Category: Hep B
Got a question about hepatitis or liver health? Check our FAQs
In most situations, you do not have to share information about your hepatitis status, but there are four exceptions:
- Healthcare workers engaging in ‘invasive or exposure prone procedures’. This means surgery or other procedures that may require a nurse, surgeon or other healthcare provider to work inside the body of another person.
- If donating blood or blood products (such as plasma), semen, ova, or organs.
- If seeking employment in the Australian Defence Force, you are required to declare your health status in relation to any disease, illness or injury.
- Applying for insurance or superannuation.
Find about more about telling someone you have hepatitis.
- Get vaccinated. This is the best protection!
- If you are pregnant and have hepatitis B, talk to your doctor about vaccinations and the hepatitis B immunoglobulin for your baby at birth. It is safe to breastfeed but if your nipples are cracked or bleeding you should stop temporarily.
- Practice safe sex
- Avoid blood-to-blood contact - don’t share injecting equipment or personal items that may have traces of blood on them like tweezers, razors or toothbrushes.
- Always get your tattoos and piercings done by a professional.
- Avoid overseas medical or dental procedures where equipment may not be sterilised.
While there is currently no cure for people living with chronic hepatitis B, you can live a healthy, long life.
It is important to have regular six-monthly check-ups with your doctor. Blood tests and liver scans will help your doctor check the health of your liver and decide if you need to take medication.
Some people will need to take daily tablets to help control the amount of hepatitis B virus in the body and protect the liver.
Find out more about hepatitis B.
If you come into contact with hepatitis B, your body will work to try and clear the virus. If your body does not naturally clear the virus, it becomes chronic hepatitis B. Chronic hepatitis B means lifelong hepatitis B that can not be cured.
The risk of developing chronic hepatitis B depends on your age when exposed to the virus.
- Babies have a 95% chance of developing chronic hepatitis B.
- Children have a 50% chance of developing chronic hepatitis B.
- Adults have a 5% chance of developing chronic hepatitis B.
Find out more about hepatitis B.
You will need to have a blood test to check if you have the hepatitis B virus. Your doctor (GP) or health clinic can give you a referral for a hepatitis B blood test.
Many people with hepatitis B do not have any symptoms. Even if you feel well it is important to get a hepatitis B blood test if you think you have come into contact with hepatitis B.
Find out more about hepatitis B.
Many people with hepatitis B don't feel sick. Those that do may experience:
- Tiredness
- General aches and pains
- Loss of apetite
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
- Nausea
- Brain fog or confusion
Even if you feel well it is important to get a hepatitis B blood test if you think you have come into contact with hepatitis B.
Find out more about hepatitis B.
Hepatitis B is passed on from one person to another, through blood or sexual fluids (semen and vaginal fluids).
The following activities can transmit hepatitis B, in people who have not been vaccinated:
- During birth, if your mother was living with hepatitis B (also known as vertical transmission)
- Having unprotected sex (oral, vaginal or anal)
- Sharing injecting drug equipment (including needles, syringes, water, filters, or spoons)
- Having a backyard/prison tattoo or piercing
- Having an overseas dental or medical procedure
- Having a needlestick injury
Read more about hepatitis B.
Hepatitis B is a virus that causes inflammation and damage to your liver. If left unmonitored, hepatitis B can cause long term liver disease, cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and liver cancer.
Hepatitis is spread through blood and sexual fluids. It is most commonly transmitted during birth when the mother has hepatitis B positive blood to her baby.
While hepatitis B cannot be cured, regularly monitoring and treatments (if needed) can help to control the amount of hepatitis B virus in the body and protect the liver.
Read more about hepatitis B.
Transmission of hepatitis B via sexual contact can be easily prevented by vaccination or use of barrier type contraception (e.g.condoms). Transmission of hepatitis C via sexual contact is unusual, however the likelihood increases if there is coinfection with HIV.
Hepatitis B:
There is a 95% chance that a mother with chronic hepatitis B will pass it on to her baby if no steps are taken by the medical staff to prevent transmission.
More info: Hepatitis B and pregnancy
Hepatitis C:
Women with hepatitis C have a very low risk of passing hep C on to their baby before or during birth. About 95% of babies born to hep C positive mothers WILL NOT get hep C.
More info: Hep C my baby and me
The word “hepatitis” means inflammation (swelling and pain) of the liver. Hepatitis can be caused by viruses (viral hepatitis), alcohol, drugs and other toxins.
Viral hepatitis is a common cause of liver inflammation, and there are 5 types: A, B, C, D, and E. While all these viruses affect the liver, they are spread in different ways and have different treatments.
Read more about hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
