Counseling the Patient with Chronic Hepatitis B Infection

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D The woman’s fiancé should undergo testing for hepatitis B status. He should receive the hepatitis B vaccination if he does not have immunity to hepatitis B.

This answer is correct, but there is a better answer. Sex partners of a person with chronic hepatitis B should be tested for their hepatitis B status, regardless of symptoms. If it is not clear that the partner is protected from hepatitis B, either by natural or vaccine-mediated immunity, then the partner should receive the hepatitis B vaccine.

A Most individuals who have chronic hepatitis B experience no symptoms.
B In many cases, people born outside the U.S get the infection from their mothers during childbirth or from infected household contacts as children. A person can also become infected with the hepatitis B virus when exposed to contaminated blood, having unprotected sex with an infected person, or through injection drug use.
C Hepatitis B vaccines do not offer protection to people who are already infected with hepatitis B virus.
E All of the answers listed are correct.

 


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