Hepatitis B? “So where is A?” is what I hear you think. Okay, in short Hepatitis A.

Hepatitis A is a liver infection. This is not sexually transmitted and therefore does not fall under STDs. Then there is also a C variant. This too it is a liver infection and again it is not an STD. That is why I treat them very briefly.

Hepatitis A is caused by the Hepatitis A virus. Hepatitis B is caused by the Hepatitis B virus and yes, you guessed it. Hepatitis C is caused by the Hepatitis C virus.

Hepatitis B, in contrast to the A and C variant, is indeed an STD. Sexually transmitted. It is a serious infectious disease. The virus also penetrates your liver cells in this case and causes inflammation.

The duration of the complaints with Hepatitis B varies. It can be a matter of weeks or months. The virus can disappear from the body, but sometimes the liver remains inflamed and the symptoms keep coming back. Such a chronic infection can have lasting effects such as a malfunctioning liver and liver cancer. I told you. Seriously.

In a number of cases the virus remains in your body without any symptoms. You are then contagious and can pass the virus on to others. The virus is transmitted via blood, sperm and vaginal fluid. Blood is the most contagious.

How do I know if I have Hepatitis B?

Usually you notice little or nothing at all about Hepatitis B. Only one in three people who get infected get complaints. Usually these complaints start between two weeks to six months after the moment of infection.

What complaints do they get?

• Fatigue, listlessness
• Nausea, abdominal pain, itching, joint pain, fever
• Jaundice (yellow eye white, yellowish skin, dark urine, stool is light in color)

So, no complaints to the genitals, but certainly a serious STD.

Prevention

There is a vaccination to prevent Hepatitis B. It is possible to administer antibodies against the virus within 48 hours after infection. So you must know in time that you are infected. Only six months after possible exposure can an infection be determined with certainty.

In addition, it remains important that you use a condom for oral, anal and vaginal contact. Use a lick pat for licking and rimming (licking the anus). The virus can survive for a long time outside the body, so be careful when sharing sex toys, toothbrushes and shavers (Hepatitis B can also be transmitted via blood).

Due to the high infectiousness, vaccination is also recommended when you don't have a fixed partner. For this, contact a doctor in your area.