About half the people who catch hepatitis B never feel sick.

About Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B steadily increased in Canada in the 1980's. It's a disease caused by a virus that affects the liver, sometimes causing permanent liver damage, scarring and, in some cases, even death. It's the number one cause of liver cancer in the world.

About half the people who catch hepatitis B never feel sick. Others experience symptoms such as tiredness, vomiting, headache, fever, loss of appetite, and yellowing skin and eyes (jaundice). These symptoms may last from one to four weeks, but it may take as long as six months before you feel well again.

How is the hepatitis B Virus spread?

Hepatitis B virus is found in the blood, semen, vaginal fluid and, to a lesser extent, saliva of an infected person. Anyone with the hepatitis B virus in their body can pass it on to others through sexual relations, or by their blood or bodily fluids mixing with another person's blood. A mother can also pass it on to her newborn during childbirth.

Hepatitis B is not spread through casual contact, such as hugging, sneezing, coughing, or by sharing food, water, dishes or cutlery. Saliva is rarely a source infection.

Love can be blind. So can hepatitis B.

With Hepatitis B, about half the people who have it never feel sick and can spread the disease without knowing it. Although most people recover from the disease and their bodies are able to completely rid themselves of the virus, up to 10% of the people infected with hepatitis B become carriers and are capable of passing the virus onto others. There are about 300 million hepatitis carriers around the world.

We all need love. No one needs hepatitis B At present there is no proven drug to treat hepatitis B, but there are ways to protect yourself. The best way to decrease your risk of contracting hepatitis B is to abstain from sex or reduce the number of sexual partners.

The safest way not to pass on hepatitis B is to abstain from sexual relations. However if you do have sexual relations, ALWAYS use a condom. Condoms do not provide complete protection from hepatitis B, but if properly used, they reduce the risk of passing on the infection to your partner.

To use a condom properly, follow these simple procedures

Condoms should be put on before any genital contact occurs to prevent exposure to fluids that may be infected with hepatitis B virus. Hold the tip of the condom and unroll onto the erect penis, leaving room at the tip of the condom to collect semen. Make sure no air is trapped in the tip.

If the condom breaks prior to ejaculation, it should be replaced immediately.

After ejaculation, the penis should be withdrawn while still erect, holding the base of the condom on to the penis to ensure no spillage of infected semen.

Never reuse a condom.

• Use precaution when handling blood-soiled articles.
• Bandage all open cuts and sores until healed.
• Never share a toothbrush, razor, nail file or other items that may still have small amounts of blood on them.
• Clean up blood spills with detergent and water, and then wipe the surface with
• freshly diluted household bleach (one part bleach, nine parts water), leave ten minutes, then wipe off. The bleach will kill any hepatitis B virus left on the surface.
• Get rid of any articles that may have your blood on them (eg. tampons, menstrual pads, bloody tissues, bandages, dental floss) by putting them into a plastic bag and disposing in trash.
• Sharp items such as needles, razor blades, and bloody broken glass should be placed into a puncture-proof container. Tape shut lid and then dispose in trash.
• Never donate blood or semen.
• If you are pregnant, tell your doctor so your baby can be protected at birth.
• NEVER share dirty needles or rigs.

If you are at risk of contracting hepatitis B, the best protection available is the hepatitis B vaccine. It's effective and safe - it does not contain blood products or living viruses. The vaccination involves three shots in the arm over a period of six months. Hepatitis B vaccine has been used in Canada for over 10 years and more than 30 million doses have been given worldwide. Those people who have had sexual relations with an infected person within the last 14 days and infants under one year of age should also get hepatitis B immune globulin.

Is there treatment for hepatitis B?

There is no proven drug to treat hepatitis B. For now you can help your body recover by:

• resting
• eating well
• staying away from alcohol and drugs
• following your doctor's advice.

If you have more questions...

This disease should be treated seriously. If you suspect that you or someone close to you may be infected or at risk of infection, or if you want more general information, please talk to your local public health nurse in your region or your doctor.

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