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How Is Hepatitis B Transmitted?

Posted on Fri, 28 Nov 2014

Question: Patient ProfileGender: MaleAge: 22Visited a Doctor: NoMedications Tried: N/A

hey doctor,

i m extremely worried that i have been exposed to stds in the following cases.Please let me know the risks.

First of all,i would like to share some details with you.

Age: 22 yrs.

i have taken hepatitis B vaccine when i was a kid.but nothing after that.I m not sure if those hepatitis B vaccine are still effective now at the age of 22.

Incident 1.

I have a habit of chewing my lips.So day before yesterday i cut my lips up so bad that they started bleeding heavily.So i stopped chewing on them.Yesterday at around 12 i again accidently chewed on them and they started bleeding again.

Some fifteen minutes later,i was walking towards a shop when an extremely sick looking person with red eyes waiting to get his medicines in the medical shop spit his saliva and accidently some part of it fell on my lips.

What if this person had bleeding gums which i think is very likely and has stds...his saliva(some little part) fell directly on my lips.

what XXXXXXX the risks of transmitting the following stds:

HIV(extremely worried)

Hepatitis C( extremely worried)

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis A

HPV

HERPES

Syphylis!

please let me know the risk and should i be worried!

i have heard the hep c virus is extremely small and even little drop of blood and saliva can have millions of viruses in it.

please let me know the risk!

Answered by Dr. Bharatesh Devendra Basti (33 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
No risk of HIV, HBV, Hepatitis C, HPV, syphilis

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Thank you for query. I am Dr Bharatesh D Basti answering your query.

Hepatitis B vaccine needs to be repeated once in 5 years after last dose for better protection. Inspite of this there will be protection.
Saliva usually does not transmit by the mode described. The chances that blood will be mixed in it is rare. Hiv, hep b and c, syphilis, herpes are all rarely transmitted by this method. Hepatitis A is by faeco-oral method. HPV transmission is also least possible.
You are getting to anxious about the incident.
You do not know the status of person. Just old and eyes does not make him positive for all diseases. He may be negative for all.
Just a cut does not make you fully at risk. If blood present in saliva comes in contact with your fully open wound there may be little risk which is most unlikely. The wound in your lip would have already formed partial scab. There is almost no risk.
You can relax and forget the episode.
You can get back for any clarification
Thank you
Dr Bharatesh Basti
Dermatologist and venereologist

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Ashwin Bhandari

Follow up: Dr. Bharatesh Devendra Basti (13 hours later)

sO DO YOU THINK I SHOULD GET TESTED OR FORGET THE EPISODE WITHOUT WORRYING?
AND WHAT ARE THE PRACTICAL CHANCES OF CATCHING THE MENTIONED STDS?
(THE SPIT WAS JUST A TINY DROPLET)..
AND WHAT ARE THE PRACTICAL CHANCES OF CATCHING THE MENTIONED STDS?
HIV(extremely worried)
Hepatitis C( extremely worried)
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis A
HPV
HERPES
Syphylis!

AND SPECIALLY THE "PRACTICAL CHANCES" OF CATCHING HEPATITIS C
AND HIV?

Answered by Dr. Bharatesh Devendra Basti (3 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
practically no chance or risk.

Detailed Answer:
Hi
Thank you for follow up query.
Practically there is no risk or no chance of transmission of any diseases mentioned.
You can get back for any clarification
Thank you
Dr Bharatesh

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D

Follow up: Dr. Bharatesh Devendra Basti (40 minutes later)

Should i bother testing or just get on with my life?

Answered by Dr. Bharatesh Devendra Basti (5 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
no need of testing.

Detailed Answer:
Hi
Thank you for follow up query.
I do not see any need for testing.
Just forget episode and carry on your routine daily activities.
You can get back for any clarification
Thank you
Dr Bharatesh

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D

Follow up: Dr. Bharatesh Devendra Basti (21 minutes later)

the saliva that fell on my lip was extremely small ..smallet than a tiny droplet like a sprinkle..but it fell on my lip which was cut 15 minutes ago..
i m asking again...can an extremely small spit particle have enough germs to transmit even if it fell on the cut of the lip...and does it make this the risk absolutely ZERO??

Answered by Dr. Bharatesh Devendra Basti (52 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
if anxious go for testing

Detailed Answer:
Hi
Thank you for follow up query.
Though not absolute zero, it is no risk either.
You need not worry. If still anxious, go for testing of all diseases.
You can get back for any clarification.
Thank you
Dr Bharatesh

Note: Consult a Sexual Diseases Specialist online for further follow up- Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E