Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B (or Hep B) is an infectious virus that can cause serious disease of the liver. The liver is part of the body’s digestive system and performs lots of functions essential to health such as digesting fats and filtering toxins. When your liver isn’t working properly you can feel very sick.

HOW DO YOU GET IT?

Hep B can be transferred from one person to another through body fluids like blood, semen, vaginal fluid and saliva. It can be passed on through:

• Unprotected oral, anal or vaginal sex (sex without a condom) with a person who has Hep B.
• Sharing toothbrushes, razors, needles or injecting equipment with a person who has Hep B.
• Getting a tattoo painted with ink from an inkpot that has been used to tattoo someone else. (You should only get tatts and piercings done at professional parlours).
• Contact sports where there are cuts and grazes.    

A very small percentage of people can get very sick, very suddenly. They can feel very tired, have yellow skin and a swollen stomach. They need to be treated by a doctor immediately.

WHAT IF I’M PREGNANT? WILL IT AFFECT THE BABY?

Hep B can be passed on to babies, usually during childbirth, and the virus can also cause problems for the mother during pregnancy, depending on how sick she is. It’s important to be tested for Hep B when you are pregnant so that the doctor can work out how to best look after you and the baby.

HOW CAN I PREVENT IT?

You can protect yourself against Hep B by getting vaccinated. The vaccine is given by needle in two or three doses over six months.

Check out the Family Planning NSW condoms factsheet for tips on how to use condoms correctly.

Also, be blood aware. When playing sports, wash blood off yourself, and if someone else has blood on them, wear gloves to help them or ask them to wash the blood off themselves.

WHAT HAPPENS IN A HEPATITIS B TEST?

The test for Hep B is a blood test. This means the doctor or nurse will take a sample of your blood to see if you have the virus or if you can pass it on to anyone else. To find out where you can go for a sexual health check, call the Healthline on 1300 65 88 86 to talk to a reproductive and sexual health nurse. Talking to the nurse is confidential and anonymous.

HOW IS IT TREATED?

There is no medical treatment for Hep B, but some people’s systems get rid of the infection on their own - 95% of people with the infection get completely well. You might need to be careful about what you eat, and stop drinking alcohol. Your doctor can give you advice about this. About 5% of people can’t get rid of the virus and go on to develop serious health problems. These people are called ‘carriers’ and might still be able to pass the infection on to other people. There is a vaccine that can reduce the likelihood of becoming infected if started within two weeks of exposure to Hep B. If you have done risky things you can talk to a sexual health clinic about whether you can get this vaccine.

IF I GO TO A CLINIC WILL THEY TELL MY PARENTS?