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HEP B ALERT!!!!!!!!

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
Southern Gay Men's Health Project have sent out many alerts in the past year regarding Hepatitis B. Yet Hep B continues to infect Gay and Bi men and men who have sex with men in the Cork Area. This is not a scare tactic.

Hep B Infection is rising dramatically in Cork. There is No cure for Hep B. It can cause severe illness or death.

Condoms do not provide full protection, VACCINATION DOES. Get Vaccinated at The STI Clinic (free) or by your G.P. Infoline 021.4271087 STI Clinic 021. 4966844 - Hep B is a virus which attacks the liver - 100 times more infectious than HIV - Those infected may develop cancer/cirrhosis of the liver - All men and men who have sex with men are at risk


Hepatitis B

Transmission

  • Anal Sex ('fucking').
  • Oral Sex ('sucking').
  • Rimming.
  • Close contact.
  • Watersports.
Cause
  • Virus - viral infection.

Symptoms

  • Symptoms can be difficult to detect.
  • If they do show, symptoms could appear similar to a mild flu, and can result in exhaustion and/or jaundice (where the skin and eyes appear yellow and urine becomes discoloured - darker in colour).
  • Tiredness, nausea, loss of appetite, and tenderness in the abdomen are also possible telltale signs.
Treatment
  • There are no highly effective treatments available.
  • Preventative measures are available i.e. vaccination.
  • It can require hospitalisation in extreme cases.
  • In most people the virus clears up within six months and they become immune and develop a lifetime immunity to that particular virus.
  • In small number of cases (about 10%) the individual remains infectious and may go on to develop cancer or cirrhosis of the liver, which can be fatal.
Vaccination
  • There is a highly active vaccine available, free of charge, from your local STI/GUM clinic.
  • There are little or no side-effects. This vaccine may be given in conjunction with a hepatitis A vaccine (dual vaccination). It is given in a series of three injections over a six-month period. The course must be completed for the vaccine to be effective.
  • Vaccination prevents infection. It is not a cure.
  • There is no cure for hepatitis B and no effective medical treatments. The virus has to take its course. You may not be able to drink alcohol for six months. It also has a very negative effect on one's sex life because hepatitis B cannot be cured.
NOTES
  • Hepatitis B is mainly caught through sexual contact (oral and anal sex, and possibly wet kissing). It can also be contracted from sharing needles or syringes, tattooing, ear piercing, acupuncture, and electrolysis (if the equipment has not been sterilized). Infected mothers can pass the virus on to their unborn babies.
  • It is 100 times more contagious than HIV. While safer-sex will help protect you against HIV it cannot fully protect you against hepatitis B.
  • One third of adults who contract hepatitis B will have no symptoms.

  • A hepatitis B carrier is someone who carries the virus in their blood even though they appear well. Many are therefore unaware that they have been infected since they will not have had symptoms.
Prevention
  • Vaccination is the most reliable form of prevention.
  • Used properly, condoms reduce risk of infection.
  • Inform known partners of possible infections.