National campaign supports hepatitis B prevention among Asian populations

A new health campaign has been launched nationwide to raise awareness of the high-risk of hepatitis B among people of Asian American or Pacific Islander descent.

Hepatitis B is a disease that damages the liver and spreads through the blood and other bodily fluids, including during unprotected sex. Recent studies have found that those who were born in Asian countries, or are the children of those born outside the U.S., are at a higher risk of having the disease.

This initiative is being supported by several national organizations, including the Hepatitis B Foundation, the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health and the Office of Minority Health, which is overseen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

A public service announcement will be released by the campaign, and will emphasize the dangers of unknowingly contracting hepatitis B. Airing in September, the announcement will be broadcast through a variety of media sources across the country in English, Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean.

Joan Block, co-founder and executive director of the Hepatitis B Foundation, stated that "not knowing your status means that you are living with an increased risk of dying prematurely from liver cancer as well as unknowingly passing [the disease] on to your children and other loved ones." She added that "our message is simple: Asian Americans need to get tested for hepatitis B."