Nurses with Hepatitis B in the Philippines?

jahda_ph · Jan 28, 2009

Hi there! I'm also a chronic carrier of Hep B, a healthy carrier. My doctor didn't submit me for treatment since my lab results were normal but he recommended another exam,quite expensive and ia available in Manila. Since i'm from the province, i probably will take the exam if my medicals are near already. I'm applying for US right now, i just took the risk. I know of someone who's working in Canada right now,we also have thesame case. Further tests will be asked i guess if one is a hep B carrier before the embassy decides if you have passed their criteria. God bless to all of us. I'll post here once my time has come for medicals.

bubbles0220 · Jan 29, 2009

thanks silverdragon!

jahda_ph hi there! im also a chronic healthy carrier, and all my lab exams were normal. i think your doctor recommended you for the dna level? am i right?

im from the province too and im still saving up for my coming to manila for further tests..good for you that you already applied for the us, i hope everything goes well. i also hope you could share your events with me. im still groping around on what to do next. hope to hear from you and others too!

zerisse · Jan 29, 2009

Don't panic. A know a lot of nurses and student nurses who have Hep B because we know that a good number of Filipinos either are carriers of Hep B or have Hep B. My cousin is a Hep B carrier and she already had a go signal to continue applying for the UK. I am also a Hep B carrier but I think I'll have to think about the NCLEX first before thinking about getting a job since I'm already in the US...

bubbles0220 · Jan 31, 2009

hi zerisse! thanks for replying on this thread!

yes, a lot of filipino's are carriers but despite this fact, the discrimination is high here. it's quite difficult to openly discuss this issue to other persons and the information that is likely to be gathered is quite few because this condition is somewhat a taboo here.

are you an old visa holder? or did you really apply so that you could go there? could you share to me the steps that you did or even the steps that your cousin is doing?

thanks in advance! tee cee! :nuke:

zerisse · Jan 31, 2009

Yes I know about not discussing about Hep B in the Philippines because I have lived in the Philippines for more than 20 years and I think this has something to do with Hep B being sexually transmitted and a blood borne disease.

To answer your question, I already had my visa a few years back from my parents so I didn't apply as nurse. I didn't go through all the exams that are required for the non-visa holders so I don't really know what to say regarding this matter.

Unfortunately bubbles my cousin is still doing her physical exams and is doing necessary paperwork so I'll have to ask her for more info.

bubbles0220 · Jan 31, 2009

Hi! I hope you could update me on her progress zerisse. Maybe you and her could enlighten me on my plight.

Many thanks!

jahda_ph · Jan 31, 2009

hi bubbles and everyone! yes, let's just hope and pray that whichever place we'll be applying,they would consider us since being Hep B + is not the true measure of being a nurse. I'm actually quite anxious everytime i think of how my medica examination will push thru since i'm waiting for my approval for working visa for US. I just hope my DNA result will show the virus to be non-replicating. I'll post here of my latest events as soon as possible. God bless to all of us. Let's be positive about this, let's not allow this condition to beat and outdo us. Till next time'

bubbles0220 · Feb 5, 2009

Hi jahda! yes being hep b+ could never be a gauge in one's true abiliies. I just wish that someday we'd have what we yearn for and be successful in our profession.

I hope to hear from you soon!

kuchigwen · Mar 9, 2009

hi there..im also new in this thread.im a nurse .im also diagnosed with hepa b...im about to work as a nurse in jeddah but unfortunately gamca cancel my visa because my medical result i have hepa b..please help...im so deppressed and i almost want to kill myself because of the result...pleade help

boot_unit · Mar 10, 2009

hi there..im also new in this thread.im a nurse .im also diagnosed with hepa b...im about to work as a nurse in jeddah but unfortunately gamca cancel my visa because my medical result i have hepa b..please help...im so deppressed and i almost want to kill myself because of the result...pleade help

hey dont be depressed just read the first and second thread

im sure they can help you, you are not alone in your delima:saint:

monita25 · Mar 15, 2009

@kunchigwen

i been reading a lot of thread and i came across this one. someone with a hepa b also, wanting to work abroad he sought help from someone and was advised to eat a kilo of avocado a day, another one is a seaman who was able to work again after taking this medicine. i will try to search for it and tell you next time. for now try eating avocado, maybe it might help...

dont get depress,

EwwThat'sNasty · Mar 17, 2009

See: http://www.baldwinpublishing.com/article/siteCode/HepBInform/catgId/23/articleId/114/

However be aware that different "programs" have different requirements. For instance the hospital where I worked (I heard) required a person to be Hepatitis negative to enter their training program. (At one time they took in about 100 RP graduates a year).

Since Hep B is a blood to blood transfer route, (though there are other routes that are not relative to patient care) and Universal Precautions block that route it does not seem that being a Chronic carrier would be an impediment.

When I teach Bloodborne Pathogen classes I try to get my students to understand why chronic Heb B is not much of a problem in the US but is elsewhere. The answer is simply that most hep-b transfer occurs at or near birth in Asia. This is not the case in the US. Here Heb-B transfer occurs generally as an adult. Therefore the adult immune system is more competent to overpower the virus and here Hep-B chronic carriers are much less of a percentage of those who become infected when they were infants.