The San Quentin News “Health and Wellness Corner” column runs when articles are submitted for publication. A Centerforce health professional will answer questions that you submit about health issues. Feel free to ask questions about any medical concern that you have and it may be answered so that everyone can benefit. Put your questions in a U-Save-Em envelope addressed to: Health and Wellness Corner, Centerforce (Education Dept). Your name and number will be kept confidential.
In this edition we will address Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is a virus that causes inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis B infection can be either acute or chronic. Acute means that you are infected, but only sick for a short period. Most people (approximately 85 percent of adults who get Hepatitis B) are acutely infected, but the other 15 percent or so become chronically infected. A chronic infection means that you are infected long-term, potentially for the rest of your life. The Hepatitis B virus is found in blood, semen, and vaginal fluids and most commonly passed from person to person through unprotected sex. However, Hepatitis B virus is also passed from person to person through other risky behaviors, such as sharing needles/works for injecting drugs, sharing tattoo equipment (needle, ink, and barrel), sharing razors, toothbrushes, clippers, sharing tooters or other drug sniffing equipment.
Symptoms of Hepatitis B can include fatigue, fever, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), loss of appetite, nausea, belly pain, diarrhea, muscle aches, or dark urine and feces. Not everyone who contracts Hepatitis B experiences symptoms, but those who have experienced any of these symptoms, should put in a sick call slip to see your doctor. Fifteen to 25 percent of people with chronic Hepatitis B develop serious liver problems, such as fibrosis, cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer. Every year, approximately 4,000 people in the United States die from Hepatitis B related liver disease. There are no special treatments for acute Hepatitis B. However, treatment is available for those with chronic Hepatitis B. A doctor can determine what, if any, treatment is necessary. For people who have never had Hepatitis B, there is a vaccine. The Hepatitis B vaccine is to protect people who have never had Hepatitis B from ever getting it. Treatment, on the other hand, is for those who already have chronic Hepatitis B. For adults, the vaccine is three shots over a six-month period. All three shots are necessary for protection against Hepatitis B. Other than the vaccine, the best protection is to use a condom during sex and not share anything that has come into contact with someone else’s blood (i.e., needles, syringes, or any kind of injection or tattooing equipment).
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