Hormones 2016

Hepatitis
• as a result of blood-to-blood contact -
⋆ via sharing of injecting equipment, such as needles, spoons and
filters
⋆ through the use of non-sterile needles for tattooing, piercing or
acupuncture
• through transmission from mother to baby during pregnancy, when
giving birth or during breastfeeding. All pregnant women in the UK
are tested for hepatitis B.
• if you work closely with blood and bodily fluids
The virus can be passed on in these body fluids -
• blood,
• semen,
• pre-cum,
• vaginal secretions (tht, 2015c).
It is passed on through -
• oral, vaginal or anal sex without a condom,
• rimming,
• sharing sex toys,
• sharing injecting drug equipment such as needles and syringes which
can carry infected blood,
• a pregnant woman with the virus can give it to her baby during
childbirth (tht, 2015c).
It can be found in saliva but there are no proven cases of it being passed on
through kissing. Infections from bites are rare. You can pass on hepatitis B
from two weeks before developing jaundice (tht, 2015c).
Avoid sharing -
• razors,
• toothbrushes,
• nail scissors,
• hair clippers, and
• tweezers (tht, 2015c),
• towels (umbrellahealth, 2016a).
Traces of blood on any of these can pass on hepatitis B. This includes dried
blood as the virus can survive for at least a week outside of the body (tht,
2015c).
Symptoms
Many people with hepatitis B do not even realise that they are infected and
most people who are infected have no symptoms for many years.
Many people who get hepatitis B notice no symptoms or they are so mild
that they may not realise they have it. But weeks or months after infection
it can cause -
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Version 2016.3576– – Document LATEXed – 1st May 2016
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