National health care officials are sounding the alarm this month on the disproportionate impact of hepatitis B on Asian American communities, encouraging them to get tested and, if needed, vaccinated.
Hepatitis B is a virus that, when untreated, can cause severe liver problems, including cancer, liver failure or death. Of the 580,000 to 1.17 million people who suffer from the virus in the U.S., 58% are Asian, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It’s a drastic percentage considering Asian Americans only comprise around 7% of the U.S. population, but experts say it can be explained by the high rates of the disease across Asia.
In May, as National Hepatitis Awareness Month crosses over with Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, the CDC and its local partners are reminding Asian Americans of this startling statistic — and urging them to get tested, as early treatment can mean a life and death difference.
“It’s really important that we remind people that testing is the only way that someone with Hepatitis B can know that they’re infected,” said Neil Gupta, a hepatitis B expert with the CDC. “And it’s important that we share this message in communities that are disproportionately impacted by Hepatitis B, including Asian American Pacific Islander communities.”
Three-fourths of those in the U.S. with hepatitis B are immigrants — with cases being much more common in countries in Asia and the Pacific Islands than in the U.S., Gupta said. The World Health Organization says Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Vietnam all face extremely high case numbers, and children born there are more likely to have the virus at birth.
It can also be transmitted through sexual intercourse, sharing needles, or contact with an infected person’s blood.
Gupta calls hepatitis B a “silent killer,” meaning people with the disease can go years without symptoms, which sometimes include abdominal pain, dark urine, jaundice and fatigue. An April report by the WHO said the numbers of hepatitis deaths worldwide are increasing. But if caught early, the virus is much more treatable.
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“We estimate that about 1 in 3 Asian Americans who have hepatitis B in the United States don’t know that they have it,” he said. “So one of the most important things we need to do is remind people that all adults should be tested at least once in their lifetime.”
Testing is simply a matter of asking a health care provider at an annual wellness check, he said, but income and language can present significant barriers in even knowing when to ask. Cultural stigmas around disease can also play a significant role.
“There is stigma with disease, and many Asian Americans, like many other Americans, may be embarrassed or not feel comfortable seeking out care or asking questions about hepatitis B,” he said.
The CDC’s local partners work with individual communities to battle these stigmas and cultural barriers, he said, providing in-language information through webinars and social media campaigns about how to get tested.
“It’s important to recognize that people need to hear your messages in ways that are culturally appropriate,” he said. “We’ve seen successful intervention brought to communities into their neighborhoods addressing and meeting people where they are so that they feel comfortable.”
