Chenda's Story
English
Khmer
Recently engaged and waiting to join her fiancé in America, Chenda got a blood test, only to find out that she has hepatitis B. Upon seeing a doctor in Cambodia, she was inspired to learn how to protect her family and lover from the disease. Hepatitis B no longer haunts Chenda; she transformed herself from survivor to helper and is ready to make sure her soon-to-arrive first child is vaccinated against the virus.
Discussion Questions and Answers:
Why might Chenda have assumed she needed to know her hepatitis B status in order to obtain a U.S. visa? (Even though testing for hepatitis B is not required as part of the U.S. visa process, some countries do require hepatitis B testing as part of the immigration process.)
When Chenda initially found out that she tested positive for the hepatitis B virus, she believed her life would end. What helped her change this view? (Chenda’s mother and husband reassured her and urged her to consult a doctor, who explained that with careful monitoring of the virus, she can live a normal life.)
How does Chenda plan to handle her own pregnancy and birth, now that she knows she is living with the virus? (She has found a well-informed doctor who will make sure her baby is vaccinated, to offer a solid chance of prevention. When a mother has hepatitis B, if the first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine and one dose of Hepatitis B Immune Globulin (HBIG) is given to a newborn at birth, followed by the completion of the hepatitis B vaccine series, the baby will have greater than a 95 percent chance of being protected against infection.)
Chenda's story is available in English and Khmer.