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Posted by: SexOracle, on 6/30/2009
, in category "STDs"
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Abstract: Hepatitis viruses are diseases that attack the liver. The liver is essential for eliminating poisons from your body (and is put to heavy work by binge drinkers). Here we talk about sexually transmitted Hepatitis A & B, and how to avoid them.
Hepatitis viruses are diseases that attack the liver. The liver is essential for eliminating poisons from your body (and is put to heavy work by binge drinkers). Here we talk about sexually transmitted Hepatitis A & B, and how to avoid them.
Hepatitis B
Transmission is through vaginal, anal and oral sex. Hep B can also be acquired through contact with infected blood (by using dirty needles, or receiving a contaminated blood transfusion).
Symptoms include yellow-tinged skin and eyeballs, fever, and a tender, swollen liver.
Danger is low, because most people with Hep B recover within a few weeks or months. However, about 5% of adults develop chronic Hepatitis B, and experience symptoms such as vomiting and even death. Children are less resilient to Hep B: babies born with the disease (caught from their mother during birth) have only a 5% chance of recovering from it and, if they don’t recover, a 40% chance of dying from Hep B for the rest of their life.
Diagnosis involves a blood test in order to detect certain antigens or antibodies. Severity and treatment can be monitored by measuring someone’s viral load.
Treatment is available for chronic Hepatitis B in the form of the medicine Lamivudine. Unfortunately, there is no cure for Hep B.
Prevent Hepatitis B by using condoms until you are in a monogamous, stable relationship where both partners have been tested and cleared. There is also a vaccine – ask your doctor for it.
Hepatitis A
Transmission is through faecal-oral contact. So as well as being able to catch Hepatitis A through food and water contaminated with traces of faeces, it is possible to catch Hep A through anal sex, and analingus or “rimming”. Therefore men who have sex with men are at the highest risk of obtaining Hep A sexually.
Symptoms usually appear about a month after infection. They include fatigue, depression, loss of appetite, nausea and jaundice (yellow-tinged skin and eyeballs, as with Hep B). About 15% of people infected with Hepatitis A will experience symptoms for up to 2 years.
Danger is even lower than Hepatitis B – there is less than 0.5% chance of death, and the infection does not turn chronic. After being infected with Hep A and recovering from it, a person is immune to future infections. In developing countries, a large proportion of children contract Hep A through unsanitary water and food. People from developed countries that catch Hep A through non-sexual routes usually acquire it when travelling to developing countries.
Diagnosis of Hep A is through a blood test or faecal test (that is, the doctor sends your poo to a lab).
Treatment in the form of medicine doesn’t exist. The best way to recover is simply to get lots of rest, eat a healthy, balanced diet, and avoid junk food and alcohol (your poor liver is too busy dealing with Hep A attacking it to filter alcohol and toxins from your blood). Drink lots of water.
Prevention comes in the form of a vaccine, which can sometimes be doubled with the Hep B vaccine. Practice hygienic sex – only perform analingus on a thoroughly cleaned anus, preferably with a dental dam. Don’t perform fellatio on a penis that has been inserted into your anus previously. Don’t swim at a beach that sewage empties into.
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