Hepatitis is a serious virus (versus bacteria) that can attack the liver.  The liver is your body’s engine…without it you could die.

• The most common forms of the virus are hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Hepatitis D and E are less common.  Each virus is unique.
  
  
• Hepatitis A is spread primarily through sexual or household contact with a person infected with hepatitis A. It is also spread through poor sanitation (cleanliness) like forgetting to wash hands after going to the bathroom or changing a baby's diaper.  The hepatitis A virus is passed through the feces (poop) of an infected person - for example, by oral to anal contact (rimming) or handling a condom after anal sex.
  
  
• Hepatitis A can be transmitted through contact with blood, for example by sharing needles or other injecting equipment, but ransmission by blood is less common because the presence of virus in the blood occurs early in the infection and is not thought to be present long.
  
  
• Hepatitis B is spread most often through sexual contact and sharing injection drug needles or other equipment used to shoot up drugs such as works, cotton, cookers, etc.  The hepatitis B virus lives in body fluids such as blood, semen (cum) and vaginal secretions [wetness].
  
  
• Hepatitis C is spread primarily through drug use but may also be spread sexually in rare cases.  The hepatitis C virus is generally found in the blood of an infected person.
  
  
• Four million Americans are infected with hepatitis C; in comparison, it is estimated that slightly over 1 million Americans are infected with HIV.
  
  
• Symptoms of hepatitis include yellow eyes and skin, abdominal (stomach) pain or swelling, muscle weakness, joint pain, rashes or arthritis, nausea or vomiting, dark urine, loss of appetite, fever, and fatigue (exhaustion).
  
  
• Sometimes there are no visible symptoms, but there are tests that your health care provider can do to find out whether you have one of the hepatitis viruses.
  
  
• While there is no guaranteed cure for hepatitis, there are treatments for hepatitis B and C which might help.
  
  
• There are vaccines available to prevent being infected with hepatitis A and hepatitis B. The vaccines are safe, and you can get them from a doctor. 
  
  
• There is no vaccine for hepatitis C.
  

Hepatitis Overview:

Hepatitis [HEP - uh - TIGHT - us] is the name for a group of viruses that affect the liver. There are five major types of viral hepatitis:

Hepatitis A (HAV), hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) are the most common types of viral hepatitis found in the United States.  Hepatitis D (HDV) and hepatitis E (HEV) are less common.  Each virus is unique but one of the things these viruses have in common is that each one can attack the liver.

How does someone get hepatitis?

The hepatitis A virus can enter a person's body when he or she eats or drinks something contaminated (infected) with the stool (poop) of someone who has the disease or by sharing drug needles or drug equipment with someone who has hepatitis A. Symptoms (when present) usually appear suddenly, but there are no chronic (long lasting) problems such as those hepatitis B and C can cause.

The hepatitis B virus can infect a person if his or her mucous membranes (soft skin lining found in all the natural openings in the body, like inside the mouth) or blood are exposed to an infected person's blood, saliva, semen (cum), or vaginal secretions (wetness).

The hepatitis C virus is spread through contact with infected blood, for example, if you share a toothbrush or razor of someone with hepatitis C, inject drugs and share needles, or if you have rough sex that involves bleeding.

IF symptoms appear for hepatitis B or C, they will appear more gradually than they do with hepatitis A. Unlike hepatitis A, the hepatitis B and C viruses can stay in the body--sometimes for a lifetime--and may eventually cause chronic (long lasting), serious liver diseases.

What are the symptoms of hepatitis?

When hepatitis damages the liver’s cells, scar tissue is formed and those cells can no longer function. With fewer healthy liver cells, the body begins to show symptoms ranging from mild (such as fatigue) to severe (such as mental confusion).

What are the complications of hepatitis?

Although many cases of hepatitis are not a serious threat to health, the disease can lead to liver cancer, liver failure and death.

Is hepatitis sexually transmitted?

Sexual activity poses a different level of risk for each type of viral hepatitis; it is most closely associated with hepatitis B, but hepatitis A and hepatitis C can be transmitted through sexual activity.

Is there a way to prevent infection with hepatitis?

Hepatitis A and B are preventable through vaccination, though no vaccination currently exists for hepatitis C or E. Since hepatitis D only infects persons with hepatitis B, the vaccine for hepatitis B also prevents hepatitis D.

For more information, see specific HAV, HBV, HCV, HDV and HEV sections.