my girlfriend has hep b when she was born...her mother was a hep b carrier as well...i just want to know if i will get hep b from my girlfriend if i kiss her mouth to mouth? and will i get it from her body fluids? please reply sooon...should i get a body check...can i get a check without my parents knowing?

Hepatitis B is a huge problem in Asian countries.

First, I doubt the you can get hepatitis B from your girlfriend by kissing her or hugging her. A lot depends on her current statue, but odds are this is enirely safe.

If she in unable to tell you about her hepatitis B status, SHE needs to see her doctor to get the full scoop.

If she has already told you she is safe and you are asking anyway, then go to her doctor's office with her and see whether they will reassure you.

I hope this helps,

thanbey
www.hcop.org (http://www.hcop.org)

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www.hcop.org (http://www.hcop.org)
preapproved by moderator1

her hepatitus status is stable, she gets blood checks every once in a while. so does that mean i will get it if i have sex with her unprotected? what about swallowing her fluids from the vagina/saliva? thankyou for replying so fast

When in doubt, safe sex is advised.

This includes condoms (male or female) and dental dams.

thanbey

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www.hcop.org (http://www.hcop.org)
preapproved by moderator1

what are dental dams?
will get it if i lick my girlfriends vagina?

MIT-
Some more info on HBV and sex from Health Canada, more can be seen at- http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/index.html

Background
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the most common of the viral hepatitis agents and a major cause of morbidity and mortality globally. HBV infection can progress to cirrhosis of the liver and hepatocellular carcinoma. The World Health Organization estimates that there are currently more than two billion people who have been infected with HBV, including 350 million who are chronically infected. Each year, about a million people die as a result of HBV infection, and over four million new acute clinical cases occur (World Health Organization, 1996).

The first recognized outbreak of HBV infection took place in Bremen, Germany, in 1883, and was linked to smallpox vaccinations contaminated with HBV (Zuckerman, 1983). Further outbreaks were reported sporadically thereafter, often related to contaminated injections. The largest outbreak of this kind occurred in 1942 and involved an estimated 330,000 American soldiers given contaminated yellow fever vaccine (Seeff et al., 1987). The important, although serendipitous, discovery of "Australia antigen" (a part of the HBV) by Blumberg, Alter, and Visnich (1965) and the separation of disease caused by the hepatitis A virus from that caused by HBV by Krugman, Giles and Hammond (1967), subsequently led to virologic and serologic breakthroughs that have resulted in an ever increasing understanding of HBV, HBV infection and HBV disease (Sherlock, 1984) (see Table 1 for the basic medical and epidemiologic features of HBV infection).


The Sexual Transmission of HBV
The highest titres of HBV are found in blood. However, HBV has also been found in semen and saliva (Heathcote, Cameron, & Dane, 1974) and vaginal secretions (Darani & Gerber, 1974). Further, saliva (by injection but not oral application) and semen (by intravaginal application) have transmitted HBV infection to non-human primates (Scott, Snitbhan, Bancroft, Alter, & Tingpalapong, 1980).

Hersh, Melnick, Goyal, and Hollinger (1971) were the first to provide evidence for the sexual transmission of HBV, describing eight female cases of HBV that were linked to intimate contact with six infected males. In a more recent series of studies, Alter et al. (1986; 1989) provided strong epidemiologic evidence of heterosexual transmission. During the 1970s, it became clear that male homosexuals were at high risk for HBV, one reason why homosexuals were the prime subjects for the early HBV vaccine trials (Szmuness et al., 1980). More recently, Kingsley et al. (1990) demonstrated that among homosexual men, HBV is more easily transmitted than human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The estimated risk of HBV transmission from a single unprotected sexual contact with an infected person is 1-3% (Hadler & Margolis, 1993). It is now accepted that, in the developed world, sexual transmission is the major recognized mode of transmission; in the developing world, while perinatal and early childhood horizontal transmission are of prime importance, sexual transmission is a significant contributor (Hadler & Margolis, 1993).

