Is Hepatitis A A Sexually Transmitted Disease
by ShawnPublished on April 8, 2020Updated on June 15, 2020
While hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, all cause liver inflammation, they are different diseases caused by different viruses. The latter two may be sexually transmitted, but hepatitis A is typically not considered an STD. For this reason, people often wonder if hepatitis A is sexually transmitted at all. And if not, how is it passed from one person to another? All great questions, but to answer them, well need to start with the basics.
How Are Hepatitis B And Hepatitis C Spread From Person To Person
Like HIV, the hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses spread:
- From mother to child: Pregnant women can pass these infections to their infants. HIV-HCV coinfection increases the risk of passing on hepatitis C to the baby.
- Sexually: Both viruses can also be transmitted sexually, but HBV is much more likely than HCV to be transmitted sexually. Sexual transmission of HCV is most likely to happen among gay and bisexual men who are living with HIV.
Contaminated Food And Water
Hepatitis A is most commonly passed on by eating food prepared by someone with the virus whose hands have not been washed properly. You can also get it by drinking dirty water and by eating raw or undercooked shellfish from dirty water.
You can protect yourself by:
- Washing your hands each time you go to the toilet, before you prepare or eat food, after coughing or sneezing, or handling rubbish or other dirty items.
- Peeling and washing all your fresh fruit and vegetables avoiding raw or undercooked meat and fish avoiding all drinks if youre not sure if theyre safe with or without ice.
- If tap water isnt safe and bottled water isnt available, boil tap water before drinking it.
- People living in places with poor sanitation and hygiene are at a greater risk of hepatitis A infection. You may also be exposed to hepatitis A through your work, for example, sewage workers, staff in institutions where levels of personal hygiene may be poor , people working with animals that may be infected with hepatitis A and daycare centres.
Also Check: What Does Hepatitis B Surface Antibody Mean
How Does Hepatitis C Spread
Hepatitis C is spread only through exposure to an infected persons blood.
High-risk activities include:
- Sharing drug use equipment. Anything involved with injecting street drugs, from syringes, to needles, to tourniquets, can have small amounts of blood on it that can transmit hepatitis C. Pipes and straws to smoke or snort drugs can have blood on them from cracked lips or nosebleeds. Get into a treatment program if you can. At the very least, dont share needles or equipment with anyone else.
- Sharing tattoo or piercing tools. Nonsterile items and ink can spread contaminated blood.
- Blood transfusions in countries that donât screen blood for hepatitis C.
- Nonsterile medical equipment. Tools that arenât cleaned properly between use can spread the virus.
- Blood or cutting rituals. Sharing the tools or exchanging blood can transmit hepatitis C.
Medium-risk activities include:
Is Hepatitis Testing Recommended For People With Hiv
Yes. Everyone with HIV should be tested for HBV and HCV when they are first diagnosed with HIV and begin treatment. People with HIV who have ongoing risk factors for getting hepatitis B or hepatitis C should be tested annually.
In addition, HCV screening recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention call for:
- One-time screening for all adults 18 years and older
- Screening of all pregnant women during every pregnancy
- Testing for all persons with risk factors, with testing continued periodic testing those with ongoing risk.
Don’t Miss: How Serious Is Hepatitis B
How Do You Prevent Hepatitis
Both hepatitis A and hepatitis B can be prevented with a vaccine. There is currently no vaccine available to prevent hepatitis C.
