Hepatitis B Spurs Irrational Fear in China
Posted on: Wednesday, 19 March 2008, 11:20 CDT
Hepatitis B has grown to carry such a negative stigma in China that may who have the virus are at potential risk of being virtually exiled from society.Take, for example, Madam Yan’s child who was denied a place in kindergarten after testing positive for the virus.
"When I see other children going to school happily and mine is alone, my heart drips with blood," Yan wrote.
Although risk of infection through human interaction is very small since it is spread through the exchange of bodily fluids, some health experts say that fear of the virus has spiraled out of control. They point to the irrational advertisements by drugmakers who make wrongful claims about the virus and its carriers.
Toddlers who test positive for the virus are denied an education, older students are sent packing, and some couples are sent into separation.
The World Health Organization recognizes Hepatitis B as endemic in China . About one-third of the world’s cases are reported within the country.
About 10 percent of China’s citizens are known to be carriers, while that figure is assumed to be larger in its southern provinces.
Children under the age of 5 are more susceptible to the virus than mature adults because their immune systems are not fully developed. Thus, the virus is often spread from mother to child or during immunizations with re-used needles.
Although many drugs can suppress the virus, once infected it does not go away. One in four carriers are at risk of developing cirrhosis or liver cancer later in life.
The government has made efforts to end discrimination by stopping a policy that banned carriers from civil service. Also, last year, it denied companies the right to screen employees for the virus.
"Employers don't give a reason anymore. They say you are a danger to others or that you will suffer prejudice. They persuade you to resign and they don't have to compensate you," said a lawyer, who carries the virus.
Walter Shuai was so haunted by the fear of his Hepatitis B being discovered that he left China.
"You can't imagine the situation if your colleagues come to know you're a carrier. People are selfish and ignorant because of misleading (information) from the government and some doctors," said Shuai, who works at a scientific institute in South Africa.
---
On the Net:
World Health Organization
Source: redOrbit Staff and Wire Reports
Related Articles
- Vitamin D Added to FDA Osteoporosis Risk-Reduction Health Claim
- Warning: Unauthorized Wild Vineyard Products Pose a Risk to Health
- State of Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Medical Services Selects U.S. Care Management for High-Risk Obstetrics Health Management Program
- The Nexus of Environmental Risk and Health Impacts Students, Local Volunteers Will Utilize Cutting Edge Personal Size Mobilemonitors & GPS Devices to Track Air & Water Pollution, Digital Video Cameras to Document Causes
- Health Officials Issue Warnings About West Nile Virus, Hantavirus: Warm Weather Increases Risk From Diseases, Which Can Be Fatal
- China Seeks New Deal in Health Reforms
- China's Leaders Grapple with Rural Health Crisis
- China Starts Exporting Live Hepatitis A Vaccines to India
- China Releases Guidelines on Hepatitis B Treatment
- China to Advance National "Patriotic Health Campaign"
Rate this article:
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds