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Risk factors

By Mayo Clinic staff

Your risk of hepatitis B infection is increased if you:

  • Have unprotected sex with more than one partner
  • Have unprotected sex with someone who's infected with HBV
  • Have a sexually transmitted infection such as gonorrhea or chlamydia
  • Are a man who has sexual contact with other men
  • Share needles during intravenous (IV) drug use
  • Share a household with someone who has a chronic HBV infection
  • Have a job that exposes you to human blood
  • Receive hemodialysis for end-stage kidney (renal) disease
  • Travel to regions with high infection rates of HBV, such as Africa, Central and Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe
Complications Causes
References
  1. Perillo R. Hepatitis B and D. In: Feldman M, et al. Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, Management. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-6189-2..X0001-7--TOP&isbn=978-1-4160-6189-2&about=true&uniqId=229935664-2192. Accessed July 25, 2011.
  2. Lok ASF, et al. Chronic hepatitis B: Update 2009. Hepatology. 2009;50:1.
  3. Hepatitis B FAQs for the public. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/B/bFAQ.htm. Accessed July 25, 2011.
  4. What I need to know about hepatitis B. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/hepb_ez/. Accessed July 25, 2011.
  5. Hepatitis B. Lab Tests Online. http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/hepatitis-b/tab/glance. Accessed Aug. 1, 2011.
  6. Milk thistle. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/milkthistle/ataglance.htm. Accessed July 25, 2011.
DS00398 Sept. 1, 2011

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