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By Mao Huan-wen
CONTRIBUTING REPORTER
Friday, Aug 05, 2005,Page 2
Despite the fact that liver cancer kills more Taiwanese men than any other cancer, a survey released yesterday suggests the public has a limited knowledge of hepatitis B.
With Father's Day falling on Monday, the Liver Disease Prevention and Treatment Research Foundation conducted a survey on the public's knowledge of hepatitis B, and noted in particular the data relating to fathers.
Rating awareness of hepatitis B using a "B Quotient" scale, the foundation discovered that the public has a rather low "BQ." Although 93 percent of respondents had heard of hepatitis B, they had at best a vague understanding of what it is.
The foundation said that more than half of the fathers in the survey did not know that hepatitis B could not be transmitted through food and drink, but could be spread through blood contact.
The foundation also said that more than 80 percent of fathers who suffer hepatitis B do not go for a regular liver examination, while up to 60 percent of fathers who already suffer from the condition still drink alcohol.
"Hepatitis B is truly an invisible killer. We can be all too unaware of the symptoms, and when we finally realize something is wrong, it's already too late for a cure," foundation executive director Sheu Jin-chuan (‹–‹àì) said at a press conference yesterday.
Hepatitis B spreads through blood contact -- usually via sexual behavior, sharing needles when injecting drugs or even when getting tattoos. Food and beverages transmit hepatitis A, which should not be confused with hepatitis B, Sheu added.
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发表于 2005-8-8 04:47
