RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Challenges and ways of coping of parturient women with chronic hepatitis B in Ghana during COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative inquiry JF BMJ Open JO BMJ Open FD British Medical Journal Publishing Group SP e062557 DO 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-062557 VO 12 IS 10 A1 Theresa Norpeli Lanyo A1 Mary Ani-Amponsah A1 Charles Ampong Adjei YR 2022 UL http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/10/e062557.abstract AB Objective To explore the psychosocial concerns and ways of coping of pregnant women with chronic hepatitis B infection in Ghana.Setting Participants were selected from public health facilities in the Tema Metropolis.Design Exploratory descriptive qualitative design was employed.Participants Fourteen pregnant women were purposively selected to participate in face-to-face interviews. The data were analysed using the content analysis procedure.Results The participants' psychosocial concerns and coping strategies were diverse. A significant number of the participants were concerned about the impact their hepatitis B seropositivity would have on their relationships, finances, and general well-being. Specifically, they feared that their social network, especially their spouses, would perceive them as having led a promiscuous lifestyle in the past to acquire hepatitis B infection. Also, fear of transmitting the infection to their infants and the effects of the infection on their infants later in life were identified as major concerns by nearly all participants. The participants further reported feelings of distress and diminished self-esteem. These psychosocial afflictions reported were attributed to lack of pre-test counselling during the antenatal care period. However, the participants coped using different strategies, including avoidance/denial, spirituality, and alternative treatment use.Conclusion To achieve optimal psychological and social well-being of pregnant women with chronic hepatitis B, it is important that their unique challenges are considered in their care and treatment cascade. Explicitly, protocols for supportive care addressing the specific needs of pregnant women with chronic hepatitis B should be implemented in the study settingData are available upon reasonable request. Data will be made available upon request.