STD: The Facts
The following information was provided in part by the Medical Institute for Sexual Health. For more information please visit their website at www.medinstitute.org.

NOTE: If you have been sexually active or you think you may have been exposed to a sexually transmitted disease, see your physician for a complete medical exam.
Hepatitis B
  • Hepatitis B is a common viral bloodborne disease; about half of all hepatitis B infections are transmitted through sexual activity. People who share needles when shooting drugs are at high risk for infection. You can also get it if a previously used (unsterile) needle is used on you for a tattoo or body piercing. Unvaccinated babies can get it from their infected mothers. You don't get it from the type of casual contact you have at school.
  • Am I safe if I always use a condom?
    There aren't many studies on this, but considering the way hepatitis B is transmitted, condoms would not be expected to eliminate your risk of infection, though they might reduce it some.
  • When first infected, you may or may not have symptoms. About one out of every 20 people develops serious chronic infections. Even with no symptoms, you can still pass the disease to anyone with whom you have sex. The infection causes liver damage, which may make your skin and eyes turn yellow (jaundice), and make you feel tired and nauseated. These infections can also cause cancer and death.
  • There are a number of drugs that can be used to treat hepatitis B, but they're expensive, have to be used for a long time, have side effects and don't always work
  • A good vaccination is now given to babies and is available to people of all ages. To prevent exposure, don't shoot drugs. Never get a tattoo or body piercing from a place that does not have a current inspection certificate from your local health department.