You’ve just been diagnosed with hepatitis and think you can’t have sex anymore. You’re scared of having sex because you want to reduce the risk of spreading the disease.
Yes, reducing the risk of spreading the disease during sex is a good idea, but that doesn’t mean you should stop having sex entirely. You can still have a fulfilling sex life without transferring it to others.
What you need to do is take some precautionary measures while having sex.
HIV and hepatitis infections have related transmission routes, but people living with HIV are at higher risk for complications (e.g. liver cancer) and death from hepatitis infection.
Hepatitis is an infection of the liver caused by a virus. Sometimes, hepatitis is caused by drug abuse, alcohol consumption, and other medical conditions.
The most familiar ones are hepatitis A, B, and C types. Based on transmission, hepatitis A can be transmitted through casual contact like drinking contaminated water, eating contaminated food, or having close contact with an infected person.
Hepatitis B, on the other hand, can be spread by sexual contact or by sharing sharp objects (e.g. needles) with an infected person. Hepatitis C can spread through contact with infected blood and sexual activity but in rare cases.
Furthermore, hepatitis A can be spread through contact with infected faeces; it can therefore be contracted through sexual activities such as anilingus (sexual oral stimulation of the anus).
Common symptoms of hepatitis are abdominal pain, yellow skin or eyes (jaundice), nausea, fatigue, and dark urine. Occasionally, some people with hepatitis may not experience symptoms until they go for a medical check-up.
Lowering the risk of hepatitis during sex
Hepatitis B is the primary culprit behind the spread of the virus through sexual contact. So, lowering the risk of spreading the virus during sex is vital. The correct use of condoms or dental dams during oral, vaginal, and anal sex is a means to protect yourself from the disease during sex.
Using protection during sexual activity can help end the spread of the virus since it prevents you from coming in contact with bodily fluids like blood, vaginal discharge, semen, and saliva.
Do you want to know more about hepatitis and how to protect yourself from it? Find Doctall online and book an appointment to speak with a doctor.