Hepatitis B Info

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Hepatitis Tests

Hepatitis B is passed from one person to the other through blood and body fluids.

Since 30 percent of people who are infected in adulthood with the virus never get any hepatitis B symptoms,¹ the only way to know for sure if you have the virus is to get a hepatitis B blood test. See Could I have hepatitis B? if you think you might be at risk.

To get tested for hepatitis B, you should visit a medical professional. The hepatitis B blood test will determine if you have the virus and will give your medical professional important information about how the virus is affecting your health.

If you are infected with the virus, your medical professional can tell you if you have acute hepatitis B or chronic hepatitis B.

Acute hepatitis B can last from a few weeks to a few months.² Most people with acute infection will fully recover and not have any lasting health problems.³

Chronic hepatitis B is more serious. Chronic hepatitis B can lead to more serious liver disease, including liver cancer. Some 15 to 25 percent of people with chronic hepatitis B will eventually die from the disease.⁴ It is urgent that people with, or who are at risk of, chronic hepatitis B visit their medical professional, get tested and get treated.

In addition to telling you whether you have the virus, and whether it is acute or chronic, your medical professional can tell you how much of the virus is in your blood. In medical terms, this is called viral load. While there is no cure for hepatitis B, certain medications can help manage the disease by reducing the amount of virus in your blood. A lower viral load means that you are less likely to suffer serious liver damage.

There are other hepatitis B tests that can tell your medical professional if liver damage has occurred.

These are complicated tests so you should ask your medical professional to explain the results.