This Knowledge, Attitudes, Believes and Practices (KABP-VIH) survey was carried out by telephone in 2010 among 9,014 individuals aged 18 and 69 in France.
Hepatitis B, an unknown scourge
Hepatitis B is the 10th leading cause of death in the world. Between 600,000 and one million people die from it each year. In France, there are 1,500 deaths each year due to hepatitis B. In France, more than 280,000 people are carriers of the hepatitis B virus and half are unaware of it. Each year, there are 1,000 to 2,000 new chronic carriers.
Worrisome results
So the modes of HIV infection seem well known to the French (99%), only 90% know that hepatitis B can be transmitted by sharing a syringe when taking drugs, and 70% during unprotected sex. .
Hepatitis, a disease that scares
20% of respondents say they fear “a lot” or “a lot”, viral hepatitis and AIDS. Hepatitis is the fifth disease tied with HIV that scares the French the most after cancer, traffic accidents, senile dementias, and heart disease.
Infrequent screenings
27% of people believing themselves to be the most at risk (either that they use drugs by injection, or that they come from countries with strong endemic) declaring to have carried out a test. While HIV testing concerns 61% of those questioned. Paradoxically, twice as many people believe they are particularly exposed to the risk of hepatitis B (8%) than that of HIV (4%). And only 55% of people most at risk for hepatitis B declare themselves vaccinated.
This study seems to show that prevention and information on hepatitis B is not enough.
Source : InVS
