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  • Navigating Our Emotions When We’re First Diagnosed with Hepatitis B

    Image courtesy of Tuomas_Lehtinen at FreeDigitalPhotos.net. When we’re first diagnosed with hepatitis B, our physical health isn't the only thing we need to focus on. Many of us experience powerful surges of fear, anger, sadness, powerlessness, depression, and anxiety. No matter what you’re feeling, you have a right to feel whatever emotions are welling up – sometimes unexpectedly – inside you. There are no right or wrong feelings, they just are, and it’s up to you to decide what choices you make and how to respond to them. When my daughter was first diagnosed, she was a toddler and happened to be coming down with a cold. I knew nothing about hepatitis B and was convinced she would soon die from it given her crankiness, lethargy, and nonstop sleeping. Within a day or two, she was her smiling, energetic self again, and I happily slipped into denial. Surely the test was wrong or there was a mix-up in the result. My husband dragged his feet for weeks before he agreed to be screened for hepatitis B so great was his denial and fear. Denial is a normal first reaction, it can give us some  breathing room to get used to the idea that we’re infected. But denial can also be dangerous, especially if we’re in a sexual relationship with someone and don’t take precautions. Denial can be dangerous when we hide our infection and don’t tell our family members or partners, even though they may have been exposed. Denial is dangerous when we don’t tell our parents, who may not know they’re infected and unknowingly passed the virus to us at birth. It’s important to talk out our feelings with a doctor, a therapist, or a friend you trust. We need to move through denial so we can begin to receive the care and support we need, and talk to others who may also be at risk. Anger is another common and natural feeling after a diagnosis. It’s OK to get upset about how we or our family members were infected, or get angry that our parents or lovers didn’t know they

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/navigating-our-emotions-when-were-first-diagnosed-with-hepatitis-b/
  • It’s Flu Season: Protect Your Liver from Unintentional Acetaminophen (Tylenol) Overdose

    Image courtesy of marin at FreeDigitalPhotos.net Cold season is here and sometimes the flu vaccine and washing our hands just aren’t enough to keep colds at bay. If you do get sick, make sure the over-the-counter (OTC) medication you take doesn’t damage your liver while it's relieving your cold symptoms Acetaminophen (brand name Tylenol) is the most popular painkiller in the United States. (In other parts of the world it is known as Paracetamol.) Not only is it found in the 8 billion acetaminophen pills Americans take each year to reduce aches and pains, it’s also found in cough and congestion medications. When we have hepatitis B, we need to be careful we don’t unintentionally overdose when we take acetaminophen pills and cough or sinus medications. Dozens of cold and flu medications that promise to suppress our coughs and let us sleep through the night contain acetaminophen as one of their ingredients, but we won’t find “Tylenol” listed as an ingredient on their labels. Instead, we need to look carefully for “acetaminophen” on the label. How much acetaminophen can adults safely take? Unless we have serious liver damage, such as cirrhosis, doctors say we can safely take the recommended dose of acetaminophen for a very limited period of time without damaging our livers. In fact, doctors routinely recommend this painkiller following a liver biopsy or to reduce interferon’s flu-like side effects. The maximum dose of acetaminophen that adults can safely take over a 24-hour period is four grams, which equals eight extra-strength pills or about 12 regular-strength pills. (An extra-strength pill contains 500 mg and a regular strength pill contains 325 mg). But, if we drink two alcoholic beverages a day, we need to cut that recommended acetaminophen dose in half, that's how much acetaminophen can affect our livers. If we take too much of this drug at any one time, it builds up in our liver and causes serious side effects. For example, if an adult takes

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/its-flu-season-protect-your-liver-from-unintentional-acetaminophen-tylenol-overdose/
  • Ten Things People with Hepatitis B Need to Know in 2016

