Protection against hepatitis B
The Robert Koch Institute recommends that men who have sex with men protect themselves against Hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccinations. Both vaccinations are covered by health insurance if you state that you have changing sexual partners. Simply go to your trusted (family) doctor and ask about the vaccinations. As a rule, you will receive an injection in the upper arm muscle three times within six months.
If you have already had hepatitis A or B, you are also protected against re-infection.
Transmission
Hepatitis B viruses are mainly found in the blood, but also in other body fluids. They are extremely infectious and can be transmitted very easily during sex, with minor bleeding in the mouth and even through kissing if the viral load is high.
Transmission is also possible when using drugs (for example when sharing snorting tubes), when tattooing and piercing and when sharing or mixing up razors, toothbrushes or similar items.
Sources of danger for hepatitis B
- Anal and oral sex
- with a high viral load also through kissing
Vaccination protects!
Symptoms
A hepatitis infection often goes unnoticed or is not immediately recognised because sometimes there are no symptoms and in other cases the symptoms are often only mild and can be mistaken for flu:
- Mild fever
- Headaches and nausea
- Reluctance to eat fatty foods and alcohol
- Abdominal and joint pain
- Rather rarely, the skin and eyes turn yellow ("jaundice"), the urine becomes dark and the stools light in colour.
Hepatitis B becomes chronic in around 5-10 % of cases. Untreated chronic hepatitis B can lead to liver cirrhosis with permanent liver damage. Liver cirrhosis can develop into liver cell cancer.
Treatment
There is no specific treatment for acute hepatitis B; it usually heals after a while. In the case of chronic hepatitis B, medication can be used to prevent the virus from replicating and thus the progression of the disease. Treatment with well-tolerated medication usually has to be carried out over many years - a cure is only achieved in some cases.
Also find out about Hepatitis A and Hepatitis C.