To prevent spreading or getting hepatitis A:
- Wash hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds after using the bathroom, changing diapers, touching garbage or dirty clothes, and before preparing food and eating
- Follow guidelines for food safety
- Avoid unpasteurized milk or foods made with it
- Thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables before eating
- Keep the refrigerator colder than 40°F and the freezer below 0°F
- Cook meat and seafood until well done
- Cook egg yolks until firm
- Wash hands, knives, and cutting boards after contact with raw food
To prevent spreading or getting hepatitis B or hepatitis C:
- Practice safe sex and use a latex condom each time you have sex
- Dont share razors, toothbrushes, or any personal objects that might have blood on them
- Dont share needles or syringes
- Cover cuts and open sores with bandages
- Clean blood off of things with a mixture of bleach and water: use 9 parts bleach to one-part water
Dont Miss: What Does It Mean If You Have Hepatitis C Antibodies
Can Hepatitis C Be Spread During Vaginal Sex
Its rare for the hepatitis C virus to be transmitted through vaginal intercourse. Unless the isnt lubricated or intercourse is very rough and leads to tears in the vaginal walls, theres no opportunity for blood to be exchanged. The risk of transmission with vaginal intercourse is about 1 in 190,000, according to research published in the journal Hepatology.
The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, which is the largest care provider for people with hepatitis C, says if one partner in a monogamous, heterosexual relationship has hepatitis C, the risk of transmission is very low, but they do recommend that the other partner get tested. Concerned couples can also discuss using a condom to lower the already very low risk of spreading the virus, says Talal.
Just how safe sex is when a partner has hepatitis C hinges on other factors as well. For example, its important to use a new condom with each sexual act that has the potential to expose the uninfected partner to the infected persons blood, even if youre in a committed relationship, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Some of these situations include sex when one partner:
- Has an open cut or sore
- Has another sexually transmitted infection , especially one that causes sores or lesions
- Is having a menstrual period
Read Also: How Many Shot For Hepatitis B
What Happens If A Baby Is Hcv Positive
If a baby tests positive for HCV, they may require monitoring from a doctor with experience treating hepatitis C in children. This may mean a consultation with a pediatric hepatologist.
The pediatric hepatologist will monitor the babys growth and assess their viral load with a blood test. This determines how much of the virus is in the body.
A doctor will also determine the genotype of HCV. There are six of these genotypes, and doctors sometimes use different drugs to treat different types.
Before and during the treatment, doctors will periodically check the childs liver function. They may also recommend vaccinations for hepatitis A and B, as having multiple types of hepatitis increases the risk of liver damage. Children with HCV should also receive annual flu vaccinations.
do not recommend these drugs during pregnancy, as it is unclear whether they can affect the fetus.
Doctors are also unsure of the effects of DAAs on babies during breastfeeding. For this reason, adults begin or resume hepatitis C treatment after they have finished breastfeeding.
Children with HCV typically do not begin treatment until they reach 3 years of age. However, by the age of 2, there is a 40% chance that the immune system has cleared the virus on its own.
If this does not happen, or if the child has signs of aggressive liver disease that could progress, doctors may begin DAA treatment as soon as possible. The specific drugs involved can depend on the genotype of HCV.
What Is A Sexually Transmitted Disease
The definition of a sexually transmitted disease is A bacterial or viral infection transmitted from an infected person to an uninfected person through sexual contact. Examples of sexually transmitted viruses and bacteria are chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes, human papillomavirus infection, HIV/AIDS, and syphilis.
You May Like: Hey Google What Is Hepatitis B
Eligible And Enrolled Couples
Of the 2,077 couples screened for study inclusion, 672 were eligible. Reasons for study exclusion occurring in 5% of the 1,405 ineligible couples included lack of sexual activity , prior organ transplant , refused study participation , doctor refused , HIV or HBV coinfection , partnership less than 3 years or nonmonogamous , and history of IDU in both partners . Of the 672 eligible couples, 500 enrolled and completed all the study requirements, at which time study enrollment was halted. The primary reasons for failure to participate among the remaining 172 eligible couples were nonresponse or refusal . Of the 500 enrolled couples, 43% were referred from tertiary referral practices, 34% from community sources, and 21% were blood donors.
Also Check: Hepatitis B Vaccine Declination Form
Can A Woman Get Hep C From A Man
Articles On Hep C and Sex The risk of getting hepatitis C through sex is low, but it is possible. Without using condoms, the following situations increase your risk of getting hepatitis C from sex: If you or your partner have HIV or another sexually transmitted disease. Have multiple sexual partners.
