However, about one in five respondents indicated they were not aware of the risks associated with the hepatitis B virus. Researchers believe these survey findings, outline the urgent need for more hepatitis B education in communities most prone to the deadly and communicable disease.
The survey, overseen by TNS Market Development, a national research firm, randomly selected and interviewed more than 800 Chinese, Vietnamese and Koreans living in cities with high Asian-American populations; including Los Angeles, San Francisco/Oakland, New York City, and Houston. Most of the survey takers were foreign born.
Eddie Cheung, M.D., president of the Chinese American Physicians Society, Oakland, CA, and clinical professor of internal medicine and gastroenterology/hepatology at the University of California-Davis School of Medicine says, "Simply being an Asian-American is not a risk factor in and of itself; however hepatitis B continues to be an important and ongoing health problem in Asian-American communities where a lot of immigrants are not screened and do not vaccinate their children, nor are they aware of the significant risks of hepatitis B."
Hepatitis B is a virus that is acquired from an infected mother at the time of birth or is spread through direct contact with blood and other bodily fluids, in ways such as: IV drug use with contaminated needles, sharing toothbrushes or razors, getting tattoos, and having sexual relations with infected persons.
