Hepatitis A, B, or C? I am lost? -
02-27-2010, 07:41 PM
So if these are STDs, why as a kid did we have to get these vaccinations before going to middle school and such? I remember when i was younger getting the shots for tetanus and hepatitis B i believe. So why is it considered sexually transmitted?
well....some people,older,were not immunized back when for hep b......there is no C vaccine,maybe A has one......SO and maybe A,,,,,,,,,,,,,Thieu sex,IE,blood exposure Thur cut..........
All hepatitis forms CAN be sexually transmitted, however, hep B is the most commonly sexually transmitted form.
You're most likely to get hepatitis A from contaminated food or water. A huge outbreak of hep A was reported in western Pennsylvania a few years ago and was traced back to a shipment of green onions in a Chili's restaurant that was tainted with the virus. People who ate these onions got hep A. Hep A is transmitted through fecal matter - I know it's gross to think about food being contaminated with feces but it does happen.
Hepatitis B and C are both sexually transmitted, but cases of sexual transmission of hep C are rare. You're more likely to get C from sharing needles. You got the B vaccine as a Prue-teen because it's most commonly transmitted sexually, so the idea is to vaccinate kinds before sexual activity.
If you are or become a hectare worker, be aware that your job also puts you at risk for these infections. Nurses come into contact with fecal matter daily and are also at risk of accidental needle sticks. Many nurses have stories of having to be tested for hep and HIV after accidentally sticking themselves or otherwise coming into contact with blood or contaminated body fluids. You might remember an episode of House when Dr. Cameron had to be tested when an HIV+ patient coughed blood into her eyes - it's a common concern among health care workers.
Hepatitis B is an STD and you can also get it from sharing needles during illegal drug use. This is probably the vaccine that is "required" for middle school in your state.
There is a hepatitis A vaccine, but it's less common to be "required" for school. Hepatitis A is transmitted through contaminated food. An example is if a restaurant cook with hepatitis A does not wash his hands after going to the bathroom, then prepares food.
Unless you live in Mississippi or West Virginia, you can get an exemption to the school vaccine "requirements." That's why I kept putting that word in quotation marks. Here is the exemption information for every state. http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=1207367