An increased sex ratio (number of males per 100 females) in the offspring of HBsAg carriers in a Greek population was reported in a previous study (Hesser et al. 1975) and an excess of males among the siblings of HBsAg carriers has been observed in a Solomon island population (Mazzur & Watson 1974). Though it was postulated that the alteration in live birth sex ratio Was due to selection against the female zygote at the time of implantation (Hesser 1974), the mechanism effecting such selection remains obscure.. The purpose of the present study was to further substantiate the observation of a sex ratio disturbance and elucidate the mechanism accounting for it, by analysing data of the fertility a?d sex ratio of offspring of HBsAg positive and negative married females from 12 Greek Villages.

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