Sign the APAMSA Hepatitis B Pledge Today!
Hepatitis B is a major health problem for Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Americans. Approximately 1 in 12 API Americans is chronically infected with hepatitis B. Among API American men, liver cancer caused by chronic hepatitis B is the second leading cause of cancer death. Yet most API Americans have not been tested and are not aware of their infection because they are asymptomatic and have normal liver enzymes.
Increasing viral hepatitis awareness among infected persons is a formal national objective of the new Healthy People 2020 and HHS Action Plan. As a future physician and a member or friend of the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA), your commitment to advocate and adopt routine screening of API Americans and other at-risk populations for hepatitis B will have a great impact towards eliminating this major health threat to the community.
Screening for hepatitis B is simple. Be sure to check off the Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) and Hepatitis B Surface Antibody (Anti-HBs) tests on their lab form.
- If your patient is hepatitis B surface antigen negative and hepatitis B surface antibody negative, your patient is not protected from the hepatitis B virus and will need to complete the 3-shot hepatitis B vaccine series.
- If your patient is hepatitis B surface antigen negative and hepatitis B surface antibody positive, your patient has long-term protection against the hepatitis B virus.
- If your patient is hepatitis B surface antigen positive your patient is infected with hepatitis B, most likely chronically, and will require appropriate long-term management.
These steps are very simple and you can save many lives in the process so be sure to sign the APAMSA Hepatitis B Pledge today! Once you sign the pledge, your name will be placed on the APAMSA Hepatitis B Honor Roll, which will be posted on the APAMSA and Asian Liver Center at Stanford University websites.
APAMSA Hepatitis B Pledge
See who is on the APAMSA Hepatitis B Honor Roll.
