Is Hepatitis A Sexually Transmitted Disease

How Do You Get Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is really contagious. Its transmitted through contact with semen , vaginal fluids, and blood. You can get it from:

• having vaginal, anal, or oral sex

• sharing toothbrushes and razors

• sharing needles for shooting drugs, piercings, tattoos, etc.

• getting stuck with a needle that has the Hep B virus on it.

Hepatitis B can also be passed to babies during birth if their mother has it.

Hepatitis B isnt spread through saliva , so you CANT get hepatitis B from sharing food or drinks or using the same fork or spoon. Hepatitis B is also not spread through kissing, hugging, holding hands, coughing, sneezing, or breastfeeding.

Hepatitis A And Safe Sex

Hepatitis A is most often contracted through eating or drinking something that has been contaminated with the feces of an infected person. Contact with feces of an infected person through sexual activity, including anal sex or oral-anal activity, can result in the spread of hepatitis A to a sexual partner. Even a condom may not be protective, because handling a contaminated condom may lead to spread of the virus onto hands and into the mouth.

Hepatitis A And Sexual Transmission

Hepatitis A has been in the local news lately, specifically related to infections identified in restaurant industry employees. While Hepatitis A is most often spread by ingestion of food or water contaminated with fecal material of infected people, both casual contact and intimate/sexual contact with an infected individual can put a person at risk of being infected. Oral to anal sex is certainly riskier, but not necessary to transmit the virus sexually.

Hepatitis A is often transmitted by infected people when they are not aware of their infection. A person is infectious in the early stages of the infection, before they begin having symptoms.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , measures typically used to prevent the transmission of other STDs do not prevent Hepatitis A transmission. Vaccination is the most effective means of preventing Hepatitis A transmission among persons at risk for infection.

Hepatitis A vaccinations have been a part of the routine childhood immunization schedule since 1994, and therefore many people have already been immunized. For those uncertain of their immunization status, the CDC recommends the Hepatitis A vaccination for men who have sex with men . Sexually active adults are not considered at risk for hepatitis A unless they live with or are having sex with an infected person, inject drugs or have chronic liver disease.

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How Do You Test For Hepatitis C

A simple blood test carried out by a healthcare professional will show whether you have the virus. You may also be given an extra test to see if your liver is damaged.

If youve got hepatitis C you should be tested for other STIs. It’s important that you tell your recent sexual partner/s so they can also get tested and treated. Many people who have hepatitis C do not notice anything wrong, and by telling them you can help to stop the virus being passed on. It can also stop you from getting the infection again.

What Is An Std

STD stands for sexually transmitted disease People contract STDs through sexual contact with an infected person. Some STDs have other, nonsexual means of transmission. Risk of contracting STDs can be reduced by avoiding sexual contact or by consistent use of condoms during sexual activity or by practicing safer forms of sexual intimacy. In some cases, people can further reduce their risk for contracting a sexually transmitted disease by being vaccinated.

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What You Need To Know By The End Of The Visit

• Is a test, such as a culture, being performed? How and when will you get the results of the test?
• Is there a diagnosis or do you need to wait for a test result? What does your health professional suspect?
• What treatment is your health professional prescribing? Be sure to get a written copy of treatment instructions and follow those instructions. Take all medicines exactly as instructed and for the full course of treatment. Do not stop taking your medicine even if your symptoms improve or go away.
• If you have an STI, who needs to be notifiedâyour partner or partners, the health unit?
• Does your partner or partners need to be treated at the same time?
• Do you need to stop having sexual contact or activity during treatment, or are condoms appropriate to use during treatment?
• Will you need to be seen or treated again?
• Discuss STI prevention options.
• For women who are breastfeeding, discuss the risk of medicines being transmitted in breast milk.

How Do You Test For Hepatitis A

If youve been in contact with someone who has had hepatitis A, are at risk of getting hepatitis A, or if you start to have symptoms its a good idea to talk to a healthcare professional. A simple blood test will show whether you have the virus.

If you test positive, they may also do another type of blood test to check if your liver is working properly. You should also be tested for other STIs.

Its important that you tell people you live with or have close contact with, and your recent sexual partner/s so they can also get tested. Many people who have hepatitis A dont notice anything wrong, and by telling those youre in close contact with you can help to stop the virus being passed on.

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Hepatitis B Symptoms & Treatment

FAST FACTS

• Hepatitis B is a virus found in infected blood, semen and vaginal fluids.
• Its a sexually transmitted infection that can be passed on through unprotected sex. You can also get it from contaminated needles and syringes. Its also commonly passed on from a mother to her baby during birth.
• There is a vaccine to prevent hepatitis B, which is routinely offered to infants as well as at-risk groups.
• You can prevent hepatitis B by practising safer sex, never sharing needles and syringes, and avoiding unlicensed tattoo parlours and acupuncturists.
• Most people dont need treatment for acute hepatitis B. If the infection becomes chronic, there is no cure, but it can be managed with treatment.

