Can you have intercourse after hepatic cirrhosis caused by hepatitis B?

Written by Zhang Jian Kang
Infectious Disease
Updated on September 19, 2024
00:00
00:00

Liver cirrhosis caused by hepatitis B, if not treated with standard antiviral therapy, is very likely to test positive for the hepatitis B virus. HBV-DNA is a good indicator of the hepatitis B virus; if HBV-DNA tests positive, then it is contagious. The main transmission routes of hepatitis B include mother-to-child transmission, blood and body fluid transmission, and sexual transmission between spouses, though this route carries a relatively lower risk. Why is this the case? Firstly, the spouse may already have hepatitis B surface antibodies, which are protective antibodies providing immunity against hepatitis B. Secondly, when adults are infected with hepatitis B, most can acutely clear the virus, preventing the chronic manifestation of the disease.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Ye Xi Yong
Infectious Diseases
1min 9sec home-news-image

How long can one live with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis?

We cannot give a definite answer on how long a patient with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis can live, as the life expectancy in late-stage cirrhosis is influenced by many factors including treatment measures, lifestyle adjustments, daily healthcare, and physical condition. Patients in the compensated stage of cirrhosis, if treated and the progression of cirrhosis is halted, with normal liver function and negative hepatitis B virus replication indicators, can work normally. In this state, the quality of life is good, and they can live to 70 to 80 years old. For patients in the decompensated stage of cirrhosis, if untreated and the cirrhosis is allowed to progress, about 70 to 80% may die within 5 years; however, aggressive treatment, including traditional Chinese medicine for liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, combined with antiviral treatment, bleeding prevention, liver protection, and liver transplantation, can significantly increase the survival time of patients.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wu Hai Wu
Gastroenterology
43sec home-news-image

What will happen if someone with cirrhosis occasionally stays up late?

Patients with cirrhosis occasionally staying up late may also exacerbate the extent of liver function impairment, thereby accelerating the progression of cirrhosis and causing some complications such as spontaneous peritonitis, liver failure, hepatic encephalopathy, etc. Therefore, patients with cirrhosis should also not stay up late occasionally. Patients with cirrhosis should pay attention to rest, combine work with rest, avoid staying up late, and avoid eating overly spicy and stimulating food. They should also consume more fresh vegetables and fruits rich in vitamins, regularly check liver function, and take treatments targeting the cause of cirrhosis and liver protection, etc.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Qiang
Intensive Care Unit
1min 5sec home-news-image

Which is more serious, liver failure or cirrhosis?

Liver failure refers to a functional impairment of the liver, which could be acute or chronic damage. For instance, it could be the end stage of chronic liver disease, or an acute condition such as hepatitis, or another acute liver lesion. Other common lesions may also cause a sudden abnormality in liver function, resulting in severe liver dysfunction. At this point, liver cirrhosis is a common cause of liver failure. For example, in the middle and late stages of liver cirrhosis, liver function is completely decompensated, meaning the liver can no longer maintain its basic normal functions, leading to liver failure. Therefore, liver failure is one of the major consequences of liver cirrhosis, but the two are distinct. Liver failure can also be caused by other reasons not related to cirrhosis. For example, acute ischemia in the liver, such as in shock patients, can lead to liver ischemia and subsequently liver failure. Liver cirrhosis is just one of the common causes thereof.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yang Chun Guang
Gastroenterology
46sec home-news-image

Is liver cirrhosis with ascites contagious?

Liver cirrhosis in the decompensated stage with ascites present is not inherently contagious. Whether the condition is infectious depends not on the severity of liver function, the degree of liver cirrhosis, or the gravity of ascites, but rather on the underlying cause of the liver cirrhosis. For example, liver cirrhosis caused by alcohol consumption is not contagious. However, if the liver cirrhosis is due to viral hepatitis, such as commonly seen with hepatitis B or C, the condition can be infectious. Therefore, the presence of ascites or liver cirrhosis itself is not an indicator of infectiousness; the crucial factor is whether there is an infectious virus present.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Huang Gang
Gastroenterology
50sec home-news-image

The difference between fatty liver and liver cirrhosis

Fatty liver is shown through ultrasound as having an increased and finely detailed echo in the liver, which is completely different from liver cirrhosis. Liver cirrhosis is generally caused by the progression of chronic hepatitis, commonly seen in hepatitis B-related cirrhosis, hepatitis C-related cirrhosis, and alcoholic cirrhosis. Cirrhosis resulting from drug-induced liver damage or from severe fatty liver is relatively rare in clinical practice. Therefore, we should not panic. Once diagnosed with fatty liver, it can be reversed through proper diet and reasonable exercise, and its progression to liver cirrhosis can be prevented. So, everyone, there is no need to rush or panic.