Yasmin Shah, Asifa Abbas, Arshad K Butt, Shaheen Razaque, Yousaf Latif Khan.
How Aware are Patients About Hepatitis? A KAP (Knowledge, Attitude and Practices) Survey of Pregnant Women.
Proceeding Shaikh Zayed Postgrad Med Comp Jan ;23(2):87-91.

Hepatitis B and C have become major public health problems worldwide. Estimates of prevalence of these diseases in Pakistan range from 5-15%. This places a huge financial burden on the available health resources. Currently available drugs for the treatment of hepatitis are very expensive and achieve eradication of the disease in around 50% of patients. The best strategy for controlling the menace of hepatitis and its complications lies in prevention. Any such plan should focus on public education. Considerable myths and misconceptions abound in the general public about hepatitis especially about the mode of spread and preventive measures. Aims and Objectives: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding hepatitis in a group of pregnant females attending an ante natal clinic. Results: Results of this study have demonstrated that the knowledge about hepatitis is not adequate. Almost half of the subjects believed that hepatitis B and C could spread through food and water. Forty percent of the respondents never insisted on sterilization of dental or barber instruments even when they knew that these were important sources of spread of hepatitis. 55% of the respondents were of the opinion that hepatitis B and C was an absolute contraindication to breast feeding. 77% knew that hepatitis B could be prevented by vaccination but only 67% were actually vaccinated. Almost 50% of the respondents believed that vaccination against hepatitis B also prevented hepatitis C. Hepatitis was considered a social stigma by 40% of the respondents. Conclusions: Over all the results of this study suggest that more attention needs to be given to providing correct health education to the public. Misconceptions and myths about hepatitis can only be dispelled by adopting a rational health education strategy.

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