Hepatitis B in the media

[stevenNYer]

Hello all.  Things have been a little hectic for me but I'm still reading the threads.  Anyway, I just point out 2 recent media stories on HepB that made me upset (upset enough to post ;).  The first is HepB is a deportable disease in Dubai (mental note: forget about plans to visit Dubai).  The second is the in your face discrimination against those with HepB in China.  It seems in such places, you could do everything right in your life, be responsible, go to school, etc.  But once others learn you have HepB, you are not consider human anymore.  

For the stories, google:   epoch times hepatitis b
and
                                     xpress dubai deportable

Very sad.  Glad to be here in the US.

[cajim]

Ignorance makes it sound like leprosy, like black death.

[confuseguy]

HBV being rare in the U.S., it is considered something scary. It's amazing that if it is prevalent, you would think that's it normal but it's not in China.

[cajim]

From what you wrote, it is obvious you are enjoying the free world protection for your HBV status.  If only you could read Chinese and visit www.hbvhbv.com, an HBV patient site with members in the millions whose threads are upgraded in the seconds!  The pain, the suffering, and the unfair treatment of the 10% HBV by the 90% rest will stare at you, yell at you, you can't miss it!

Best.

[Peteshine]

Hold up though, Isn't China one of the main hotspots for HBV? How silly is that then for discrimination. That just doesn't make sense.... Although i don't wear the HBV label on my shirt, i'm also quite happy to make known my viral status amongst my work colleagues and friends.

Confuseguy... I noticed you listed yourself in TX as location.... What dya mean by you feel discrimination as well?

[confuseguy]

Yes, it is sad. I do feel discriminated against as a Hep B. Hopefully, there will be a cure one day.

[cajim]

An HBV carrier in China is avoided as a leper by ignorant fellow countrymen, refused at school gates, blocked from many government positions, kicked out of both local and foreign companies, forced to use Lamivudine even though he/she knows the resistance monster, hard to share the HBV fact with the future spouse, even harder to face the in-laws with the fact...

The only way to change this hell situation is to find a cure!

[zellyf]

I saw both of these.  China shut down the large Hep B online support page but recently unlocked them again.  

Obviously, Dubai doesn't test the blood of visitors but if for some reason you end up getting  a blood test while you're there...look out.