Fast facts – What you need to know about hepatitis B:
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Hepatitis B (hep B or HBV) is a viral infection that causes liver inflammation.
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Hepatitis B can be prevented through vaccination.
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Not everyone infected with hepatitis B will experience symptoms.
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Hepatitis B can be acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term). Most adults clear the virus within 6 months, but some may go on to develop chronic hepatitis B which has no cure but is easily managed with proper care. Hepatitis B can be transmitted during birth, during sex or through blood-to-blood contact.
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Protect yourself by getting vaccinated, always using condoms and/or dams, and not sharing needles or injecting equipment.
Are there any symptoms?
Hepatitis B often has no symptoms, meaning that you probably won’t know you have it until you get tested. Even without symptoms, you can still pass it on to others.
For those who do experience symptoms, they can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks and often get better with treatment. Remember, just because the symptoms go away, it doesn’t mean the virus has gone.
Symptoms can include:
What is hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B (also called hep B or HBV) is a highly preventable virus that, if left untreated, can cause long-term inflammation of the liver and increase the risk of developing liver failure, liver cancer, and in some cases can lead to death. But, with the right monitoring and treatment, people infected with hep B can live long, healthy lives.
More than 90% of all adults infected with hep B will recover from or ‘clear’ the virus within 6 months of getting it, with no specific treatment. Once someone clears the virus, they can’t be reinfected or pass it on to others. This type of short term infection is known as an acute hepatitis B infection.
However, up to 10% of adults infected with hep B don’t clear the virus and will carry the hep B infection for the rest of their lives. This is known as chronic hepatitis B, and if left untreated (over many decades), it can lead to liver failure or cancer of the liver.
The risk of chronic hepatitis B is highest when exposed at birth or early childhood. In fact, 90% of children under one year old who get hep B will develop chronic hep B if they aren’t vaccinated.
Did you know hepatitis B is the most common liver infection in the world with over 1.5 million new cases each year?
How do you get hepatitis B?
Hep B can be passed when blood, semen, or other body fluids from a person with hep B enters the body of someone who does not have hep B. It is most commonly passed on from mother to baby during childbirth.
Some other ways you can get hep B are by:
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Having oral, vaginal or anal sex without a condom
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Piercing your skin with non-sterile (unclean) equipment (sharing needles, syringes or other injecting equipment and tattooing)
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Sharing toothbrushes, razors and/or nail files
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If body fluid from a person with hep B comes into contact with another person’s
open wound
You cannot get hep B from kissing, hugging, holding hands, coughing, sneezing, sharing food, drinks or eating utensils, insect or animal bites (including mosquitos) or from sharing bathrooms, showers or toilets.
Always use a condom and never share needles
How can I prevent hepatitis B?
The best way to prevent hepatitis B is by getting vaccinated. The good news is, most young people in Australia have already been vaccinated, which means you might already be protected. The hepatitis B vaccination is very safe and consists of three injections over six months. If you’re not sure if you’ve been vaccinated, talk to your doctor.
Hepatitis B can also be prevented by:
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Always using condoms and/or dams when having oral, vaginal, or anal sex and when sharing sex toys
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Never share razors, toothbrushes or nail clippers
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Getting piercings, tattoos, acupuncture and cosmetic procedures done by qualified professionals and be aware of their equipment sterilization processes.
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Never sharing needles, syringes and other injecting equipment. You can find your
local needle and syringe program here. These are free, anonymous and confidential services. You can also get sterile injecting equipment from some pharmacies.
If you’ve been exposed to hepatitis B but haven’t been vaccinated, talk to your doctor and get tested immediately.
If you have chronic hepatitis B, it’s important to get a liver check up every 6-12 months to prevent liver damage and to determine if you need medication. If you haven’t had a liver check-up recently, chat to your doctor.
Testing for hepatitis B
If you haven’t been vaccinated it’s important to get tested for hepatitis B as part of your sexual health check-up. If you have chronic hepatitis B, it’s important you get monitored every 6-12 months. If you share needles or injecting equipment with someone, or you experience any symptoms, talk to your doctor to figure out how often you should get tested.
If you find out that you’ve been exposed to hepatitis B or are experiencing any symptoms, get tested right away. Testing for hep B involves a quick blood test, and you will typically need to ask your doctor for this test as it’s usually not included in a standard blood test. For more information about Hep B tests and results click here.
Who you need to tell if you’ve tested positive for hepatitis B?
If you test positive for hep B, it’s important to let any sexual partners know so they can get tested too. Typically, it’s a good rule of thumb to tell anyone you’ve had sexual contact with in the last 6-12 months, or since your last negative STI test. Once you’ve let your sexual contacts know, it’s totally up to you who you do or don’t tell.
Family members and housemates may also be at risk of infection so it’s a good idea for them to get tested too. If unvaccinated, they should also be vaccinated.
If you need help figuring out who you need to tell, chat your doctor or call the Hepatitis Infoline for free on 1800 803 990.
Treatment for hepatitis B
If you are diagnosed with hep B, your doctor will determine what, if any, treatment you may need. Even though most people who are diagnosed with acute hepatitis B clear the virus without treatment, some people may need treatment to help manage symptoms.
Most people with chronic hepatitis B will need to see their doctor every 6-12 months to get their liver function checked and see if they need any treatment to prevent liver damage or reduce any scarring on the liver.
There is no cure for hepatitis B but with proper monitoring and, in some cases, treatment, people infected with hepatitis B can live long, happy lives.
For further information on hepatitis B, see some useful links below:
NSW Health website https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/factsheets/Pages/hepatitis_b.aspx
Hepatitis Infoline 02 9332 1599 or 1800 803 990 (outside Sydney) https://www.hepatitisaustralia.com/information-line
NSW Sexual Health Infoline 1800 451 624
