Hep B Blog

Category Archives: Living with Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B Advocacy, Hepatitis B Prevention, Living with Hepatitis B

“How Did You Get Hepatitis B?” Why We Should Answer

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Image courtesy of Serge Bertasius Photography at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of Serge Bertasius Photography at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

By Christine Kukka

Telling someone you have hepatitis B is almost always followed by the question, “how did you get it?”

The question can feel like an invasion of privacy or an indictment. Behind the question lurks a desire for reassurance that hepatitis B won’t happen to them, but of course it can. And that’s why we should answer and tell our story.

On a global scale, the story of hepatitis B is the story of humanity. How we and our forebears became infected results from centuries of human migrations, the transatlantic slave trade, political upheaval, poverty, re-used medical devices and ineffective public health policies. Continue reading "“How Did You Get Hepatitis B?” Why We Should Answer" →

Hepatitis B Treatment, Living with Hepatitis B

The Hepatitis B Patient Community Loses Its “Mom”

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Hep B List "parents" Sheree Martin and Steve Bingham at a 2005 patient conference.
Hep B List “parents” Sheree Martin and Steve Bingham at a 2005 patient conference.

The hepatitis B community recently lost its much-loved advocate, resource and “mom,” Sheree Martin. She was co-owner of the Hepatits B Information and Support List from 1998 to 2011 and comforter and consultant to thousands of people around the world who live with hepatitis B.

The reach of her kindness and wisdom cannot be under-estimated. In the early days of hepatitis B, when medical treatment was misguided and stigma ran rife, Sheree nurtured a safe, online community that provided reassurance and accurate medical information. For many, it was the first time they were able to share the confusion, loneliness and frustration of living with chronic hepatitis B with people just like them. Continue reading "The Hepatitis B Patient Community Loses Its “Mom”" →

Hepatitis B Prevention, Living with Hepatitis B

Preparing for College, Dating and Disclosing Hepatitis B

Image courtesy of jesadaphorn at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of jesadaphorn at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

When my daughter, who has chronic hepatitis B, packed for her freshman year of college, I peppered her with warnings about the need for standard precautions and condoms. I suggested wording for a future conversation where she would disclose her infection and negotiate safe sex with a potential partner.

I hoped these verbal dress rehearsals would empower and protect her, especially if that potential boyfriend turned her down. I wanted her to know that any rejection would not be about her or her hepatitis B, it would be about his fears. Continue reading "Preparing for College, Dating and Disclosing Hepatitis B" →

Hepatitis B Diagnosis & Monitoring, Liver Cancer, Living with Hepatitis B

Summertime Strategies to Protect Your Liver: Enjoy a Dose of Sunlight and Vitamin D

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Grace Wong, associate professor of gastroenterology and hepatology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Grace Wong, associate professor of gastroenterology and hepatology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Catching 15 minutes of sunlight three times a week and drinking water instead of sugary drinks are two of the easiest and most natural ways to protect against liver cancer and other types of liver damage when you live with hepatitis B.

Sunlight doesn’t cure hepatitis B, but it spurs production of vitamin D, which appears to help prevent a number of cancers and other liver problems.

The liver appears to play a vital role in metabolizing vitamin D, and when you have healthy vitamin D levels, your body’s cells behave and grow normally. But when you have a vitamin D deficiency, communication between your cells breaks down, which can lead to abnormal cell growth and cancer. Continue reading "Summertime Strategies to Protect Your Liver: Enjoy a Dose of Sunlight and Vitamin D" →

Hepatitis B Prevention, Living with Hepatitis B

Celebrate World Hepatitis Day By Making Hepatitis B History

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Joan M. Block, Co-Founder and Executive Director
Joan M. Block, Co-Founder and Executive Director

By Joan M. Block, RN, BSN
Executive Director and Co-Founder, Hepatitis B Foundation

Tuesday, July 28, is World Hepatitis Day, which commemorates the birthday of Dr. Baruch S. Blumberg, who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for identifying the hepatitis B virus and developing a vaccine to prevent it. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the hepatitis B virus – a discovery that has literally saved hundreds of millions of lives.
Continue reading "Celebrate World Hepatitis Day By Making Hepatitis B History" →

Living with Hepatitis B

Do You Have to Tell Your Employer About Your Hepatitis B?

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Image courtesy of Ambro at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of Ambro at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

“Do I have to tell my new employer about my hepatitis B?”

