Q & A 1: Hepatitis B and HIV-ARV's

TEXT QUESTION

Pozzie: Hey I have a question. Do you have Hepa B? Because we have the same regimen.

POZZIEPINOY: What do you mean?

Pozzie: If you have a co-infection of Hepa B? Because I remember we have the same regimen. I have a friend who has coinfection of HIV and Hepa B and he takes the same meds like us: lamivudine, tenofovir and efavirenz. He's been undetectable with Hepa B viral load for 3 years. But now, his latest test showed 1k plus viral load of Hepa B. He's really scared. Me too. :( Does it mean that he has developed resistance?

POZZIEPINOY: He should ask his doctor. The ARV's are directed for the immune system and not to directly prevent any infection. I just had my last vaccination, my 3rd shot 3 months ago.

Pozzie: Lucky you...

POZZIEPINOY: How about you?

Pozzie: I already did.

POZZIEPINOY: So dont be scared. Ask your doctor first.

Because I thought that it was a good question to ponder about, I asked Dr. Ditangco about it. This was her reply:

Dr. Ditangco: Anybody can still get Hepa B and the only way to prevent it is thru vaccination. Hepa B vaccination is given double dose for HIV patients. The best way to know if the Hepa B vaccination is working is by getting a titer.

Because of this, I asked my GI doctor for a prescription to have a titer. I wanna know if the hepa B vaccine that was administered to me is really working for me or not. With a compromised immune system, it is still best to be proactive about our health.