How Did I Get It

There are several ways of getting hepatitis B. One way is by sexual contact with an infected person.

Hepatitis B virus is transmitted through blood and body fluids especially through anal sex. Other ways are by sharing personal items , and sharing needles or equipment for injection drug use. Healthcare and emergency service workers can get it through needle stick injuries or blood splashes in the eyes, nose, mouth or on broken skin.

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Hepatitis C Symptoms & Treatment

FAST FACTS:

• Hepatitis C is found in infected blood. It is also rarely found in semen and vaginal fluids.

• Hepatitis C is mainly passed on through using contaminated needles and syringes or sharing other items with infected blood on them. It can also be passed on through unprotected sex, especially when blood is present.

• You can prevent hepatitis C by never sharing needles and syringes, practising safer sex, and avoiding unlicensed tattoo parlours and acupuncturists.

• Hepatitis C will often not have any noticeable symptoms, but a simple blood test carried out by a healthcare professional will show whether you have hepatitis C.

• In the early stages, some peoples bodies can clear a hepatitis C infection on their own, others may develop chronic hepatitis C and will need to take antiviral treatment to cure the infection.

• Without treatment, chronic hepatitis C can lead to permanent liver damage.

Hepatitis C is part of a group of hepatitis viruses that attack the liver.

Its mainly passed on through contaminated needles, either from injecting drugs or from needle stick injuries in healthcare settings. It can also be transmitted sexually, especially during anal sex or other types of sex that may involve blood.

Some groups are more at risk of getting hepatitis C than others, including people who use drugs, people in prisons, men who have sex with men, health workers and people living with HIV.

Which Stds Have Vaccines

Some STDs, such as such as gonorrhea, Chlamydia, and syphilis, are caused by bacteria. They are usually effectively treated with antibiotics, although many patients do not know that they are infective and can spread the disease to other partners. The availability of treatments means that the need for vaccines against these diseases is not a top priority, although the increased resistance of gonorrhea to antibiotics may lead to a shift in priorities.

Viral STDs are often highly persistent despite current therapeutic options or have no acceptable treatment available. Therefore, vaccines for certain viral STDs are in use, and others are in development.

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How Serious Is It

Most people with Hepatitis A will feel sick for several weeks but fortunately, it is normal to recover without permanent or lasting liver damage. It is not a disease that commonly becomes a chronic liver disease. However, while it is pretty rare, there have been cases reported where hepatitis A caused liver failure and even death. This happens more often in people beyond the age of 50 and in those with other liver conditions.

Common Sexually Transmitted Infections

There are at least 20 different STIs. They can be caused by viruses, bacteria, and protozoa. Some of the most common STIs are:

• Other infections that may be sexually transmitted. These include hepatitis A, cytomegalovirus, molluscum contagiosum, Mycoplasma genitalium, hepatitis C, and possibly bacterial vaginosis.
• Scabies and pubic lice, which can be spread by sexual contact.

Bacterial STIs can be treated and cured, but STIs caused by viruses usually cannot be cured. You can get a bacterial STI over and over again, even if it is one that you were treated for and cured of in the past.

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Questions To Prepare For Your Health Professional

• If you have new STI symptoms:
• What was the date of your suspected exposure to an STI?
• Which STI do you think you were exposed to?
• How do you know?
• Did your partner tell you?
• What were your partner’s symptoms?
• Was your partner treated? If so, when? Was your partner checked after completing treatment?

What Is Viral Hepatitis

Viral Hepatitis is a virus that causes inflammation of the liver. The most common types areHepatitis A , Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C . If untreated, hepatitis can cause liver damage, liver failure or liver cancer.

Hepatitis is a serious liver disease that can be spread through sex with an infected person. Men who have sexual contact with other men are at increased risk for both Hepatitis A and B. But protecting yourself is easy. Get vaccinated against Hepatitis A and B. Call your local health department for more information.

Did you know

• Hepatitis is called the silent killer because a person may carry the virus in their body for up to 6 months without having any symptoms.
• CDC estimates that 4.4 million Americans are living with chronic hepatitis most dont know theyre infected.
• According to the CDC, HBV is 50-100 times more infectious than HIV and can be passed through sexual intercourse.

Are you at risk?

