Asian American Community Services

What is hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B is a serious infection of the liver caused bythe hepatitis B virus (HBV), and can lead to premature death from cirrhosis(scarring of the liver), liver failure or liver cancer.

How is hepatitis Btransmitted?

For Asians, HBV is commonly transmitted from a chronicallyinfected mother to her child at birth. HBVcan also be transmitted by coming in contact with infected blood and throughunprotected sex.

Why should Asian andPacific Islander Americans be aware of hepatitis B?

-Approximately 1 in 10 Asian Americans are infected with HBV.
- Without appropriate monitoring or treatment, 1 in 4 will die from liver cancer or liver failure.
-Although Asian Americans make up only 4% of the U.S. population, they account for over half of the estimated 1.25 million individuals with chronic HBV infection.

If I have hepatitisB, am I going to die from liver cancer or liver failure?

People with chronic hepatitis B can lead completely normaland active lives. With regular testingand an ultrasound every year, liver disease can be detected early and treatedquickly to prevent further damage, which will increase the probability oflong-term survival.

What YOU should do:

Get tested

For you and your family, ask your doctor for the hepatitis Bantigen and antibody tests, which are not included in routine physicalexamination blood tests. If you arepregnant, ask your doctor for the hepatitis B antigen test to see whether youare a hepatitis B carrier.

Hepatitis B screening is also available at the AHI FreeClinic. Clickhere to find out more information about scheduling an appointment.

Get vaccinated

If both your blood tests are negative, get the 3-dosehepatitis B vaccine to protect you from future infection and the risk of livercancer. All newborns should receive thehepatitis B vaccine at birth.

Hepatitis B Brochures and Fact Sheets

Stanford Asian Liver Center

http://liver.stanford.edu

Hepatitis B Brochures in English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Lao, Tagolog

Hepatitis B Videos
Spoken Word Pieceon Hepatitis B