Hep A alert

Hep A – STI early warning

Hepatitis A, or HepA is virus that causes inflammation of the liver.

It is spread by contaminated food, poor hand washing or sex (when licking skin, condoms or sex toys contaminated with poo).

Gay and Bisexual men are most at risk – more so if you have multiple partners or attend sex on premises venues such as saunas, sex clubs, fetish clubs and cruise bars.

Symptoms can be so mild that most people don’t realise they have the infection – it can cause a mild flu like illness, diarrhoea, nausea and abdominal pain.

There is no specific treatment for HepA – your body will clear it on its own and it means once this has happened, you are immune to HepA (but not the other viruses and not from other types of hepatitis).

You can protect yourself by:

• Being vaccinated (in Dorset ask us at Over The Rainbow),
• Washing your hands (and other body parts) after sex
• Making sure condoms are changed between anal and oral sex
• Latex gloves should be worn for fingering and fisting.

Call us at Over The Rainbow

For more information or support call 0300 303 1948 first to speak to a sexual health adviser.