You May Like: How Can A Person Contract Hepatitis
You May Like: Is There A Cure For Alcoholic Hepatitis
Is Hepatitis A Sexually Transmitted
Is Hep A an STD? How is Hep A spread? Hepatitis A virus can be transmitted through any sexual activity that is with someone who has the infection. This also goes for what is called a brown shower in the BDSM world. A brown shower is when the excrement of someone is emptied into the mouth of another person. Similar to a golden shower, which refers to urine instead of feces.
Can I Get it Again?
No, if you have been infected with hepatitis A in the past, your body has developed antibodies to the hepatitis A virus, therefore you cannot get it again.
Risk factors
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , hepatitis A transmission is decreasing in the United States. Getting tested is especially important if you have traveled or lived in locations such as Eastern Europe, Africa, Mexico, Central or South America, or certain parts of Asia where hepatitis A is prevalent.
Those at a higher risk of acquiring HAV may include those who:
- Live in areas that have a lack of safe water
- Live in a household with an infected person
- Have poor sanitation/hygiene
Many People With Hepatitis C Could Benefit From Hiv Prep
Many people with HCV are eligible for PrEP, but most are not aware of it and even fewer are using it.
Although a third of people with hepatitis C surveyed in Washington, DC, and Baltimore were potentially eligible for HIV prevention pills or long-acting injections, most had not heard of pre-exposure prophylaxis and very few were using it, according to research published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.
HIV and hepatitis C virus share some of the same transmission routes, such as shared drug injection equipment and condomless sex, suggesting that many people living with HCV could benefit from HIV PrEP. In 2012, 68% of new HIV cases in the United States were attributed to sex between men, 7% to injection drug use and 4% to both risk factors, the study authors noted as background.
Kristi Hill, MD, of Harvard Medical School, and colleagues assessed PrEP awareness and use among participants in GRAVITY , an observational study conducted between March 2016 and November 2020 that collected epidemiologic data and blood samples from people with HIV or hepatitis C in Washington, DC, and Baltimore.
However, just 85 of the 314 participants had ever heard of PrEP, only 32 people had been offered PrEP by a provider and only six people were currently taking PrEP. Results were no better for the 15% of participants who considered themselves to be at high risk for HIV: 21% had heard of PrEP, 11% had been offered PrEP and three were using it.
Click here for to read the study abstract.
You May Like: Test To Detect Hepatitis B
What Are The Chances Of Getting Hep C Sexually
Hepatitis C can be transmitted through sexual activity, but it is uncommon. It is estimated that among heterosexual couples, the risk of getting hepatitis C through sexual activity is approximately 1 in 380,000 individuals. However, you are at a greater risk of getting hepatitis C if you have a sexually transmitted infection or have sex with multiple partners.
Is Hepatitis A Sexually Transmitted Disease
Robert Burakoff, MD, MPH, is board-certified in gastroentrology. He is the vice chair for ambulatory services for the department of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, where he is also a professor. He was the founding editor and co-editor in chief of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.
Some types of viral hepatitis can be transmitted through sexual contact, in addition to being transmitted via other routes. Each type of hepatitis virus has a different risk of being transmitted through sex.
You May Like: Hepatitis C Genotype 4 Treatment
You May Like: What Is Used To Treat Hepatitis C
How Do You Treat Hepatitis C
People with acute infection do not always need treatment, because their immune system may clear hepatitis C on its own. If you test positive during the acute stage, your doctor may ask you to come back after a few months to re-test and to see if you need any treatment.
If people develop chronic infection, they will need treatment to help clear the virus. Where available, treatment with drugs called direct-acting antivirals can cure hepatitis in most cases. These are usually taken for 8-12 weeks. Your doctor will also check your liver for any damage.
