Sexual Health News
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B (HBV) is 100 times more infectious than HIV and there are approx 350 million people infected worldwide. Each year between 500,000 and a million people die from the disease and it is one of the top ten causes of death in the Western world. The UK does however have a low incidence rate of around 180,000 people (0.3%) of the population). In England and Wales HBV notifications rose from 489 in 1992 to 1151 in 2005, an increase of 135%. Immigration is thought to make up 96% of new cases generally from areas of high prevalence where HBV is frequently transmitted from mother to child.
HBV can be transmitted in a variety of ways but worldwide the most common route of infection is vertical transmission from mother to baby at birth, although in the UK this is prevented through vaccination of babies born to infected mothers. To reduce the risk of vertical transmission (in the UK) the Department of Health advised in April 2000 that all pregnant women should be screened for HBV.
In the UK the most common route of transmission is via unprotected sex and contact with blood, saliva and other body fluids. This transmission route is similar to that of HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV), which means that many people in high-risk groups are also infected with HIV or HCV. As a result, the following groups are at increased risk of contracting HBV: men who have sex with men, injecting drug users, sex workers and people living in institutions (prisons for example).
The vast majority of new infections could be prevented through vaccination. This is available from your GP, GUM clinics (for certain groups), and in some cases if you have a drugs worker they may be able to arrange it. Over 150 countries have implemented universal vaccination of newborns and/or adolescents, but here in the UK it is only offered selectively to high risk groups as mentioned above. Hep B vaccination should be considered by anyone with viral hepatitis i.e. hepatitis A or C.
For people meriting protection on occupational grounds i.e. health care workers, the British Medical Association (BMA) has issued guidance stating that GPs are under no professional obligation to provide the vaccination when approached by workers; this is the responsibility of the employer to ensure its employees safety. This may be problematic as many employees do not feel empowered enough to approach their employer and may not even be aware of the risk. On a positive note, the BMA have issued a statement advocating universal infant vaccination, a call they made originally in 1995.
(Source Hepatitis B: Out of the shadows report 2005)