How to Protect Yourself from Hepatitis and HIV in Hospitals

What is HIV?

HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system by destroying white blood cells called CD4 cells. This weakens the immune system, making it easier to get sick with other infections and diseases.

HIV is spread through contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids, such as blood, breast milk, semen, and vaginal fluids. It can be transmitted through:

• Unprotected sex: That is, sex without condoms, or other forms of barrier protection with someone who has HIV. (Unprotected oral sex is extremely low risk for the transmission of HIV.).
• Sharing needles, syringes, or other equipment used to prepare drugs
• Being born to an infected mother: This can happen when a mother doesn’t know she has HIV, or is not on effective HIV treatment.

HIV can be prevented and treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART). People who take ART as prescribed can live long, healthy lives and protect their partners. Here are some other facts about HIV:

1. HIV is not spread by kisses, hugs, or sharing food.
2. HIV is a fragile virus that doesn’t survive outside the body for long.
3. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is more virulent and infective than HIV-2.
4. HIV can remain dormant in the body for up to ten years after primary infection.
5. If left untreated, HIV can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).

Protect Yourshelf from HIV in Hospital

To prevent the spread of HIV, hospitals follow strict infection prevention and control guidelines. All blood and body fluids from patients are treated as potentially infectious:

Syringes and needles are ‘single use’ and disposed of in approved sharps containers. Re-usable medical devices are decontaminated and sterilised after each patient use. Many medical devices are disposed of after single use. Healthcare workers wear protective equipment (including gowns, gloves and eyewear) when carrying out any invasive procedures involving a patient’s blood or body fluids. All spilt blood and body fluids are cleaned up according to strict cleaning guidelines.

Hospital workers can become infected with HIV if they accidentally prick themselves with a needle or other sharp instrument contaminated with the virus. However, only a very small number of hospital workers around the world have become infected with HIV in this way. Preventive treatment (called post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP) is available for healthcare workers who have accidentally pricked themselves with a needle or other sharp instrument contaminated with HIV. Their health will be monitored closely.

If you are exposed to HIV in the workplace, you might need repeated HIV testing. There is a brief “window period” after exposure during which your body is developing HIV antibodies to attack the virus. You may experience flu-like symptoms, such as fever, aches, rash, and swollen lymph nodes.

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What is Hepatitis?

Hepatitis is a general term for liver inflammation caused by a variety of viruses, chemicals, drugs, alcohol, genetics, or an overactive immune system. It can be a short-term (acute) or long-term (chronic) infection.

There are five main types of hepatitis, A, B, C, D, and E, each with different modes of transmission, severity, and prevention methods. Some types of hepatitis can be treated without serious problems, while others can cause chronic liver disease, liver cancer, and death.

Here are some types of hepatitis and how they are spread: Hepatitis A Spread through contaminated food or water, or through oral-anal sex.

Hepatitis A is not usually chronic, but it can cause debilitating symptoms and rarely fulminant hepatitis, which is often fatal. Practice good personal hygiene, such as washing hands before meals and after using the bathroom. Also, make sure you have safe drinking water and proper sewage disposal in your community. Avoid eating raw or undercooked meat and fish, and in developing countries, avoid eating raw fruits and vegetables that you can’t peel yourself. The CDC recommends that children ages 12–23 months and children and adolescents 2–18 years old who haven’t been vaccinated before get the hepatitis A vaccine.

Hepatitis B Can be passed to a baby during birth. Symptoms include abdominal pain, dark urine, fever, joint pain, loss of appetite, upset stomach, vomiting, weakness, and jaundice. Get vaccinated as soon as possible after birth, and then get two or three more doses at least four weeks apart. The vaccine is safe and effective for almost everyone, and it protects against hepatitis B for at least 20 years

Hepatitis C Spread through infected blood, often by sharing needles or other items used to inject drugs. It can also be passed from a mother to her child at birth, or in rare cases, through unprotected sex. Avoid behaviors that can spread the disease.

Protect Yourself from Hepatitis in Hospital

Prevention is always better than cure, especially where an organ as vital as your liver is concerned. Here are some tips to help avoid unnecessary transmission of the disease in its various forms:

1. Practise good hygiene and avoid consuming the local water, ice, undercooked shellfish and raw fruit and vegetables when travelling in developing countries.
2. Avoid sharing needles, razors or toothbrushes. Do not touch spilled blood. Practise safe sex by using condoms.
3. Get vaccinated against hepatitis A and B.

If you suspect you may have hepatitis, consult a gastroenterologist for an accurate diagnosis of your condition and the available treatment options.