After years of cautiously completing medical forms for schools, camps and college, my daughter’s question took me by surprise. It shouldn’t have. Many jobs—even when they don’t involve direct medical care—require a physical exam and confirmation of hepatitis B immunization.

There may be a safe and effective vaccine and new treatments for hepatitis B, but ignorance and stigma remain stubbornly entrenched in many HR departments. So here is what every job applicant, employee and employer should know about hepatitis B and employment.

During the application process or job interview, can an employer ask about my health? Continue reading "Do You Have to Tell Your Employer About Your Hepatitis B?" →

Hepatitis B Advocacy, Living with Hepatitis B

July 4th: Celebrating Freedom from Discrimination Against Hepatitis B

Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The day my daughter started kindergarten, her teacher asked that she be transferred to another classroom. She thought my daughter posed a health threat to a classmate who was recovering from leukemia.

Our doctor had disclosed my daughter’s chronic hepatitis B infection on her school health form. I thought the school nurse would know my daughter posed no risk to students, who were nearly all immunized against hepatitis B and supervised by teachers trained in universal precautions.

I was wrong on many counts. The school nurse went along with the teacher’s recommendation. After heated discussions with the school principal that included providing copies of medical reports and civil rights laws, my daughter remained in the classroom and the school’s staff received training on universal precautions.

That happened 16 years ago. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) had been enacted 10 years earlier and policy makers, health officials and the courts were still working out exactly how the landmark law would protect people with blood-borne infections such as HIV and hepatitis B and C.

Continue reading "July 4th: Celebrating Freedom from Discrimination Against Hepatitis B" →

Hepatitis B Diagnosis & Monitoring, Hepatitis B Prevention, Living with Hepatitis B

Expert Calls for Viral Load Testing in All Pregnant Women with Hepatitis B

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Dr. Ravi Jhaveri, an infectious disease specialist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, talks to parents.
Dr. Ravi Jhaveri, an infectious disease specialist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, talks to parents.

Today, all pregnant women are routinely screened for hepatitis B, but a growing number of doctors say this single test doesn’t go far enough to protect the health of women and children.

In a commentary published in the medical journal Pediatrics,  infectious disease specialist Dr. Ravi Jhaveri calls for a mandatory second test in pregnant women infected with hepatitis B. This test would measure the amount of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in her body (called viral load).

When women have high viral loads, their newborns can become infected even if they are immunized at birth and treated with HBIG (hepatitis B antibodies) to prevent infection. Continue reading "Expert Calls for Viral Load Testing in All Pregnant Women with Hepatitis B" →

Hepatitis B Advocacy, Living with Hepatitis B

Know Your Rights: What College Students with Hep B Need to Know About Health Forms and Disclosure

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Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

This summer, students living with hepatitis B face a task that can be as stressful as SATs, entrance exams or writing college essays – completing their colleges’ health forms.

Some colleges and graduate schools require no medical information while others expect you to document in detail your allergies, immunizations, medical history and even undergo TB testing.

The good news is colleges want to make sure all students are vaccinated against hepatitis B, the bad news is the requirement can force students to disclose their hepatitis B infection. Here are some important things parents and students should know when filling out college health forms.

No school can deny you admission or treat you differently because you have hepatitis B. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination based on disabilities, and that includes hepatitis B.

Continue reading "Know Your Rights: What College Students with Hep B Need to Know About Health Forms and Disclosure" →

Hepatitis B Advocacy, Hepatitis B Diagnosis & Monitoring, Hepatitis B Prevention, Living with Hepatitis B

Four Things Fathers Affected by Hepatitis B Can Do for Themselves and Their Families

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Image courtesy of photostock at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of photostock at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Father’s Day, June 21, is a day to celebrate the contributions men make in their children’s lives. It’s also a good day for fathers to acknowledge how valuable they are to their families and how important it is to take care of their health.

Living with chronic hepatitis B can be challenging. Here are some things dads can do to take care of themselves or family members infected with hepatitis B.

1. Get outside and soak in some sunlight and some vitamin D. People with hepatitis B who have vitamin D deficiencies have higher rates of liver damage, cirrhosis and cancer. A healthy diet provides vitamin D, but 80 percent of our vitamin D comes from 15 minutes of exposure to sunlight two to three times a week. So get outside and walk, garden, exercise and soak in some healthy sunlight.

Continue reading "Four Things Fathers Affected by Hepatitis B Can Do for Themselves and Their Families" →

Baruch S. Blumberg Institute