Hepatitis
B
Hepatitis B (HBV) is a disease that causes inflammation to
the liver. Although 90 to 95% of adults recover within
six months and will not contract HBV again,
blood tests will always show that they have been infected with HBV and blood
banks
will not accept their blood.
Many people with acute hepatitis B have no symptoms at all, or they may be
very mild and flu-like symptoms. About 25 to 35% of patients may notice dark
urine, yellowing
of the skin and eyes (jaundice), or light colored
stools.
HBV is transmitted through contact with body fluids containing HBV, such as blood,
semen, vaginal fluids. It is mostly passed on from person to person through sexual
contact. It can also be passed through exposure to sharp instruments contaminated
with infected blood, such as tattooing and body piercing. People at risk include
sexually active homosexual and bisexual men and anyone having sexual contact
with and HBV carrier.
HBV tests will not show positive during the incubation period (1 to 12 weeks).
There are three standard HBV tests: HbsAg (when the test is positive or reactive
you
are positive and infectious), Anti-HBc (when you test positive it means you
are currently infected or have been infected some time in the past), and
Anti-HBs
(when the test is positive it means that you are immune to HBV either as
a result of having had the disease or from having been vaccinated). People
who have not
cleared HBV from their blood within 6 months are considered to be chronically
infected. There are support groups for
HBV.
MORE INFORMATION >>
Hepatitis: Get the Facts :: Hepatitis
A ::
Hepatitis
B :: Hepatitis C :: Safer
Sex
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