Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is an STI caused by a virus, which affects your liver. The virus is found in the blood, semen, fluids from the vagina, and saliva of an infected person. You can get Hepatitis B by coming into contact with one or more of the infected fluids during sexual contact, or by sharing items like toothbrushes, razors or needles. A pregnant woman can pass hepatitis on to her fetus.
Signs of hepatitis include:
- Tiredness
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
- Pain in the abdomen
- Jaundice, or yellowing of the skin, whites of the eyes
- Darker urine and lighter coloured stool (feces)
- Sometimes hepatitis B has no symptoms
Testing & Vaccination
You can find out if you have hepatitis by having a blood test. There is also a vaccination to help prevent infection. To find out more about the hepatitis B vaccination, talk to your doctor or local health care provider.
Treatment
There is no cure for hepatitis B; however most people fight off the infection naturally after several weeks or months and do not require treatment. You can pass the infection on to other people during the time that your body is fighting off the infection. A small number of people become chronic carriers of the infection and require antiviral treatments. Some will develop liver failure.
For more information on Hepatitis contact your local health care practitioner, member of the Canadian Federation for Sexual Health, sexual health clinic or Public Health Department.
