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4. Why is Hepatitis B such a problem with Asians?

For those of you who have chronic hepatitis B, you basically are part of this group, which is a humongous problem in the world. Just imagine, there are 400 million people in the world with hepatitis B, compared to 40 million with HIV. So, the reason it is particularly a problem is because 75% of them, about 300 million, live in Asia. This is a big problem for Asians and Asian Americans, because most Asian Americans are recent immigrants. Most Asians became infected perinatally, from mother to child. So, next time you go to a Chinese restaurant, and sit with 12 people, chances are one or two of them have hepatitis B, and don't even know it, because their doctors never tested them. Why is this so dangerous? Because, as you know, if you are not monitored or screened for cancer, 1 in 4 will eventually die from liver cancer or liver failure. This is even higher in men than women - a large study in Taiwan found that the lifetime risk of hepatitis B for men was 50%.