Every week hundreds of teenagers and
young adults are infected with hepatitis B

What is hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is a serious liver disease caused by a virus. The virus can enter the blood stream, attack the liver, and cause severe illness - even death. In some cases, the virus can remain in the body for a lifetime and cause ongoing liver damage - including liver cancer.

How do teens get hepatitis B?
Lots of ways. Hepatitis B is spread by:

• Sex
• Sharing needles, toothbrushes, or razors
• Coming in contact with someone's blood
• Tattoos or body-piercing with unsterile equipment
• You do NOT get hepatitis B from sneezing, coughing, or holding hands.

Will I feel really sick if I get hepatitis B?
Different people get different symptoms. You could get extremely sick (one out of three do). Your symptoms may include any of the following:

• yellowish tinged skin and eyes
• a bloated belly that hurts
• loss of appetite, extreme tiredness
• a feeling that you want to vomit
• fever
• dark-colored urine
• a rash all over your body
• Some infected people never feel sick. They can still infect others and develop severe liver disease later on.

Do many people get hepatitis B?
Each year over a quarter of a million people are infected with hepatitis B. Over one million people in the U.S. have this virus in their blood. Every week hundreds of teenagers get hepatitis B.

How do I protect myself against hepatitis B?
To protect yourself against hepatitis B, you have to get three shots. The hepatitis B vaccine is one of the safest vaccines available. It has been used in the U.S. since 1982 and has been shown to be safe. Make sure you get these three important shots. These shots are usually given over a period of six months.

To protect yourself against hepatitis B, you have to get three shots.

Where can I get hepatitis B shots?
Ask your doctor to vaccinate you against this disease. Some school clinics also offer these shots. If you don't have a doctor or school clinic, or you can't afford the shots, contact your city or county health department.

Do I need any other shots?
Maybe. Vaccines can protect you against many serious diseases including chickenpox, tetanus, diphtheria, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis A, influenza, and pneumococcal disease. Ask your health care provider to help you figure out which shots you need.

The text in this brochure was reviewed for technical accuracy by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is copyright free. Feel free to alter it to fit your clinic or community's needs. However, if you do alter it, please acknowledge that it was adapted from the Hepatitis B Coalition.