Don't let these common myths stop you from getting the most out of your life and relationships!
Hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses are not found on clothing through normal skin contact. It is safe to wash clothes in the same load as someone with hepatitis, even if they are blood stained.
You may get hepatitis A from food prepared by someone with the disease but only if he/she was unhygienic, i.e. didn’t wash their hands properly with soap after toileting and before food preparation.
Hepatitis B and C are not transmitted by casual contact.
Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are not transmitted through sweat. So go ahead and enjoy your workout.
However, it is wise to be blood safe at the gym and not share articles which might have come into contact with blood, such as boxing gloves.
While it is best to abstain from alcohol if your liver is damaged, people with hepatitis can still drink alcohol in limited quantities, depending on the state of their liver health.
The amount of alcohol your liver can handle depends on the degree of damage it has suffered from the hepatitis. However it is recommended that you limit the amount you drink even if your liver is not damaged.
Hepatitis C is not a sexually transmitted infection.
While hepatitis B is a sexually transmitted infection, it is also transmitted via blood to bloodstream contact. Most people who have chronic hepatitis B got it from their mothers during birth when hepatitis B vaccinations and hepatitis B Immunoglobulin were unavailable.
Having hepatitis is no indicator of a person's sexual behaviour one way or the other.