Epidemiologic studies focusing on the sexual transmission of HBV have usually examined homosexual/bisexual males, female sex trade workers, clients at STD clinics, and sexual partners of HBV infected persons. All of these groups have been found to have a high prevalence of HBV infection, past or present. Data for Ontario suggest that of acute cases of HBV in which risk factors have been identified, about one third are attributable to sexual transmission (Ontario Ministry of Health, 1995). Data on the epidemiology of acute cases of HBV infection in the Montreal area indicate that 55% are related to sexual transmission (Dion, 1994).

Data from an active surveillance study of viral hepatitis in several cities in the United States indicate that between 1982 and 1991, the distribution of risk factors for HBV infection shifted, with cases linked to male homosexual transmission and intravenous drug use decreasing, while cases linked to heterosexual transmission increased to become the most frequently identified risk category (Alter & Mast, 1994). It is noteworthy that the reduced rate of transmission among homosexual men may be due to the incorporation of safer sex practices on the part of gay men in response to the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) epidemic. The risk factors associated with the sexual transmission of HBV are summarized in Table 2.


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Prevention of Sexual Transmission of HBV
Immunization
HBV infection is the only STD for which an effective and safe vaccine is available. HBV vaccine has been available in Canada since 1982. Beginning with British Columbia in 1992, all provinces, except Manitoba, now have a universal hepatitis B vaccination program for pre-adolescents, and New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Northwest Territories also have a universal infant vaccination program (Tepper & Gully, 1997). The targeting of pre-adolescents for a universal vaccination program was predicated, to a large extent, on the recognition that sexual activity is an important mode of HBV transmission in Canada (Health Canada, 1994). These universal immunization programs are expected to have a significant effect on the incidence of HBV infection in the next decade as those young people who are immunized now will be protected from HBV infection during adolescence and young adulthood, a period in which sexual activity is likely.

Despite the universal immunization programs currently aimed at young people, targeted immunization of high risk groups remains important (Health Canada, 1993). These groups include sexually active homosexual/bisexual males, males and females with multiple sexual partners, those with a recent history of STD, sexual contacts of HBV carriers, and international travellers who are likely to have sexual contact with residents in areas with high levels of endemic disease. Most Canadian provinces provide publicly funded vaccine for some, but not all, of these risk groups. Reports from programs to immunize STD clinic patients at risk for HBV have documented vaccine completion rates of 24% (three doses) (Bhatti et al., 1991) and 21% (two doses) (Weinstock et al., 1995). A similar Canadian study (Yuan & Robinson, 1994) indicated completion rates (three doses) of 47% for homosexual/bisexual men and 25% for heterosexual men. A randomized trial in Canada found that compliance with immunization among STD patients can be enhanced with more aggressive follow-up (telephone and mail as opposed to mail only) (Sellors et al., 1994). A 1990 STD clinic study in the U.S. indicated that if vaccine was offered to all of an estimated 18,000 new STD encounters who visited the clinic each year, 636 infections would be prevented annually at a cost of $875 (U.S.) per infection prevented (Weinstock et al., 1995).

Safer Sex
The recommendations for safer sex made in light of the HIV epidemic apply equally to the sexual transmission of HBV (Health Canada, 1995). Laboratory testing indicates that latex condoms provide an effective barrier to HBV (Minuk et al., 1987). A study by Rosenblum et al. (1992) of female prostitutes found an association between spermicide and/or diaphragm use and a reduction in risk of HBV infection. However, the efficacy of the spermicide nonoxynol-9, included on some condoms, in inactivating HBV is not known.

Unprotected anal intercourse appears to be a particularly high risk behaviour for acquisition of HBV infection, and unprotected vaginal intercourse also carries a demonstrated risk. As a result, STD prevention education programs that emphasize the reduction of high risk behaviours and promote the consistent use of condoms, particularly those targeted at specific STD risk groups, may be beneficial in preventing the spread of HBV in the Canadian population.


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--Get Outdoors-Enjoy Life----Neil

[This message has been edited by LOST1 (edited 01-02-2003).]