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T C FA ? N O I T C I F OOK or
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There is no vaccine for hepatitis B.
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You can get hepatitis B from sex.
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STATEMENT
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True/ False False
There is a safe and effective vaccine for hepatitis B. It involves three injections over six months. It is important to have a blood test 28 days after the last injection, to make sure the vaccination was successful. About one in ten people will need to have more than three vaccinations. Once a person is successfully vaccinated against hepatitis B, they are protected for life.
True
The hepatitis B virus is found in sexual fluids, and is classed as a sexually transmitted infection. However, if you have been successfully vaccinated against hepatitis B, you will be protected, for life, from this and other forms of hepatitis B transmission.
False
Hepatitis B is a virus, and is not passed on through genes. It is only passed on through blood to blood contact and sexual fluids.
You can get hepatitis B from sex.
I can inherit hepatitis B from my parents through my genes.
Answer
Most hepatitis B infections worldwide are from mother to baby transmission during childbirth.
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People get hepatitis B from eating dirty food.
False
Hepatitis B is a virus that is only passed on through blood to blood contact and sexual fluids.
I had hepatitis B before and recovered, so I am immune and can’t get it again.
True
Adults have a 90% chance of clearing the hepatitis B virus naturally. If this happens, the person will have antibodies which will protect them for life, from the hepatitis B virus.
People get hepatitis B if they don’t eat a healthy diet.
False
The hepatitis B virus is passed on through blood to blood contact and sexual fluids. Eating an unhealthy diet can increase the amount of damage to the liver as it is harder for the liver to process unhealthy food, but will not cause hepatitis B.
If you have hepatitis B, you will definitely die from liver cancer.
False
People living with hepatitis B need to get regular monitoring every 6-12 months from their doctor. This may involve a blood test and a scan. This monitoring will determine if the persons needs to take medication to control the virus. Regular monitoring and taking medication when needed can reduce the chance of liver cancer by up to 70%.
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My boyfriend just found out he has hepatitis B. That means he must be sleeping around.
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False
My boyfriend just found out he has hepatitis B. That means he must be sleeping around.
Hepatitis B is transmitted through blood to bloodstream contact and sexual fluids. However, just because your boyfriend has hepatitis B doesn’t necessarily mean he has been sleeping around. He could have got it through blood-to-blood contact or as a child from his mother or other household contacts. As an adult there is a 90% chance of clearing the virus naturally. If your sexual partner does have hepatitis B, it is important to get a blood test to see if you have hepatitis B or if you need to be vaccinated.
There is no cure for hepatitis B.
True
There is no cure for chronic hepatitis B. However, there is treatment which can control the virus and reduce the chance of getting liver cancer by up to 70%.
I had a hepatitis B vaccination many years ago. I need another one because the effectiveness of the vaccine wears out over time.
False
Once a person is successfully vaccinated for hepatitis B, they are protected for life. However, sometimes the hepatitis B anti-bodies which protect against the virus can go dormant until they are needed. This means they may not show up in a blood test. If you are unsure, talk to your doctor.
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I was vaccinated against hepatitis B at birth, so I am immune to hepatitis B forever.
True
Once you are successfully vaccinated for hepatitis B, you are protected for life.
I have hepatitis B but I don’t have any symptoms. That means I don’t need to worry about regular check-ups.
False
Everyone with chronic hepatitis B needs to receive a regular check up to monitor how their liver is functioning and what the virus is doing. Just because someone doesn’t have symptoms doesn’t mean there is no damage occurring.
My doctor told me I am a hepatitis B “healthy carrier” so I don’t need to worry.
False
If someone has hepatitis B, they are infected and infectious. This means they can pass on the hepatitis B virus to others, and there may be damage occurring to their liver. They need to be monitored every 6-12 months by a doctor to check their liver.
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If you have hepatitis B, drinking alcohol can make it worse.
True
Alcohol is a poison for the liver. Drinking alcohol on top of having the hepatitis B virus can cause extra damage to the liver, making it more difficult for the liver to perform its functions.
Most people in Australia have been vaccinated against hepatitis B so I don’t have to worry about passing it on.
False
The hepatitis B vaccination was included in the Childhood Immunisation register since the year 2000, and while there was a catch up program for high school students, many adults who were born in Australia have not been vaccinated.
If you have hepatitis B, medical treatment will help to reduce the risk of getting liver cancer.
True
While not everyone will need to have treatment for hepatitis B, if you do, it can reduce the chance of developing liver cancer by up to 70%. It is important that people with chronic hepatitis B receive regular monitoring every 6-12 months. A regular liver check-up allows your liver health to be tracked, and the doctor can determine whether medication is required. Your doctor will also be able to provide information on how to slow the progress of liver damage.
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If I have hepatitis B, getting another hepatitis virus, like hepatitis A or hepatitis C will make my liver disease get worse faster.
True
If you have more than one virus affecting your liver, your liver disease will get worse faster than if it has to deal with only one virus.
You can get hepatitis B from sharing food and drink with someone who has hepatitis B.
False
Hepatitis B is passed on through blood to blood and sexual contact. Sharing food with someone who has hepatitis B is not a transmission risk.
You can get hepatitis B from sharing cups, plates, bowls and cutlery with someone who has hepatitis B.
False
Hepatitis B is passed on through blood to blood and sexual contact. Sharing cups, plates, bowls and cutlery with someone who has hepatitis B is not a transmission risk.
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You can get hepatitis B from kissing someone with hepatitis B.
False
Hepatitis B is passed on through blood to blood and sexual contact. Kissing someone who has hepatitis B is not a transmission risk.
