What are Hepatitis A & B?
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A (HAV) is caused by a virus found in feces (shit). Hepatitis A is transmitted through the fecal-oral route, which means you have ingested or consumed infected feces. The most common way this happens is through swallowing contaminated food or water. You can also get it through sexual acts like rimming (licking someone’s asshole) or sucking someone off (or something — toys count!) immediately after penetrative anal sex. In either case, the virus can be transmitted by tiny amounts of feces that you may not even see. Foods and liquids get contaminated by hands that aren’t washed, or aren’t washed right. Pots, pans, plates, knives, forks, and serving spoons, etc can also be contaminated if not cleaned properly. And sometimes sewage pollution can contaminate food or drinking supplies.
Almost everyone infected with Hepatitis A recovers completely in about 4 to 8 weeks You may have no symptoms, or you may suffer from nausea, vomiting, jaundice (yellow skin and/or eyes), diarrhea, and/or an extreme lack of energy. Hepatitis A is rarely dangerous unless you also have Hepatitis C. When you have active Hepatitis A, you can pass the virus on to another person even if you have no symptoms. Once you recover, you can’t spread Hepatitis A and you’re immune to getting it again. This is because your immune system develops antibodies that are able to fight off future exposures to Hepatitis A.
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B (HBV) is caused by a virus found in blood, semen (cum), vaginal fluids, breast milk, and saliva (spit). It is spread by sharing syringes or infected water when injecting. It can also be spread by sharing other injection equipment (like cottons and cookers) and, perhaps, snorting or smoking devices (like straws or crack pipes). Hepatitis B is transmitted sexually too, through unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex with a person infected with Hepatitis B. Hepatitis B can be transmitted from a pregnant person to their fetus in the womb, or to the infant during or after birth. And because it is so easily transmitted through body fluids Hepatitis B is sometimes spread by ordinary household contacts and possibly through sharing things such as toothbrushes and razors.
When you are infected with Hepatitis B the sickness may start gradually, usually lasting a month or two. Sometimes you may not know you’re infected because you don’t look or feel sick: the virus can remain active within your system, and you can still infect others. Only about 1% of people who get HBV die, and most people recover completely from Hepatitis B within about 6 months. These people are said to have had acute Hepatitis B. However, about 5 – 10% of people who get Hepatitis B remain capable of spreading the virus for the rest of their lives and can develop chronic liver disease. These people are said to have chronic Hepatitis B.