    Image courtesy of Serge Bertasius Photography at FreeDigitalPhotos.net In 2015, doctors continued to unlock the mysteries of hepatitis B and uncovered promising new treatments. Armed with new information, here are 10 things we can do in 2016 to safeguard our health and help prevent the spread of hepatitis B. Get monitored regularly. No one likes a blood draw or to be reminded they have hepatitis B, but it's important that you're tested annually or more often if you have a high viral load and/or signs of liver damage. There's no cure yet, but there are effective treatment options with more in the pipeline. So be brave, protect your health, and go to the lab for a blood test. If you've been prescribed an antiviral, don’t forget to take it. Taking a pill every day is tedious and it’s tempting to skip it, but failing to take your daily antiviral reduces its effectiveness and can lead to drug resistance. The hepatitis B virus is a master at mutating to escape whatever is attacking it. Forgetting to take your daily pill can lead to an uptick in your viral load and liver damage. Stay strong, take your daily pill, and keep that virus undetectable. Face it, antivirals are a long-term commitment. Until a cure is developed, antivirals—either tenofovir (Viread) or entecavir (Baraclude)—are the best treatment to quickly reduce both viral load (HBV DNA) and liver damage. But they work for only as long as we take them, and once we start, we are usually committed to years of treatment. Quitting antivirals before we’ve achieved undetectable viral load and lost the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) often results in a resurgence of both viral load and liver damage. Antivirals are a long-term treatment that help prolong our lives. Demand to be screened for liver cancer. Some experts say current medical guidelines that recommend when we should be screened for liver cancer  don't go far enough to protect us. So take charge of your health and ask for a liver cancer screen,

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/ten-things-people-with-hepatitis-b-need-to-know-in-2016/
  • The Importance of Advocating for Our Health, and Facing Our Fears

    Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net Early detection of cancer saves lives. Whether it’s breast, liver, or skin cancer, when it’s found and treated early, our survival improves markedly. But here’s the rub. We intellectually know that early detection works, but performing those self-breast exams or getting screened for liver cancer carries a huge risk – what if something is found? Every trip to the doctor or lab reminds us of our mortality, especially when we have hepatitis B. We have to take that risk and acknowledge our mortality, even when the healthcare system doesn’t make it easy. A few months ago, the Hepatitis B Foundation assembled national experts to discuss how well the system worked to identify and treat liver cancer, which is now one of the top causes of cancer deaths. Worldwide, today hepatitis B causes 45 percent of liver cancers. Their findings, published in the April 2015 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, paint a dismal picture of a healthcare system that often fails us, our family members, and our friends who live with hepatitis B and are at risk of liver cancer. Not only are providers failing to screen a large percentage of at-risk patients, when they find liver cancer, their treatment is often inadequate and inconsistent across clinics. Who should be screened for liver cancer? Hepatitis B-infected Asian men (or of Asian descent) over age 40 years and Asian women over age 50 years, patients with a family history of liver cancer, patients with cirrhosis, and Africans over the age of 20 should all be screened. What is the screening? A semi-annual ultrasound and blood tests to detect liver cancer are recommended, but this approach is only 70 to 80 percent effective in identifying liver cancers. This means 20 to 30 percent of people at risk of cancer won’t get diagnosed. And there are other problems. A recent, large study of 5,000 insured hepatitis B patients in the U.S. who did not have cirrhosis

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/the-importance-of-advocating-for-our-health-and-facing-our-fears/
  • There's Hope for a Hepatitis B Cure at the HEP DART 2015 Conference

    This year's  HEP DART conference brought together liver specialists and researchers from around the world to review and brainstorm about the latest research to find a cure for hepatitis B. Biopharmaceutical companies presented data that showed their cutting-edge treatments, which use micro-RNAs and other innovative approaches to reduce the virus, appear promising. Much of this research, however, is in early, pre-clinical stages and focuses on laboratory-grown liver cells or laboratory animals, though a few are in Phase I and Phase II trials. Joan Block, co-founder and executive director of the Hepatitis B Foundation, reported the following news in hepatitis B research from the conference, which was held in Hawaii from Dec. 6-10. HepDart 2015 marks the 20th anniversary of this conference, and about 600 attendees from 20 countries attended. In opening remarks, Dr. Patrick Marcellin of France noted that the cure for hepatitis C is a huge medical breakthrough, now, he noted we are faced with finding a cure for hepatitis B. This year's HepDart meeting included nearly two days devoted to hepatitis B drug development—which shows the new momentum around finding a cure hepatitis B by the scientific community. During previous HepDart meetings, there was almost no discussion about new hepatitis B treatment. But this year, there are more than five companies presenting new hepatitis B drug findings, Block reported. Researchers at the conference continued to lament the lack of resources spent to research and develop a cure for hepatitis B. They noted the U.S. government has spent $17.5 billion treating HIV. A fraction of that has been spent on finding cures for hepatitis B and C, which infects up to 6 million Americans. Despite the lack of financial investment in finding a cure, Joan Block reports that the consensus at the conference is that a cure is indeed possible. Despite barriers to achieving a cure because of the complexity of the hepatitis B virus, “the feeling is

