Who should be screened for hepatitis B/C?

• A. All adults
• B. Pregnant women only
• C. Children only
• D. Those with high risk/history

Answer: (D)

Screening works best when it targets people who have a higher chance of infection. For hepatitis B and C, a risk-based approach helps catch most infections early without testing everyone. People with high risk or history include those who inject drugs or share needles, people with HIV, recipients of blood transfusions or organ transplants before screening existed, individuals born in areas with high hepatitis prevalence, sexual partners of infected individuals or those with multiple partners, household contacts of someone with hepatitis B or C, and people on long-term dialysis.

Pregnant women are screened for hepatitis B specifically to prevent mother-to-child transmission, which is an important targeted use for HBV, but in general the best-practice approach for the broader aim of detecting hepatitis B or C infections is to screen those with high risk/history.