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U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Local and Community News
San Francisco Launches "Stop Hepatitis" CampaignJune 14, 2002 This article is part of TheBody.com's archive. Because it contains information that may no longer be accurate, this article should only be considered a historical document. With a disproportionate number of San Francisco gay men contracting hepatitis A and B, the Health Department recently launched a new vaccination campaign against the two diseases. "For so long our health as a community of gay men has become defined by HIV. Hepatitis and other STDs have fallen off the radar screen," said Steve Gibson, executive director of Castroguys, a new gay men's health center in the Castro.
In addition to the Castro outreach, a 30-second TV public service announcement is being distributed to build public awareness about the importance of hepatitis A and B vaccination. The pilot project continues until November 21. "These are very easy shots that are very effective. They are two diseases out there people do not have to be at risk for," said Janet Zola, a health educator with the Department of Public Health's Communicable Disease Prevention Unit. According to 2001 DPH figures, 85 percent of the 79 reported hepatitis A cases were among men. Of those cases, 75-95 percent were men who have sex with men. Also in 2001, 90 percent of the 61 reported hepatitis B cases were among MSM. Hepatitis A is contracted through a fecal-oral route, such as oral-anal or anal sex, while hepatitis B is blood borne and passed from one person to another like HIV. GlaxoSmithKline is helping to pay for marketing expenses of the campaign and both Castroguys and the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association are helping to promote it. Zola said charges for the series of shots ($15 for hepatitis A; $20 for hepatitis B; $30 for both) are less than the department's cost for the vaccines. Back to other CDC news for June 14, 2002 This article is part of TheBody.com's archive. Because it contains information that may no longer be accurate, this article should only be considered a historical document. Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) 05.30.02; Matthew Bajko This article was provided by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is a part of the publication CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update.
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