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/theres-hope-for-a-hepatitis-b-cure-at-the-hep-dart-2015-conference/
  • Adults Living with Hepatitis B

    If you test positive for the hepatitis B virus for longer than 6 months, this indicates that you have a chronic hepatitis B infection.  All patients with chronic hepatitis B infections, including children and adults, should be monitored regularly since they are at increased risk for developing cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer. You should make an appointment with a hepatologist (liver specialist) or gastroenterologist familiar with hepatitis B. This specialist will order blood tests and possibly a liver ultrasound to evaluate your hepatitis B status and the health of your liver. Your doctor will probably want to see you at least once or twice a year to monitor your hepatitis B and determine if you would benefit from treatment. Not everyone who tests positive for hepatitis B will require medication. Depending on your test results, you and your doctor might decide to wait and monitor your condition. If your test results indicate that you would be a good candidate for treatment, then your doctor will discuss the current treatment options with you. Whether you start treatment or not, your doctor will want to see you every six months, or at minimum once every year. Before you start any treatment, make sure you research each treatment option, and ask your doctor to thoroughly explain each option, so that you are well informed. It also might be a good idea to get a second opinion from another doctor before starting any treatment, because more information is always better! Once you are diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B, the virus will most likely stay in your blood and liver for a lifetime. It is important to know that you can pass the virus along to others, even if you don’t feel sick. This is why it’s so important that you make sure that all close household contacts and sex partners are tested and vaccinated against hepatitis B. While living with hepatitis B can be difficult and scary at first, the more information and support that you have, the easier it gets. Many patients become such experts at managing their hepatitis B that they sometimes teach their health care providers about the latest research and information! The most important thing to remember is that hepatitis B is a chronic medical condition (such as diabetes and high blood pressure) that can be successfully managed if you take good care of your health and your liver. You should expect to live a long, full life.

    https://www.hepb.org/treatment-and-management/adults-with-hepatitis-b/
  • What is the likelihood that someone infected with hepatitis B will develop liver cancer?

    Individuals chronically infected with hepatitis B, who were infected at birth, and who do not receive any medical intervention or treatment, can have up to a 25% lifetime risk of developing liver cancer. The risk is highest for people with other risk factors – such as people who have cirrhosis, or a family history of liver cancer. The annual risk of developing liver cancer among people with hepatitis B is less than 1% in people without cirrhosis and 2-4% in people with cirrhosis. However, the risk of liver cancer can be significantly reduced with early detection of hepatitis B virus, treatment with antivirals if advised by your doctor, and making healthy lifestyle choices. Careful and early management of a chronic hepatitis B infection can avoid the progression of liver disease to cirrhosis, where there is the greatest risk for liver cancer. Regular screening for liver cancer, also known as liver cancer surveillance, can detect cancers early when they may be curative. Know your status and get tested for hepatitis B. Please keep in mind that feeling healthy and having no symptoms DOES NOT mean there is no infection, or consequent serious liver problems. So, ask your doctor to test you for hepatitis B, and if you’re living with hepatitis B, ask your doctor about liver cancer surveillance. Find more Frequently Asked Questions here.    Page updated 12/27/2022

    https://www.hepb.org/what-is-hepatitis-b/faqs/what-is-the-likelihood-that-someone-infected-with-hepatitis-b-will-develop-liver-cancer/
  • If I have chronic hepatitis B infection, can I hug my children, partner or friend?

