Protect Your Loved Ones
It is important to make sure you prevent transmission of the hepatitis B virus to those you love:
- The first step is to have household family members and sexual partners tested, and vaccinated if they are not infected.
- Hepatitis B can be spread through direct blood contact, unprotected sex, and contact with infected bodily fluids, so until you know that your family members are protected:
- avoid unprotected sex
- don’t share razors, needles, nail clippers, tooth brushes or earrings
- make sure you keep all cuts and open sores covered
- clean all blood spills with a fresh 1:9 solution of bleach and water (1 part bleach to 9 parts water), making sure gloves are used.
- Once you are sure that loved ones are protected, you do not have to worry about possibly infecting them.
- Hepatitis B is NOT spread through casual contact, hugging, coughing, sneezing, or eating food prepared by someone who is infected. You do not have to worry about these things even before your family members are protected by the vaccine. So, even while your family members or sexual partners and completing the vaccine series, you do not have to worry about transmitting the virus through casual contact.
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