Research note: Blood drawing and hepatitis B ‐‐ the case of Ethiopian Jews in Israel.

Abstract

This paper describes the first stage of a prospective study created to evaluate a public health problem ‐ hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection ‐ and to design a strategy of prevention suitable for the target population, Ethiopian Jews in Israel. In the first stage of the study serological tests were conducted on 165 Ethiopian Jews, all of whom were residing in one location. This stage was designed to estimate the prevalence of HBV infection and to identify the high risk groups. The paper explores the response of Ethiopian Jews to the procedures which the research involved as well as to the researchers. It thus presents a methodological case history, demonstrating the way in which the perceptions of the subjects can affect the outcome of a research programme. It also makes evident the advantages of adding qualitative data to an epidemiological study, if these responses are to be understood. The response of the target population was connected with the position of these newcomers in the new land. It was also influenced by perceptions of blood and blood drawing, which had been changing since their arrival in Israel. The relationships of Ethiopian Jews with the religious establishment in Israel were found to be linked to perceptions of blood and blood drawing.