About Hep B
How HBV is Transmitted
Among Asian & Pacific Islander community, transmission of HBV frequently occurs during the birth process when the virus is passed on to the baby from a mother who is often unaware that she is infected.
Because so many people with hepatitis B feel fine, even with early stages of liver cancer, the disease can progress undetected. If symptoms do appear they often are exhibited at the end stages of disease when treatment options are limited or ineffective.
Hepatitis B is silently transmitted and has a silent progression. Many people with chronic HBV exhibit no symptoms and feel perfectly healthy. They may even exhibit normal blood test for liver function.
HBV is transmitted through infected blood in the following ways:
- From a mother to a child at the time of birth
(most common for APIs) - Contact with infected blood
- Unprotected sex
Among Asian & Pacific Islander community, transmission of HBV frequently occurs during the birth process when the virus is passed on to the baby from a mother who is often unaware that she is infected.
Because so many people with hepatitis B feel fine, even with early stages of liver cancer, the disease can progress undetected. If symptoms do appear they often are exhibited at the end stages of disease when treatment options are limited or ineffective.