Although anyone can contract Hepatitis, some people are at greater risk, such as those who:

• Have sexual contact with an infected person
• Have multiple sex partners
• Have a sexually transmitted disease
• Are men who have sexual encounters with other men
• Inject drugs or share needles, syringes, or other injection equipment
• Live with a person who has Hepatitis
• Are on hemodialysis
• Are exposed to blood on the job
• Are infants born to infected mothers

Click here to take the online assessment quiz to see if youre at risk.

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis B

Prevention

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Sex And Dirty Needles

Hepatitis A can also be passed on through sex without a condom or dental dam with someone who has the virus, even if they dont have symptomsIn particular, via anal sex, fingering, rimming, fisting, or exploring the area around the anus with your fingers, mouth or tongue. Touching used condoms, sex toys and douching equipment that have been in someone elses anus can also pass the virus on.

You can protect yourself by:

• Knowing the status of your sexual partners.
• Using a new male or female condom or dental dam every time you have vaginal, anal or oral sex.
• Using a new dental dam or latex gloves for rimming and fingering or using latex gloves for fisting.
• Covering sex toys with a new condom and wash them after use.
• Avoiding sex that involves contact with faeces .
• Washing your hands after touching someones anus or handling used condoms and sex toys.
• Using a new condom for every sexual partner and having regular STI tests.
• Having the hepatitis A vaccine if youre in close contact with someone with hepatitis A or if youre in a high-risk group. This can also be provided as prophylaxis if provided within two weeks of exposure.

Sharing contaminated needles and syringes during recreational drug use can also pass hepatitis A on. Make sure you use new injecting equipment every time you inject drugs.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis does not prevent you from getting hepatitis A, nor does the contraceptive pill or other forms of contraception .

Tips For Preventing Transmission Through Sex

If youre sexually active with a person who has hepatitis C, there are ways that you can prevent contracting the virus. Likewise, if you have the virus, you can avoid infecting others.

A few steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of sexual transmission include:

• using a condom during every sexual contact, including oral sex
• learning to use all barrier devices correctly to prevent ripping or tearing during intercourse
• resisting engaging in sexual contact when either partner has an open cut or wound in their genitals
• being tested for STIs and asking sexual partners to be tested too
• practicing sexual monogamy
• using extra precautions if youre HIV-positive, as your chance of contracting HCV is much higher if you have HIV

If you have hepatitis C, you should be honest with all sexual partners about your status. This ensures that youre both taking the proper precautions to prevent transmission.

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Can Vaccines Prevent The Sexual Transmission Of Hepatitis

• Hepatitis A: Measures used to prevent the spread of STDs, like the use of condoms, do not prevent hepatitis A transmission. Fortunately, an effective vaccine for preventing Hepatitis A transmission is available and is the most important measure to protect people at risk of infection.
• Hepatitis B: A hepatitis B vaccine safely and effectively protects against infection of the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices have recommended the hepatitis B vaccination for:
• Sexually active people who are not in long-term, mutually monogamous relationships .
• People seeking evaluation or treatment for a sexually transmitted disease.
• CDC also recommends hepatitis B testing and hepatitis B vaccination for
• Sexual partners of people with hepatitis B.

Sexual Transmission And Viral Hepatitis

Certain adults who are sexually active should be vaccinated against hepatitis B.

CDC and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommend hepatitis B vaccination for

• sexually active people with more than one sex partner during the previous 6 months
• people seeking evaluation or treatment for a sexually transmitted disease
• sex partners of people with hepatitis B and
• men who have sex with men .

CDC recommends one-time hepatitis C testing of all adults and regular testing for people with risk factors.

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Vaccines And Other Biomedical Interventions

Safe and highly effective vaccines are available for 2 STIs: hepatitis B and HPV. These vaccines have represented major advances in STI prevention. The vaccine against hepatitis B is included in infant immunization programmes in 95% of countries and prevents millions of deaths from chronic liver disease and cancer annually.

As of October 2018, the HPV vaccine is available as part of routine immunization programmes in 85 countries, most of them high- and middle-income. HPV vaccination could prevent the deaths of millions of women over the next decade in low- and middle-income countries, where most cases of cervical cancer occur, if high vaccination coverage of young women can be achieved.

Research to develop vaccines against herpes and HIV is advanced, with several vaccine candidates in early clinical development. Research into vaccines for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and trichomoniasis is in earlier stages of development.

Other biomedical interventions to prevent some STIs include adult male circumcision and microbicides.

• Male circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in men by approximately 60% and provides some protection against other STIs, such as herpes and HPV.
• Tenofovir gel, when used as a vaginal microbicide, has had mixed results in terms of the ability to prevent HIV acquisition, but has shown some effectiveness against HSV-2.