    Yes, you can and should hug your loved ones! Hepatitis B is not spread casually, and it cannot be spread through hugging. Actually, hugging has many health benefits like reducing stress and fear, boosting heart health, and reducing pain, to name a few. You can find more information about the health benefits of hugging here. In many parts of the world, where hepatitis B is common, hepatitis B infection is most often transmitted from a mother who is living with hepatitis B to her newborn baby due to blood exchanged during the delivery process. Hepatitis B is transmitted through direct contact with infected blood and infected sexual fluids. This can occur through sharing sharp instruments such as razors, nail clippers, toothbrushes, earrings or body jewelry, since small amounts of blood can be exchanged through these items. Hepatitis B may also be transmitted during unprotected sex with an infected partner, sharing needles, unsterilized medical or dental equipment. Also, body piercing and tattooing are potential sources of infection if unsterile needles or contaminated ink are used. The good news is that completion of the hepatitis B vaccination series provides lifelong protection against a hepatitis B infection in anyone who has not already been infected. Please visit our webpage to learn more about hepatitis B transmission, and how to protect your loved ones with the hepatitis B vaccine.   Find more Frequently Asked Questions here.    Page updated 12/27/2022

    https://www.hepb.org/what-is-hepatitis-b/faqs/if-i-have-chronic-hepatitis-b-infection-can-i-hug-my-children-partner-or-friend/
  • Hepatitis B community leaders convene to address eliminating hepatitis B during COVID-19 pandemic

