Why a Hep Squad?
Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B are two dangerous diseases which disproportionately affect gay and bisexual men. Each year in King County, hundreds of gay & bisexual men become infected with hepatitis A or hepatitis B. These are serious illnesses that threaten both their short-term and long-term health. To those living with HIV and AIDS, both hepatitis A and B are especially dangerous.
The good news is that unlike HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, we have safe and effective vaccines that provide long-term protection against HAV and HBV, the viruses that cause hepatitis A and hepatitis B. That is why Public Health-Seattle & King County, the Centers for Disease Control and the Gay & Lesbian Medical Association all recommend that all men with same-sex partners get vaccinated against both hepatitis A and hepatitis B.
The vaccines work. But they only work if you get them before you are exposed to the viruses. The Hep Squad's goal, then, is to get as many gay & bisexual men in Seattle vaccinated against these dangerous diseases. If you get vaccinated, you can forget about hepatitis A and B.
In 2000, The Hep Squad published a series of hepatitis prevention billboards shown on Metro buses throughout King County. The four images below are one part of an effort by Public Health - Seattle & King County to urge gay and bisexual men to address their increased risk for hepatitis A and B by getting vaccinated against both diseases.
