Hepatitis A | Hepatitis B | Hepatitis C

Hepatitis B is a virus that can cause chronic infection, cirrhosis (scarring), and cancer of the liver. The virus is present in blood, semen, vaginal secretions, and breast milk of an infected individual. Individuals are encouraged to take all three doses of the vaccine to protect themselves against infection.

How it's spread:

Hepatitis B is transmitted through unprotected anal, vaginal, and oral sex with an infected person; through contaminated needles or syringes; or from an infected mother to her new born during childbirth or breast-feeding. Hepatitis B is not transmitted through such causal contact as hugging, shaking hands, sharing food, using the same eating utensils, drinking from the same glass, sitting on public toilets, or touching door knobs.

Symptoms may include:

• Flu-like feelings that don’t go away
• Jaundice (yellow skin and whites of eyes, darker yellow urine and pale feces)
• People may have no symptoms at all, but they can still pass on the hepatitis virus to others

Treatment

Acute Hepatitis B usually goes away by itself and does not require medical treatment. If very severe, symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea may require treatment to restore fluids and electrolytes.

Prevention

There’s an effective Hepatitis B vaccine, and a Hepatitis A and B combination vaccine. The vaccine provides immunity for at least five years and is administered in three shots.  Here are a few tips to help prevent infecetion: do not share syringes and wear gloves to dispose of syringes properly.  Avoid sharing toothbrushes and razors with other people. Practice safer sex by using condoms. Check that all equipment used for body piercing and tattooing is sterile. Click on the following link for a list of Hepatitis resources.