    Doylestown, Nov. 30, 2020 – Hep B United, a national coalition established by the Hepatitis B Foundation (HBF) and the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) to address the silent epidemic of hepatitis B, will host its eighth annual (and first virtual) summit Dec. 2-4. The event will bring together nearly 200 community leaders, advocates and people living with hepatitis B to promote screening and prevention strategies and advocate for equitable access to health care. Hepatitis B is caused by a virus and is the world’s most common, serious liver infection. It also is the deadliest vaccine-preventable disease, with nearly 900,000 people dying each year from hepatitis B-related disease worldwide. In the United States, an estimated 2.2 million Americans are chronically infected with hepatitis B, yet most do not know it. Without early diagnosis and intervention, one in four people living with hepatitis B will die prematurely from liver failure or liver cancer. “Every year, the Hep B United summit brings together partners around the country to share best practices towards the elimination of hepatitis B,” Chari Cohen, DrPH, MPH, senior vice president of the Hepatitis B Foundation and co-chair of Hep B United, said. “The COVID-19 global pandemic has negatively impacted hepatitis B testing and vaccination programs. We look forward to having important conversations at the summit about strategies to continue critical community-based hepatitis B prevention and outreach programs.” The Hep B United summit is the largest convening of hepatitis B leaders from community coalitions, national nonprofit organizations, individuals and family members affected by hepatitis B, and public health agencies in the United States. Hep B United is comprised of nearly 50 community coalitions across the country located in 29 cities, 22 states and Washington, D.C.  The summit’s theme, “Standing Up for Hepatitis B: Creative Collaborations to Amplify Awareness, Access, and Equity,” features sessions that share innovative local, national and global programs to prevent, diagnose and treat hepatitis B, including implementing screening and vaccination programs during the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic. The summit also will include sessions on the hepatitis B cure, how bias and racism affect health care, and voices from #justB, the Hepatitis B Foundation’s national storytelling campaign that tells the personal stories of people affected by hepatitis B to increase public awareness and combat stigma and discrimination.  "The Hep B United Summit convenes community leaders and other experts across the country at the frontlines of combating hepatitis B," said Jeffrey Caballero, executive director of AAPCHO and co-chair of Hep B United. "The Summit is needed now more than ever amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has exacerbated the challenges of those most impacted by hepatitis B, including Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Critical conversations, community engagement and advocacy best practices among the Hep B United coalition members spark the action needed to continue our work together to end this 'silent' epidemic and ensure equitable access to health care for our communities." During the Summit’s reception on Dec. 4, Hep B United will present Corinna Dan, RN, MPH, former Senior Policy Advisor, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy, with the first Hepatitis B Federal Champion Award. Hep B United also will present 2020 Hep B Champion Awards to nine community leaders and organizations in recognition of their collaborative and successful initiatives to address hepatitis:  Amy Shen Tang, MD, Director of Immigrant Health, Northeast Medical Services, San Francisco Asian Health Coalition, Chicago Bright Ansah, #justB Storyteller, Maryland Chioma Nnaji, MPH, MEd, Project Director, Multicultural AIDS Coalition, Boston Coalition Against Hepatitis in People of African Origin (CHIPO) New York City David Urick, #justB Storyteller, Ypsilanti, MI Farma Pene, Community Projects Coordinator, Bureau of Communicable Diseases, NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, New York City Joe Balestreri, #justB Storyteller, Santa Rosa, CA Richard So, MPH, MPA, Executive Director, San Francisco Hep B Free-Bay Area, San Francisco About Hepatitis B: Hepatitis B is one of the world’s most common infections and the primary cause of liver cancer, which is the second-leading cause of cancer death in the world. Up to 292 million are chronically infected, and almost 1 million people die each year from hepatitis B-related liver failure and liver cancer. In the U.S., one in 20 Americans has been infected with hepatitis B, and up to 2.2 million are chronically infected. The hepatitis B virus is transmitted through blood, unprotected sex, unsterile needles, and from an infected mother to her newborn due to blood exchange during delivery. Although hepatitis B is preventable and treatable, there is still no complete cure for this deadly liver infection.  About Hep B United: Hep B United is a national coalition established by the Hepatitis B Foundation and the Association of Asian and Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) to address the public health challenge of hepatitis B by increasing awareness, screening, vaccination and linkage to care for all Americans, with a particular focus on Asian-American and Pacific Islander populations that are disproportionately impacted. To learn more, visit www.hepbunited.org.  About the Hepatitis B Foundation: The nation’s leading nonprofit organization solely dedicated to finding a cure for hepatitis B and improving the quality of life for those affected worldwide through research, education and patient advocacy, the Hepatitis B Foundation is based in Doylestown, Pa., with an office in Washington, D.C. To learn more, go to www.hepb.org, read our blog at hepb.org/blog, follow us on Twitter @HepBFoundation, find us on Facebook at facebook.com/hepbfoundation or call 215-489-4900. To donate, contact Jean Holmes at 215-489-4900 or jean.holmes@hepb.org. About the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organization: The Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organization (AAPCHO) is a national association of community health organizations dedicated to promoting advocacy, collaboration, and leadership that improves the health status and access of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islanders in the United States. To learn more, visit www.aapcho.org.

    https://www.hepb.org/news-and-events/news-2/hepatitis-b-community-leaders-convene-to-address-eliminating-hepatitis-b-during-covid-19-pandemic/
  • Liver Cancer and Hepatitis B

    Worldwide, chronic infection with hepatitis causes 80% of all primary liver cancers and more than 500,000 people die each year from this lethal cancer. Currently, primary liver cancer has a 5-year survival rate of only 10%. The good news is that there is an effective vaccine against hepatitis B infection. In fact, the hepatitis B vaccine was named the first “anti-cancer vaccine” by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration because the prevention of chronic hepatitis B infections results in the prevention of primary liver cancer due to hepatitis B (the vaccine, however, does not protect against liver cancer due to chronic hepatitis C infections). Additionally, there are effective therapies to control and manage chronic hepatitis B infections to help prevent the progression to liver cancer as well. Because of the strong link between hepatitis and liver cancer, we have developed a program, Liver Cancer Connect, designed to answer your questions and provide more information about primary liver cancer. You can learn more about the link between chronic hepatitis B infection and liver cancer, how liver cancer is diagnosed and treated, and why regular screening for liver cancer is important for those living with chronic hepatitis B. Visit Liver Cancer Connect to learn more.

    https://www.hepb.org/research-and-programs/liver/