providers of the availability and benefits of HBV vaccination in Lebanon. In addition, and due to the absence of vaccines against HCV and HIV, education programs aiming at behavioural changes should be intensified.
我们研究的目的是调查两个高危群体——女性性工作者（FSW）和男男性行为者（MSM）中乙型肝炎病毒（HBV）和丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）感染的流行情况及相关风险行为。此外，由于疫苗接种是乙肝预防计划的关键组成部分，我们评估了这两个高危群体中HBV感染的免疫状况。
本研究的参与者是黎巴嫩一项生物行为监测研究的一部分，该研究旨在评估四个弱势群体中的艾滋病毒流行情况。采用应答驱动抽样方法招募参与者。符合条件的参与者总数为101名男男性行为者和103名女性性工作者。采集血样制成干血斑，然后洗脱，通过酶联免疫吸附测定法检测HCV、HBV和HIV。
204名接受检测的个体均未接触过HCV。在101名男男性行为者中，只有1人（0.99%）是HBsAg携带者，1人（0.99%）被确认为抗HIV阳性。在女性性工作者中，30%显示对HBV有免疫力，而在男男性行为者中这一比例仅约为10%。展示了两组社会人口学特征和潜在风险因素的分布情况。
我们的结果凸显了迫切需要提高黎巴嫩女性性工作者和男男性行为者及其医疗服务提供者对乙肝疫苗接种的可获得性和益处的认识。此外，由于缺乏针对丙肝病毒和艾滋病毒的疫苗，应加强旨在改变行为的教育项目。
