Worldwide, chronic hepatitis B virus infection is present in 350 million people, and approximately one million individuals in the United States have it. The responsible microbe is a small, circular, partially double-stranded DNA virus of the Hepadnaviridae family. This medical condition may be self-limiting. The virus can survive outside the body for at least seven days as a virulent microbe and may be present in various body fluids (Centers for Disease Control, 2011).
Modes of Transmission
Specifically, hepatitis B virus may be present in blood, semen, vaginal secretions, and wound exudates, but blood harbors the virus more than any other human body fluid. It essentially transmits from person-to-person via percutaneous or mucous membrane exposure to infectious body fluids or blood. It does not spread through food or water, eating utensils that people share, breastfeeding, hugging, kissing, holding hands, coughing, or sneezing.
Obviously it will spread through needle sticks or sharp instruments. This includes shared needles for illegal drug use. Whenever there is contact with blood or open sores of a person who has the disease, transmission to the other individual may take place. Hepatitis B is a sexually transmitted disease, and unprotected sex with someone who has this condition can spread it to the other partner whether of the same or opposite sex.
Sexual Transmission a Major Consideration
Men who have sex with men are especially at risk for the acquisition of hepatitis B virus infection. Individuals who have sex with someone who has multiple sexual partners will also be at risk. Similarly, people who have multiple sexual partners will be prone to hepatitis B virus infection as well as other diseases of sexual transmission.
Therefore, a mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who does not have any sexually transmitted disease is necessary to prevent the spread of this condition. This means that neither partner has a sexually transmitted infection at the start of the relationship, nor do they have sexual contact with anyone else through the duration of the relationship.
Multiple sexual partners may occur either concurrently or serially. Multiple concurrent sexual partners is when someone has more than one sexual partner at the same time. This scenario sets the highest risk for disease transmission. However, people who date only one person at a time but who, over a period of many years, have several of these monogamous interactions, essentially have multiple sexual partners.
In other words, serial monogamous relationships constitute multiple sexual partners and pose a risk for transmission of disease to the other person.
To establish that neither person has any sexually transmitted disease when the relationship begins, they must both visit a health care facility for a medical evaluation. If they have any sexually transmitted disease, they are more likely to have hepatitis B virus infection or other diseases than if the parties are free of disease from the start.
Abstinence is also effective in its prevention as long as there are no other risk factors or potential exposures to the virus. Though some consider abstinence impractical, members of some religious groups are able to abstain from sex until they marry as they tend to wed as soon as they become adults. If they maintain a mutually monogamous relationship with their spouse through life, there is very little risk that they will acquire a sexually transmitted disease.
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control. (2011). Viral hepatitis. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2009). What I need to know about hepatitis B. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should contact their physician for advice.
Michael Koger - Dr. Koger obtained his medical education at Meharry Medical College and specialized in Internal Medicine.
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