Hep Team tackles Hepatitis

Huntley Woods is not just another southern California pretty boy. Sure, he likes to act and model, plays beach volleyball and hangs out in West Hollywood. But there’s some substance to this young man. If you’ve been to any kind of Pride event in and around Los Angeles the last few years, you may have been approached by Huntley and asked if you have been vaccinated against Hepatitis.

If not him, then you’ve likely been approached by someone wearing a bright orange shirt. They’re unmistakable, and their booths have been among the most popular you’ll find at a Pride, street fair or rodeo.

Truthfully, the Hep Team as it is called has been around for 15 years. But it’s been the last two years that we’ve really taken notice of the orange-clad workers and volunteers. The initiative was created by pharmaceutical giant Glaxo-Smith-Kline, and geared toward the MSM (Men who have Sex with Men) population. The goal is to vaccinate people against Hepatitis A and B, and it is working. Hep Team is a partnership of GSK, Hep Team staff, state and local county health departments and supportive volunteers. In Arizona alone, over 1,700 individuals were vaccinated in 2009 thanks to the Hep Team Project. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention supports a nationwide initiative to make Hepatitis A/B vaccine available to states to undertake vaccination programs for adults to help reduce the threat.

Hepatitis A and B immunizations are a simple painless process. It involves three shots over the course of six months. Many people have gone through the entire vaccination process at community events where the Hep Team is present. Got your first shot at a rodeo at the beginning of the year? You can get your second at Phoenix Pride in April and then your third at LA Pride or West Hollywood Pride later that summer. Getting the correct doses will achieve immunity in over 90 percent of cases, according to Cameron Lewis, Hepatitis Program Manager for the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Lewis says while it is important to follow through and get all three shots, even getting one is a step in the right direction.
“I always tell people ‘One is good, two is great, three is fantastic!’”

People under 24 in the U.S. have likely had their Hepatitis B vaccination, as it has been required in schools for some time now. But those older than that – and gay men in particular – are at an increased risk of contracting the disease.

The Twinrix ™ Combo vaccine is only for countering Hepatitis A and B; Lewis estimates an effective Hepatitis C vaccination is at least another decade away. Nonetheless, simple behavioral practices can help you avoid any or all of the strains of Hepatitis. Things like using latex condoms consistently and correctly every time, not sharing drug needles/ paraphernalia (such as straws, rolled bills for “snorting” powders, cookers, injection equipment, steroid syringes, tattoo equipment) or other personal items (toothbrushes and razors) and, essentially, using good hygiene common sense. Since no vaccination exists for Hepatitis C, and a discordant amount of cases are showing up in the MSM population, it is exponentially important that that community pay heed to the prevention techniques.

“Nobody goes out and says ‘today I’m going to get covered in blood and contract Hepatitis,’” says Lewis, who points out that a lot of the sports in our community can leave people open to risk. “It is important to pay attention to the simple things to help avoid infection risk, cover open sores and wounds, use first aid in the event of an injury, and quickly cleaning up blood spills go a long way in stopping the spread of blood borne pathogens.”

In sports like rugby, softball, volleyball, football and basketball, athletes are going to get bruises, scrapes and contusions. The opportunity for blood-to-blood contact is increased, and therefore the likelihood of spreading disease is also increased. Lewis believes that athletes in our gay sports communities should be specifically targeted in Hepatitis outreach – athletes and recreationally active individuals should be vaccinated against A and B, and tested for Hep C, and other sexually transmitted diseases on at least an annual basis. Lewis states “Most men wait until something is really sore, inflamed or about to fall off before seeking medical care- the reality is prevention is the best key to a long healthy life.” “It is important to beware of infection risk off the field as well as on – bloody towels, clothing or equipment can present potential communicable disease risk.”

Most state health departments and many private clinics offer Hepatitis A and B vaccine. To find a Hepatitis A and B vaccination site near you, or to learn more about testing for Hepatitis C, visit www.cdc.gov/HEPATITIS

HEPATITIS A
 A contagious liver disease, it can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months.
 It is usually spread when a person ingests fecal matter – even in microscopic amounts – from contact with objects, food or drinks contaminated by the feces or stool from an infected person.
 It can also be spread when: an infected person does not wash his/her hands properly after going to the bathroom and then touches objects or food; a caregiver does not properly wash his/her hands after changing diapers or cleaning up the stool of an infected person; someone engages in certain sexual activities, such as oral-anal contact (rimming), with an infected person.
 Those who should be vaccinated include: men who have sexual contact with other men; users of injection and non-injection illegal drugs; people with chronic or long-term liver disease.

HEPATITIS B
 A contagious virus that can cause liver diseases, it can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness.
 It is usually spread when blood, semen or another body fluid from an infected person enters the body of a non-infected person. This can happen through sexual contact, sharing needles/syringes or sharing common household items like razors, toothbrushes or other items contaminated with blood.
 In the U.S. Hepatitis B is most commonly spread through sexual contact. It is 50-100 times more infectious than HIV.
 Those who should be vaccinated include: anyone having sex with an infected partner; people with multiple sex partners; anyone with a sexually transmitted disease; men who have sex with other men; users of illegal or injection drugs; people with chronic liver disease, end stage renal disease, or HIV infection.

HEPATITIS C
 A contagious liver disease, it can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness that damages the liver and can result in death.
 It is usually spread when blood from an infected person enters the body of a non-infected person. This can happen through sexual contact or sharing injection equipment. It can also be spread through sexual contact, although scientists do not know how frequently this occurs. Rough sex, sex with multiple partners, or having a sexually transmitted disease or HIV appears to increase a person’s risk of Hepatitis C.
 People who should be tested include those who: currently inject or ”snort” drugs or injected/snorted drugs in the past; have HIV or AIDS; have abnormal liver tests or liver disease.