Hepatitis D

October 2007     View PDF     En español

Concerns for people living with HIV

People living with HIV are at higher risk than others for getting HDV since they both are passed in similar ways. If they do get HDV then they will also have HBV. This means that their livers are fighting three different diseases at the same time. This can be quite difficult for some to overcome. A severe case of hepatitis D may force a person to stop their meds in order to recover from the HDV.

People living with HIV may face more severe symptoms, illness and longer time to recover than HIV-negative people, both in acute and chronic disease. This can be due to taking anti-HIV and other meds or herbs that the liver breaks down as well as other liver disease that they may have, like hepatitis C. Cirrhosis, liver failure and death are also more likely to occur in chronic disease.

At times, a decision will need to be made to start treating the HBV first or the HIV first, or even at the same time. This can be a difficult decision for both you and your doctor for various reasons. Learning about all your options can help. Read more about this topic in Project Inform’s publication, Hepatitis B.

For these reasons, it’s recommended that people living with HIV get the vaccines for HBV and HAV if they haven’t had hepatitis B or A. By preventing hepatitis B, people cannot get HDV. The vaccine is safe to use and is best done when CD4+ cell counts are above 300.