Hepatitis A

How can you get hepatitis A?

Hepatitis A is very contagious. The virus is found in tiny pieces of poo of people who have hepatitis A. You can get infected if the virus enters your mouth. This can happen during sex. For example, through: 

• Anal sex
• Rimming
• Fingering
• Fisting

But you can also get hepatitis A in other situations, for example if there are tiny pieces of poo on a tap, on a towel or on a toilet seat. So make sure to maintain good hygiene. In some countries you can get hepatitis A by drinking contaminated water or eating contaminated food.

What are the symptoms of hepatitis A?

Hepatitis A can cause these symptoms:

• Feeling tired
• Feeling unwell, nausea, fever
• Less appetite
• Stomach ache
• Dark pee and light (beige) stool
• Jaundice: the whites of your eyes become yellow. Your skin gets yellowish, your pee gets darker, and your poo could become pale

Other symptoms? 

Do you have other symptoms? They could be caused by something else. So it’s important to go to your GP or to the GGD. Don’t wait too long and make an appointment.

Check out the symptoms of other STDs

Getting tested for hepatitis A

If you have various sex partners, you should get tested for HIV and STDs 2 times a year. You should also do this if your partner has various sex partners.

You should absolutely get tested for hepatitis A in these cases:

• If you have symptoms that could be caused by hepatitis A
• If you had sex with someone who has hepatitis A

Where can you get tested?

You can get tested for hepatitis A at your GP’s. It costs about €60 and is included in your health insurance deductible (in Dutch ‘eigen risico’).  

How is a test done?

A hepatitis A test goes like this:

• The doctor or nurse uses a needle to take a blood sample from your arm
• The blood is examined in the lab

Usually, after a couple of days you get your result. If you have hepatitis A, the GGD will give you an appointment for a consultation. During the consultation you will receive information about:

• Treating hepatitis A
• How to make sure you don’t pass on hepatitis A
• How to best inform your sex partners
• Vaccination for your sex partners and housemates

Treating hepatitis A

There is no medication against hepatitis A. The disease heals on its own. Healing can take months. If hepatitis A makes you very sick, you can get medication to reduce the symptoms.

After getting hepatitis A once, you become immune. That means you won’t get the disease again.

Preventing hepatitis A

This is how you protect yourself against hepatitis A: 

• Wash your hands with water and soap after pooing and before eating.
• Wash your hands with water and soap before and after sex.
• Use condoms for fucking and latex gloves for fisting.
• Do you use sex toys? Don’t share them with others. Or clean them thoroughly before using them.
• Get a vaccination. This way you’ll never get hepatitis A.