If youve had hepatitis C in the past, youre not immune to future infections which means you can get it again. You can also still get other types of hepatitis, and having hepatitis C together with another type is more serious.
If youve already had hepatitis C, its advisable to have the vaccination against hepatitis A and B to protect your liver from further damage.
Whether you have symptoms or not, dont have sex until your healthcare professional says you can.
Hiv And Hepatitis B And Hepatitis C Coinfection
Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are liver infections caused by a virus. Because these infections can be spread in the same ways as HIV, people with HIV in the United States are often also affected by chronic viral hepatitis.
Viral hepatitis progresses faster and causes more liver-related health problems among people with HIV than among those who do not have HIV. Liver disease, much of which is related to HBV or HCV, is a major cause of non-AIDS-related deaths among people with HIV.
Given the risks of hepatitis B or hepatitis C coinfection to the health of people living with HIV, it is important to understand these risks, take steps to prevent infection, know your status, and, if necessary, get medical care from someone who is experienced in treating people who are coinfected with HIV and HBV, or HIV and HCV.
Recommended Reading: Hepatitis B Vaccine For Infants Schedule
You May Like: How Does Someone Contract Hepatitis
Enteric Routes: Transmission Of Hepatitis A And Hepatitis E
The Hepatitis A and hepatitis E viruses are both transmitted by enteric, that is digestive or by fecal, routes. This is also known as the fecal-oral route. To be exposed to these viruses, you must ingest fecal matter that is infected with the virus. While there are several ways in which this fecal-oral route can be established, poor hygiene and poor sanitary conditions in some countries lead to higher rates of infection of these viruses.
As a result, some areas of the world, like India, Bangladesh, and Central and South America, are particularly prone to the hepatitis E virus. About one-third of people in the United States have been exposed to the hepatitis A virus.
It is believed that the hepatitis F virus may also be spread by enteric routes.
Immunisation For Hepatitis B
Immunisation is the best protection against hepatitis B infection. A course of vaccination is recommended for all babies and people in high-risk groups.
Immunisation can be with a vaccine against hepatitis B alone or with a combination vaccine. To be immunised, contact your doctor or local council.
Protection against hepatitis B is available free of charge under the National Immunisation Program Schedule. In Victoria, immunisation against hepatitis B is free for:
- Babies at birth immunisation against hepatitis B alone as soon as possible after birth.
- Babies at 2, 4 and 6 months combination immunisation in the form of a diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine .
- Premature babies at 12 months premature babies born under 32 weeks gestation or under 2,000g birth weight receive a single booster dose.
- Children up to and including 9 years of age.
- People aged less than 20 years having a catch-up immunisation.
- Refugees and humanitarian entrants aged 20 years and above.
In Victoria, free hepatitis B vaccine is provided for people who are at increased risk of infection, including:
Immunisation is also recommended, but not necessarily free, for people who are at increased risk of infection, including:
You May Like: What Lab Test For Hepatitis C
Also Check: What Medicine For Hepatitis B
Can You Pass Hepatitis C To A Sex Partner
Sex and Sexuality
Yes, but it is not likely. Compared to hepatitis B virus and the human immunodeficiency virus , it is less likely that you will spread the hepatitis C virus to your sex partner.
If you have one long-term sex partner, and one of you has hepatitis C and one of you does not, you do not need to change your sex habits at all. But, if either you or your partner is worried about the small chance of spreading the hepatitis C virus, you can use latex condoms. This will make it almost impossible to spread the virus. Long-term partners of people with hepatitis C should get tested for the virus. If the test is negative, you will probably not need to repeat it.
If you have more than one sex partner, you are more likely to spread the virus. In this case, reduce the number of sex partners you have, practice safer sex, and always use latex condoms.
There have been outbreaks of sexually transmitted HCV infection among men who have HIV and who have sex with men. It is recommended that men who have sex with men use condoms to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted HCV and other sexually transmitted infections.