• What Is Hepatitis B?

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  What Is Hepatitis B?
  • Hepatitis B Facts and Figures
  • Hepatitis B Symptoms
  • Acute vs. Chronic Hepatitis B
• The ABCs of Viral Hepatitis
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  Liver Cancer and Hepatitis B
  • Liver Cancer Awareness Month
  • Liver Cancer Awareness Month Media Toolkit
• Hepatitis Delta Coinfection
• Hepatitis C Coinfection
• HIV/AIDS Coinfection
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  Frequently Asked Questions about Hepatitis B
  • What is hepatitis B?
  • Why is hepatitis B so dangerous?
  • Is there a cure for hepatitis B?
  • What treatments (medicines) are available for chronic hepatitis B?
  • If the currently approved hepatitis B drugs do not provide a cure, then how are they helping?
  • What can I do if I live in the U.S. and the insurance co-pay for my hepatitis B drugs costs too much for me to buy them?
  • Is there any special diet for people living with chronic hepatitis B infection?
  • What blood tests are important to diagnose and evaluate my hepatitis B infection?
  • Does everyone with chronic hepatitis B need to take medicine?
  • Will herbals, natural “remedies”, Ayurveda or Traditional Chinese Medicine, supplements, or vitamins and minerals control hepatitis B?
  • If I don’t need to take medicine for my hepatitis B at this time, what must I do to support my liver?
  • Can a hepatitis B infection be prevented? How can I protect my loved ones?
  • Is the hepatitis B vaccine safe?
  • Is the hepatitis B vaccine safe during pregnancy?
  • Can I catch hepatitis B from the vaccine?
  • If I started the vaccine series but didn't complete my 2nd or 3rd dose on schedule, do I have to start over?
  • I received my vaccine years ago--am I still protected?
  • Should I get the hepatitis B vaccine if I have a chronic HBV infection or have recovered from a past infection?
  • Where can I get vaccinated against hepatitis B in the USA?
  • What should I do if I am diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B?
  • I am diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B, can I get married and have children?
  • I am currently pregnant, and I have chronic hepatitis B. What should I do to protect my baby?
  • Can I donate blood if I have hepatitis B?
  • If I have chronic hepatitis B infection, can I hug my children, partner or friend?
  • I’m in love, when and how do I tell my (prospective) partner that I have hepatitis B?
  • If hepatitis B is sexually transmitted, how come my partner isn’t infected?
  • If chronic hepatitis B is a silent disease, why do I have symptoms?
  • Sometimes I feel sad and depressed because of my hepatitis B status, what should I do?
  • What is the likelihood that someone infected with hepatitis B will develop liver cancer?
  • I’m living with hepatitis B, what should I do to reduce my risk of developing liver cancer?
  • My country does not have a clinical trial for hepatitis B. Is it possible to travel to another country to participate?
  • I keep hearing about a “Functional Cure” for chronic hepatitis B, what does this mean?

HIV/AIDS Coinfection

Approximately 10% of the HIV-infected population worldwide is infected with hepatitis B. This figure may approach 20% in Southeast Asia, and 5% in North America and Western Europe.  Worldwide prevalence of HBV coinfection could be estimated to be 5%–10% in persons living with HIV infection.

In the U.S., Western Europe and Australia, the prevalence of chronic hepatitis B was reported to be 5%-14% among HIV-positive individuals.

Since both HIV and the hepatitis B virus share similar transmission routes, it is not surprising that there is a high frequency of coinfection. Both viruses can be transmitted from mother-to-baby during childbirth (due to blood exchange from mother to baby), through unsafe medical and injection practices, and unscreened blood transfusions. Sexual activity and/or injection drug use are other common routes of transmission of the hepatitis B virus among those also infected with HIV.

While highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has dramatically improved the lives of those with HIV, the consequences of associated illnesses such as hepatitis B coinfections have become more relevant.

Conditions associated with hepatitis B and C are currently among the leading causes of hospital admission and death in the HIV-infected population. Therefore, the adequate management of hepatitis B and C is now being considered a priority in HIV-coinfected patients.

There are three main reasons for considering HBV therapy as a priority in HBV/HIV coinfected patients:

• First, liver disease may progress more rapidly in those patients co-infected with HBV/HIV and could lead to serious liver disease complications such as cirrhosis and liver cancer at younger ages.
• Second, there is a higher risk of developing hepatotoxicity following the initiation of antiretroviral therapy in HIV patients co-infected with HBV than in patients infected with HIV alone.
• Hepatitis B in HIV-infected patients is associated with a lower CD4 T-cell count than HIV-monoinfected people.

There is no evidence that hepatitis B affects HIV disease progression or that hepatitis B alters the response of HIV to antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, starting ART may be associated with an increased risk of liver inflammation in coinfected individuals, as evidenced by ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase) flares or rising liver enzymes. This may reflect both an immune response against hepatitis B and/or drug toxicity.

For more information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website to learn about HIV/AIDS and Viral Hepatitis guidelines and resources.