Dear dmc0387,

If you are not currently infected with hepatitis A, you can not give it to your boyfriend during sex. Hepatitis A is not a long-term infection, and a person can only get the infection once.

There are three kinds of hepatitis: A, B, and C. A person can get hepatitis A from infected fecal matter that gets into the mouth — from contaminated food, for example. This infection usually spreads when people do not wash their hands after using the bathroom.

The type of hepatitis most likely to be sexually transmitted is hepatitis B. It is spread through semen, vaginal fluids, saliva, blood, and urine. Sometimes, hepatitis B becomes a long-term infection that can be passed to another person years after symptoms have stopped. Hepatitis C is passed through direct contact with an infected person's blood. It can spread during sex, but this is very rare. For most people hepatitis C is a long-term infection and causes chronic liver disease.

To reduce the risk of transmission of any sexually transmitted infection, use latex condoms correctly and every time you have sex.

Hope this information helps!

Take care,

teenwire.com^® Editors

This column is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have a medical problem, please call toll-free 1-800-230-PLAN for an appointment with the Planned Parenthood health center nearest you.