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1. Is the HBV vaccine safe?

   The vaccine for hepatitis B (HBV) has been shown to be very safe when given to infants, children or adults, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which monitors vaccine safety. More than 20 million persons have received the HBV vaccine in the U.S. and more than 500 million persons have received the vaccine worldwide. The most common side effects from HBV vaccination are pain at the injection site and rarely, mild to moderate headache and fever. Studies show that these side effects are reported no more frequently among those vaccinated than among persons not receiving the vaccine.

2. What are my chances of getting HBV?

   About one in 20 Americans can expect to become infected during their lifetime if not vaccinated. Your risks increase if you have sex with an infected person, have multiple sexual partners, inject drugs, received blood clotting factors or transfusions before 1992 or travel to countries where HBV is common, parts of Mexico, Africa, Southeast Asia, the Middle East (except for Israel), Haiti and the Dominican Republic, for example.

3. How do I know if I need to get tested for hepatitis?

   Pay attention to your body. If you experience symptoms, such as eyes or skin turning yellow, a loss of appetite, nausea and fever or extreme fatigue for weeks or months, you may be infected with hepatitis. However, bear in mind that most infected persons have no symptoms and can pass the virus without knowing it. Therefore, you should get tested if you have put yourself at risk for the three main types of hepatitis-hepatitis A (HAV), hepatitis B (HBV), and hepatitis C (HCV). Blood transfusions before 1992 and injection drug use put you at greater risk for HAV, HBV, and HCV. Unprotected sex with multiple partners is the biggest risk factor for hepatitis B or C infection.

4. Can hepatitis be spread during dental procedures?

   It can, although most dental settings in the U.S. have such high standards of infection control that there is little risk of infection being spread. One medical setting where HCV and HBV transmission has been documented is in hemodialysis clinics. The cause was sharing supplies and equipment.

5. If I am pregnant, can I give hepatitis to my baby?

   Yes. HBV and HCV can be transmitted during birth. Infected babies may carry the virus for the rest of their lives but most do well during childhood. Pregnant women are not routinely tested for HCV because they have no greater risk than non-pregnant women. There is no evidence that HCV is passed through breastfeeding. Also, there is no way to prevent HCV. Only about five percent of HCV-positive women pass the virus to their infants. All pregnant women should be tested for HBV early in pregnancy. Vaccinating a baby at birth and giving it an immune globin (HBIG) shot can protect it from developing an HBV infection from an infected mother.

6. Can hepatitis be spread by oral sex?

   It depends on the type of oral sex and the type of virus. HCV cannot be spread by oral sex. HBV can be spread by oral sex, but the risk is lower than other types of sexual contact. HAV can be spread by oral-anal sex because it is harbored in feces.

7. Can someone be protected with the HAV vaccine after being exposed to the virus?

   No. HAV vaccine is not licensed for use after someone has been exposed. However, an immune globulin shot can be administered and this can often prevent an infection.

8. Just because I test negative for HCV, does that mean I am not infected?

   No. Because it takes time for the immune system to develop antibodies to an infection, there is a "window period" where a test can miss an acute infection. This is known as a "false-negative" test. If you are at high risk of infection, you may want to return for a second test several months later or get tested with the newly-approved pcr-based test (Amplicor HCV Test) that can detect HCV within one to two weeks after being infected.