Hello there, I'd like to discuss an issue that's important to me and affects our community in Kerala, as well as other parts of India. It's about the stigmatization of people with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections.
During my years of diagnosing and treating HBV patients, I've encountered situations where individuals, including their own families, have treated them unfairly, and sadly, I recently witnessed a particularly distressing incident.
In India, HBV infections are often transmitted within families, despite the most common mode of transmission being quite different. This misunderstanding is the first issue. The more prevalent modes of transmission in India are vertical (from mother to children during pregnancy and childbirth) and horizontal (from parents to children during early childhood through close contact).
It's crucial to know that HBV does not spread through the air, sharing utensils, sitting in the same room, or even hugging. This virus doesn't transfer through these means.
It's disheartening to see:
HBV-positive children sent away from home
Parents not allowed to interact with their own grandchildren
Women losing marriage prospects
Neighbors avoiding visits to infected individuals
Friends ceasing to play with HBV-positive kidsRecently, a young woman with well-controlled HBV had to marry an older, paralyzed man because educated Malayali men from matrimonial websites were hesitant to accept a perfectly healthy HBV-positive woman. Her tears in my office left me speechless.
It's vital to understand that an HBV diagnosis isn't a death sentence. Many patients with HBV don't develop liver disease and need only regular follow-up. Those with advanced disease can lead normal lives with long-term antiviral therapy. For those with sudden HBV flare-ups (reactivation), treatment is usually effective and leads to a cure.
Stigmatizing people with HBV is not appropriate, and it's disheartening to witness this in 2023. HBV infection and its complications, like liver disease and liver cancer, are preventable through vaccination.
Let's support and educate one another to eliminate the stigma associated with HBV. Knowledge and understanding are our allies in this endeavor.