Hepatitis B Virus Lowers Sperm Motility And Reduces Fertilization Rate
Today, July 28, is World Hepatitis Day!
According to WHO (2015) approximately 325 million people worldwide are living with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. That same year the virus led to 1.34 million deaths, similar to deaths from tuberculosis (TB). In Asia-Pacific, one person dies of viral hepatitis every 30 seconds, says the Coalition to Eradicate Viral Hepatitis in Asia Pacific (CEVHAP). By the time you finish reading this, viral hepatitis would have killed 6 people.
The World Health Organization (WHO) released new data on global progress toward hepatitis elimination, a review of efforts in 28 countries that revealed momentum is gaining. According to the report, nearly all countries have formed national hepatitis elimination committees that have put together plans that include targets, and more than half have earmarked dedicated funding for hepatitis response.
The WHO is urging countries to take rapid action to improve knowledge about the disease, and to increase access to testing and treatment services. Today, only one in 20 people with viral hepatitis know they have it. And just one in 100 with the disease is being treated. This can result in real possibility of developing fatal liver disease at some point in their lives and in some cases unknowingly transmitting the infection to others.
Chronic hepatitis B affects the liver and is caused by hepatitis B virus. It is the most serious type of viral hepatitis infection and is 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV. Hepatitis B virus ’S’ protein is known to lower sperm motility and reduce the fertilization rate by more than 50%. Those with HBV are 1.6 times more likely to experience infertility than individuals who are not infected. The virus does not have any effect on the normal functioning of the ovarian or uterine glands. However, this virus impacts spermatogenesis negatively in males. This causes a reduction in the sperm count, free testosterone levels, motility, viability, and morphology which further impacts overall fertility and ability to produce an offspring in them.
The hepatitis B virus can be transmitted through blood or bodily fluids such as semen, vaginal fluid, and saliva. The hepatitis B virus can be prevented through vaccination. In fact, Hepatitis B vaccine is the first vaccine to prevent cancer (liver cancer). The vaccine is given as a series of 3 shots over a period of 6 months. The entire series is needed for long-term protection. With the availability of effective vaccines and treatment for hepatitis B and a cure for hepatitis C, the elimination of hepatitis is achievable, but greater awareness and understanding of the disease and the risks is a must.
