Since only about 30% of people with hepatitis B have any symptoms, the only way to know for sure if you have the virus is to get tested. 1, 2
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 at the facility you usually visit or a hepatitis B testing centre. 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, the diagnostic hepatitis B blood test can also help your medical professional determine if you have acute hepatitis B or chronic hepatitis B.1
In addition to telling you whether you have the virus, and whether it is acute or chronic, hepatitis B testing helps your medical professional 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.1
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.
Find out more about what to expect during testing.