Hepatitis B Myths & Facts
It is important to get accurate hepatitis B facts so you can tell if you are at risk for the disease. If you are at risk, it is important to visit a healthcare provider, get tested and get proper treatment.
Get the real facts behind these hepatitis B myths:
Myth 1: People get hepatitis B by eating contaminated food.
Fact 1:
Hepatitis B is found in the blood and body fluids of someone with the infection. You can only get hepatitis B by coming into contact with someone with the virus. This can happen through unprotected sex, sharing needles or syringes, and using unclean equipment at barber shops and tattoo parlors. Additionally, pregnant women also can spread the virus to their babies during childbirth.
Healthcare providers are also at risk of contracting hepatitis B and should follow proper procedures for protecting themselves including ensuring they are immunised against hepatitis B.
However, there are other types of hepatitis. They are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, hepatitis D, hepatitis E, and hepatitis G. Both hepatitis A and hepatitis E can be spread through contaminated food and drinking water. However, hepatitis B is only spread through blood and body fluids.
Myth 2: Hepatitis B is a rare disease so I am not likely to come into contact with it.
Fact 2:
Hepatitis B is one of the most common infectious diseases in the world. Nearly one-third of the world's population has been infected with the hepatitis B virus.1,2 Some 350 million people worldwide arechronically infected.1 This means they have a serious form of the disease that can lead to serious liver disease and liver cancer. It is urgent that people who are at risk for hepatitis B visit their healthcare providers and get tested.
Myth 3: People with hepatitis B know they have the disease because of symptoms like yellow skin or yellow eyes.
Fact 3:
Many people with hepatitis B do not feel sick. About a third of the people who are infected with the virus do not show any signs or symptoms of hepatitis B.3 The only way to know if you have hepatitis B is to ask your healthcare provider. He or she can do a hepatitis B blood test to find out for sure.
Myth 4: People with hepatitis B virus will develop hepatitis A and hepatitis C infections over the course of time. liver disease or liver cancer.
Fact 4:
Everyone who gets infected with the hepatitis B virus will get an acute infection.4 About 90 percent of people who are acutely infected will clear the virus. An acute infection will last for up to six months but the person will recover totally and not have any lasting health problems.4
However, about 10 percent of people infected with the virus will go on to develop chronic infection.3 Chronic hepatitis B is the more serious form of the infection and can lead to a serious liver disease, even liver cancer.1 Some 15 to 25 percent of people with chronic hepatitis B infection will eventually die from the virus.3
Myth 5: People with the hepatitis B virus will develop hepatitis A and hepatitis C infections over the course of time.
Fact 5:
There are several different types of hepatitis and each is caused by a different virus. However, hepatitis B won't turn into another type of hepatitis. People with the hepatitis B virus are still at risk for becoming infected with one of the other hepatitis viruses.
| • | Hepatitis A: Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus. It is generally spread by coming into contact with the faeces of an infected person. This happens because of drinking contaminated water and poor sanitary habits, such as not washing your hands after going to the bathroom. |
| • | Hepatitis B: Hepatitis B is caused by the hepatitis B virus and is one of the most common infectious diseases in the world. It is passed from one person to another through blood and body fluids. |
| • | Hepatitis C: Hepatitis C is caused by the hepatitis C virus. It is generally spread through It is generally spread through direct contact with infected human blood and the most common modes of transmission are by sharing equipment for sharing drugs and through blood transfusion. In most countries, donated blood is now checked for the virus before it is given to someone. |
| • | Hepatitis D: Hepatitis D is caused by the hepatitis D virus. The hepatitis D virus needs the hepatitis B virus to survive. Sometimes, people with hepatitis B also get hepatitis D because both are passed from one person to the other through blood and body fluids. |
| • | Hepatitis E: Hepatitis E is caused by the hepatitis E virus. Similar to the hepatitis A virus, it is spread by coming into contact with the faeces of an infected person. |
| • | Hepatitis G: Not a lot is known about the hepatitis G virus or even if it causes illness. It may be transmitted through contaminated blood in blood transfusions. |
Myth 6: Hepatitis B vaccines will prevent people with the hepatitis B virus from getting sick.
Fact 6:
The hepatitis B vaccine is effective only for people who have not been infected with the hepatitis B virus.
Many countries have access to effective hepatitis B vaccines. Often in these countries, babies are given the hepatitis B vaccine at birth.
People who have been infected need to visit their healthcare providers and learn about the best treatments for controlling the virus.
Myth 7: I can inherit hepatitis B from my parents.
Fact 7:
You can only get hepatitis B by coming into contact with the blood or body fluids of someone with the virus.
Hepatitis B cannot be inherited from your parents. However, pregnant women with hepatitis B can spread the virus to their babies during childbirth.
References
1 World Health Organization, http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs204/en/, accessed 8 April 20092 Department of Commerce: Economics and Statistics Administration, http://www.census.gov/ipc/prod/ib96_03.pdf accesses 15 July 2009 3 Center for Disease Control, http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/b/fact.htm, accessed 8 April 2009
4 Hepatitis B Foundation, http://www.hepb.org/patients/acute_vs_chronic.htm, accessed 8 April 2009
