H E P A T I T I S  A

What is Hepatitis A?

The Hepatitis A virus lives in feces (stools or poop).  The main way you can get Hepatitis A is by getting virus infected feces

 (poop) into your mouth.  Other ways you can get it are by eating undercooked or raw shellfish, having anal-oral sex (rimming),

and from contaminated drinking water that has raw sewage (feces/poop) in it. 

The Hepatitis A virus attacks the liver.  In adults, it can cause many symptoms including feeling  tired, sick to the stomach,

vomiting, fever, diarrhea, and dark urine.  Many children have no symptoms-that's why it spreads so quickly to so many

children in daycare centers.  The good thing about Hepatitis A is that you can get it and your body will eventually fight it off and

you will not have proplems in the future.

Hepatitis A rarely causes death-only in extreme cases and usually in individuals whose immune systems are compromised by

other diseases.

P R E V E N T I O N

* GET VACCINATED AGAINST HEPATITIS A IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY BEEN INFECTED.  THE VACCINE IS SAFE AND WILL

   PROTECT YOU FROM GETTING IT.

* WASH YOUR HANDS WITH SOAP AND WATER FOR AT LEAST 15 SECONDS ESPECIALLY BEFORE PREPARING FOOD, AFTER USING

   THE TOILET OR ANYTIME YOU GET FECES (POOP) ON YOUR HANDS.

* PRACTICE SAFER SEX!