Video Transcription
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is caused by a virus. This virus is much easier to transmit than HIV and the hepatitis C virus. Hepatitis B can be transmitted sexually as well as via blood-to-blood contact, so both sex without a condom and sharing drug-injecting equipment could put you at risk of getting hepatitis B.
Hepatitis B infection can only be diagnosed with a blood test. Specific blood tests can tell if you have an acute infection or a chronic infection. Tests can also show if you have been exposed to the virus but cleared the infection yourself, or whether you have full immunity from vaccinations you’ve had in the past. If you’ve only had one or two of the three injections required for the hepatitis B vaccine, you may not have complete protection.
If you have hepatitis B and don’t clear it, the virus can infect others who have not already had the vaccination. Chronic hepatitis B infection that lasts more than six months can cause scarring of the liver and, in some people, an increased risk of developing liver cancer.
If you do have hepatitis B, it’s not the end of the world—there is treatment available in Australia for chronic hepatitis B. In chronic hepatitis B, the aim of treatment is to decrease the damage to the liver rather than to clear the virus. This treatment is funded, meaning you don’t have to pay for it, and it can be given through special liver clinics at major public hospitals.
It’s important to be realistic about how good you want to be with diet, alcohol, and drug use, but understand that it really is important to try and minimize any extra damage to your liver. If you have chronic hepatitis B, you’ll stay healthy for longer if you can minimize your drug and alcohol intake and be kind to your liver by eating as healthy a diet as possible, no matter what your living situation is.
The symptoms of acute hepatitis B and the severity of these symptoms can vary from person to person. If you get hepatitis B as an adult, you can become quite sick with nausea, fever, pain, and yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes—a condition called jaundice. Some people with acute hepatitis B will need to be hospitalized due to the impact the virus has on the liver. Although the symptoms of acute infection usually disappear over a few weeks, you need to be regularly monitored by a doctor, and anyone you’re having sex with should have a sexual health check and be vaccinated against hepatitis B.
Transmission is caused by contact with blood that contains the hepatitis B virus. This contact can occur in the following ways:
- Sharing injecting drug equipment
- Getting a tattoo or piercing with non-sterile equipment
- If an infected person’s blood comes into contact with open cuts, sores, or, more rarely, eyes
It’s also important to think about what’s known as household contact—meaning you need to be careful not to share anything that may get traces of blood on it, such as toothbrushes, razors, or clippers. If a razor or toothbrush has traces of blood on it, that blood could get into someone else’s bloodstream via a cut or sore in their mouth or on their skin, and they too could become infected with hepatitis B. The same goes for injecting equipment—it’s better to have your own stash so that you’re never tempted to share.
Because of situations like this, it’s good to let people you’re especially close to know if you have hepatitis B. They may have it too or need to be vaccinated to prevent infection. If you’re unsure about disclosing this information to friends, family, or partners, talking to a worker from your health service could help.
But let’s not get too carried away—hepatitis B cannot be spread by sharing knives and forks, hugging and kissing, or contact with toilet seats.
Hepatitis B can be spread through sexual contact when people have unprotected sex. Condoms should be used for all sexual partners. You are especially at risk if there is any blood involved during sex, for example, during anal sex or if you have any cuts or sores on your vagina or penis. Using condoms will help prevent the spread of hepatitis B, but the best prevention is for people—especially those at risk—to be vaccinated.
Hepatitis B can also be spread from mother to baby if the mother has a chronic infection, usually shortly after birth. This is why all newborns in Australia are vaccinated.
Prevention of hepatitis B is everybody’s business, so make sure you are vaccinated and encourage all sexual partners to be vaccinated. Adults require three injections to build immunity against hepatitis B. The course can take up to six months to complete, although sometimes a fast course is given over three months. Make sure anyone you live with has up-to-date vaccinations, including children, other family members, and flatmates.
Be sure to cover any open wounds or cuts, especially if you play sports, and leave the field if you have a bleeding injury. In sports, this is called the blood rule and applies to everyone—so you don’t have to disclose your hepatitis status.
Having a thorough sexual health check-up if you have any unusual symptoms or signs will help detect hepatitis B and any other sexually transmitted infections, so treatment can be given.
If you’ve got hepatitis B and want to talk about it, a good GP, specialist health worker, or specially trained hepatitis nurse can help. Remember, hepatitis B is quite difficult to understand, so you’ll probably need to read a lot, reread information, and ask lots of questions.
Video by Youth Projects
