Minority Women's Health

E-mail this page to a friend

Hepatitis B

Minority Women's Health > Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders and Native Hawaiians > Health Topics > Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is a serious disease caused by a virus called HBV that attacks the liver. The virus attacks the liver, scarring it and causing liver cancer and even death. You may have hepatitis B (and be spreading the disease) and not know it. Sometimes a person with HBV infection has no symptoms at all. Only a blood test can tell for sure. Symptoms can include:

• eyes or skin turning yellow
• loss of appetite
• nausea, vomiting, fever, and stomach or joint pain
• feeling very tired and not able to work for weeks or months

You get hepatitis B by direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person. You can become infected by having sex or sharing needles with an infected person. Asian Americans account for over half of the hepatitis B cases in the U.S. Asians also have the highest rates of liver cancer. Your risk of getting the virus is higher if you were born in Southeast Asia or the Pacific Islands. Compared to the U.S. average, this disease is 25 to 75 times more common among Samoans and immigrants from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and China.

There are medications that can treat long-lasting HBV infection. These work for some people, but there is no cure for hepatitis B. Getting the hepatitis B vaccine is the best way to protect yourself. People who should get the vaccine include: all babies at birth, all children 0-18 years of age who have not been vaccinated, people of any age whose behavior puts them at high risk for HBV infection, and people whose jobs expose them to human blood.

If you have HBV in your blood, you can give hepatitis B to your baby. Babies who get HBV at birth may have the virus for the rest of their lives, can spread the disease, and can get cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer. Ask your doctor to be tested for HBV early in your pregnancy.

Publications

1.   Fact Sheet — Viral Hepatitis — This fact sheet talks about types of viral hepatitis and how they are spread. It also gives information on the symptoms of hepatitis and how it is diagnosed and treated. You can also learn more about prevention and the risk of giving the hepatitis virus to your child if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. There are vaccines available for hepatitis A and B. Learn how the vaccines can help stop the spread of these diseases.

   http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/viral-hepatitis.cfm

2.   Viral Hepatitis — This publication explains the different types of hepatitis and how they are spread. You can also read the answers to some frequently asked questions and get information on how common hepatitis is.

   http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/

3.   What I Need to Know About Hepatitis B — Hepatitis B is common in Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian populations. This easy-to-read publication provides an introduction to the disease’s risk factors, symptoms, and treatments.

   http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/hepb_ez/index.htm

4. For Hepatitis B and Liver Cancer Patients (Copyright © Stanford School of Medicine) — This fact sheet explains why Asian-Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Native Hawaiians need to be aware of hepatitis B. It discusses the high incidence of hepatitis B among these populations, how hepatitis is transmitted, why it often goes undiagnosed, and how it is treated. It encourages Asians to get tested and vaccinated, and to seek help to prevent liver damage from hepatitis B.

   http://liver.stanford.edu/Education/hepbpatients.html

5. Hepatitis A, B, and C Prevention Programs (Copyright © National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors) — This Web site talks about programs across the United States that work to prevent hepatitis A, B, or C in people who are at risk for infection. The site also features general information on hepatitis B and hepatitis A vaccination, special topics related to viral hepatitis, and links to other organizations and resources.

   http://hepprograms.org/

6. Hepatitis B and Asian Americans (Copyright © American Liver Foundation) — Asian-Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Native Hawaiians have high rates of hepatitis B infection in the United States. These groups also have the highest rates of liver cancer, which can be caused by hepatitis B. Learn more about your risk, how you can protect yourself, and why it’s important for people at risk to be tested for hepatitis B.

   http://www.thinkb.org/

7.   Hepatitis B and You — Korean Language Version (Copyright © Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment) — This fact sheet gives information in Korean for pregnant women who test positive for hepatitis B. It describes the disease and the steps you can take to protect your baby.

   http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/dc/hepatitis/hepb/hbv_and_you_korean.pdf

8.   Hepatitis B and You — Vietnamese Language Version (Copyright © Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment) — This fact sheet gives information in Vietnamese for pregnant women who test positive for hepatitis B. It explains the disease and the steps you can take to protect your baby.

   http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/dc/hepatitis/hepb/hbv_and_you_viet.pdf

9.   Hepatitis B Information for Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (Copyright © Immunization Action Coalition) — Hepatitis B is common among Asian-Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Native Hawaiians. All foreign-born people who were born in Asia and the Pacific Islands (including Hawaii), should be tested. This fact sheet talks about why testing is so important and gives information on prevention and the hepatitis B vaccine.

   http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4190.pdf

10.   KNOW HBV: What Every Asian and Pacific Islander Should Know about Hepatitis B and Liver Cancer (Copyright © Asian Liver Center) — Most people who are infected with hepatitis B don’t know they have it. Hepatitis B is the most common cause of serious liver disease and many Asian-Americans (including Pacific Islanders and Native Hawaiians) have a life-long case of it. Watching and treating hepatitis B can lower the risk of liver cancer or failure. Get tested and find out the other ways you can help prevent hepatitis B infection.

    http://liver.stanford.edu/Media/publications/Know%20HBV/English.pdf

Organizations

1.   Division of Viral Hepatitis, NCID, CDC
2.   National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, NIDDK, NIH, HHS
3.   National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, HHS
4.   Office of Minority Health, OPHS, OS, HHS
5. Asian Liver Center at Stanford University
6. National Asian Women's Health Organization

= Indicates Federal Resources

Resources reviewed March 2008.