Women with hepatitis B shouldn’t have children because they will pass the hepatitis B on to them.
False
In Australia, all women who are pregnant and are having regular checkups at a health service will have a blood test for all blood borne viruses. If the woman is hepatitis B positive the baby will be given a hepatitis B vaccination and immunoglobulin within 12 hours of birth. This will reduce the chance of the baby developing chronic hepatitis B to 5%. The pregnant woman may also be put on hepatitis B treatment in the last three months of pregnancy to reduce the amount of virus in her body.
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It is very important that all women who are pregnant are receiving antenatal care. It is not safe to shake hands with someone who has hepatitis B.
False
Hepatitis B is passed on through blood to blood and sexual contact. Shaking hands with someone who has hepatitis B is not a transmission risk.
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Many people with hepatitis B don’t have symptoms.
True
Many people with hepatitis B do not have any symptoms for many years, and even when people do have symptoms, they can be very vague, such as tiredness and nausea.
If you have hepatitis B, you must have yellow eyes and skin.
False
Yellowing of the eyes and skin is called jaundice. It is a sign that the liver is unwell. Some adults will get jaundice about 12 weeks after they are first infected with hepatitis B. A person with long-term hepatitis B may also develop jaundice when their liver disease becomes advanced and the liver starts to fail.
If I have hepatitis B, the doctor can tell my family and friends without my permission.
False
Hepatitis B is a medical condition and must be treated with confidentiality. Your doctor cannot tell your family and friends you have hepatitis B without your permission.
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If I have hepatitis B, I must tell my employer.
False
In South Australia you are legally required to disclose you have hepatitis B only when: • you want to join the Australian Defence Force • you are joining the healthcare profession as this will exclude you from exposure prone procedures such surgery or dentistry • when donating blood • when asked in life insurance
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• competing in sports that don’t follow blood rules. You will be tested two months prior to the fight. Hepatitis B is caused by moulds found on mushrooms.
False
Hepatitis B is caused by a virus – the hepatitis B virus. It is found in blood and sexual fluids. Some moulds and toxins can cause liver inflammation which is hepatitis, but this form of hepatitis is not hepatitis B.
Hepatitis B is a virus.
True
Hepatitis B is a virus found in blood and sexual fluids.
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Hepatitis B can be spread through mosquito bites.
False
Unlike other diseases such as Malaria and Ross River Virus, hepatitis B is not spread through mosquito bites.
You can get hepatitis B by coming into contact with the blood of someone with hepatitis B.
True
Hepatitis B is a blood borne virus. It is transmitted when the blood of an infected person, enters the blood stream of another person.
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The hepatitis B vaccination is free in Australia.
False
For the majority of people living in Australia, the hepatitis B vaccination is not free. However, SA Health run a free hepatitis B vaccination program for groups most at risk of hepatitis B. These groups include: people who inject drugs detainees and new humanitarian refugees (all ages) sexual contacts of people with chronic or acute hepatitis B infection household contacts of people with chronic or acute hepatitis B infection, including adults adopting children from overseas who have chronic or acute hepatitis B people who have HIV, chronic liver disease and/or hepatitis C inmates of correctional and youth justice facilities men who have sex with men clients of sexual health services sex workers homeless individuals people who sustain a needle stick injury that is not subject to a Workplace Health and Safety claim adults of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent individuals with development disabilities.
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You must not share beds or chairs with someone who has hepatitis B.
False
Hepatitis B is passed on through blood to blood and sexual contact. Sharing beds and chairs with someone who has hepatitis B is not a transmission risk. It is perfectly safe to touch and hug someone with hepatitis B.
I may get hepatitis B from beauty treatments done with unsterilised equipment.
True
Anything that comes in to contact with blood and is shared between people is a potential risk for transmission of hepatitis B. This can include razors, tweezers, nail clippers, hair clippers etc. The only way to destroy the hepatitis B virus is to sterilise the equipment in an autoclave. A flame, bleach, alcohol wipes, detergent will not kill the entire virus.
I can get hepatitis B through sharing injecting equipment.
True
The hepatitis B virus is spread through blood and sexual fluid. If you share injecting equipment (including needle, syringe, bag, spoon, tourniquet, filter) and if one of the other people is hepatitis B positive, there is a high chance you will get hepatitis B, unless you are already immune through vaccination or a previous, cleared infection.
I can get hepatitis B through body piercings done with shared needles.
True
Anything that comes in to contact with blood and is shared between people is a risk for transmission of hepatitis B. This includes body piercing equipment. A flame, bleach, alcohol wipes, detergent will not kill the entire virus. The only way to kill the entire hepatitis B virus is to sterilise the equipment in an autoclave.
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You can’t get hepatitis B from unsterilised tattoo equipment because the tattoo ink kills off the hepatitis B virus.
False
Anything that comes in to contact with blood and is shared between people is a hepatitis B transmission risk. This includes tattooing equipment. The only way to kill the entire hepatitis B virus is to sterilise the equipment in an autoclave. Tattoo ink will not kill the hepatitis B virus, nor will things like a flame, bleach, alcohol wipes, detergent. It is important to go to a professional tattoo parlour, as they have the proper machines to sterilise the equipment and will use individual disposable ink pots.
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16 Ph 1800 437 222 or (08) 8362 8443 Fax (08) 8362 8559 3 Hackney Rd Hackney SA 5069 PO Box 782 Kent Town SA 5071 www.hepatitissa.asn.au SA Health has contributed funds towards this Program. Last update: July 2015