1. Visit your doctor or travel clinic for a vaccination 4 to 6 weeks before you travel to a high-risk area
   
   
2. Avoid having ice cubes in drinks, drinking tap water, eating ice cream or cleaning your teeth in tap water in countries where hepatitis A is common
   
   
3. Do not eat poorly-cooked shellfish, uncooked vegetables, salads, unpeeled fruit or unpasteurised milk in high-risk countries. If you are worried that you may have hepatitis A, you must contact your doctor.
   
   
4. Always cover any cuts or grazes with waterproof adhesive dressings or with a dry dressing, having first washed the cut or graze with soap and hot water to clean away the blood. Burn used dressings or discard into a sealed polythene bag.
   
   
5. Make sure that your family and close friends always wash their own cuts and grazes and cover them with an Elastoplast or a dry dressing. Again, burn used dressings, if possible, or place them in a sealed polythene disposal bag.
   
   
6. If any clothes, towels or other household linens become marked with your blood, follow the manufacturer's advice and where possible wash using the hot water cycle with a pre-wash cycle in a washing machine.
   
   
7. Otherwise soak the blood in cold water, using household gloves, and a biological washing powder. Leave to soak for two hours and then wash in very hot water and washing powder.
   
   
8. A good quality bleach, diluted (one part bleach to nine parts water) and used in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions with gloves, will help to destroy these viruses.
   
   
9. A hot iron will also destroy the virus. Blood-stained linen or clothing which cannot be washed should be burnt or discarded into a sealed polythene bag.
   
   
10. When making love you should always use a barrier method of contraception - a condom – unless your sexual partner has been fully vaccinated against Hepatitis B.
    
    
11. Women should either burn or flush away down the lavatory all used tampons or sanitary towels.
    
    
12. If you inject yourself with drugs DO NOT SHARE NEEDLES WITH OTHERS, they will catch Hepatitis B.
    
    
13. Never keep used needles: dispose of them into a safe container.
    
    
14. Use a disposable or electric razor. Never allow anyone else to use your razor. If using a disposable blade discard it into a safe container.
    
    
15. Never allow anyone to use your toothbrush, or face-flannel or towel which has been marked with your blood.
    
    
16. Do not donate blood, semen or carry an organ donor card. Do not have any tattoos or have your ears pierced.
    
    
17. Do not have acupuncture.