Hepatitis B
What is hepatitis B?
How is hepatitis B spread?
How would someone know if they have hepatitis B?
Why should a person get tested for hepatitis B?
How can you stay safe from getting hepatitis B?
What should you do if you have hepatitis B?
Want to know more?
Hepatitis B is a major global health issue. It is estimated that nearly 260 million people are living with chronic hepatitis B globally.
Hepatitis B is a liver infection that is caused by the hepatitis B virus. It often has no symptoms, so you might have it for years and not know it.
If not diagnosed and managed appropriately, hepatitis B can cause liver inflammation (swelling), liver scaring, and liver cancer.
The good news is that in Australia a safe and effective vaccine is widely available.
Hepatitis B virus can spread from one person to another when they share:
Blood
Sexual fluids
1. Hepatitis B can spread when blood is shared.
It spreads when the blood of a person who has hepatitis B, gets inside another person’s bloodstream. This can happen by sharing anything that might get blood on it. Such as, needles or personal household hygiene items. Blood can also be shared through fighting, contact sports, and cultural practices that involve blood.
2. Hepatitis B can spread through any form of unprotected sex.
It is spread when the semen or vaginal fluids of a person who has hepatitis B, gets inside another person’s bloodstream.
3. Hepatitis B can spread from a mother to her baby at birth.
During birth the mother’s body fluids can get into the baby’s bloodstream. If a mother has hepatitis B, the baby is very likely to get the virus when they are born. If the mother finds out early during pregnancy that she has hepatitis B, there are things she can do to help her baby fight off the virus and not get sick.
It may be difficult for someone to know if they are living with hepatitis B. Most people living with hepatitis B do not look or feel sick for many years. If they do begin to feel sick, there are a number of symptoms of hepatitis B that they might have. Some of the symptoms of hepatitis B include:
Nausea & vomiting
Fever
Tiredness
Loss of appetite
Tummy pain (on the right side where the liver is)
Jaundice (yellow skin & eyes)
By the time a person living with hepatitis B starts to feel sick, their liver may already be very damaged. Unfortunately, this means that many people living with hepatitis B do not know that they have it. The only way to be absolutely sure is to ask your doctor for a hepatitis B blood test.
Hepatitis B virus can increase your risk of liver cancer.
Without care, up to 1 in 4 people with Hepatitis B will die from liver cancer or liver failure. Finding out if you have hepatitis B early, could save your life.
Some people are more at risk of getting hepatitis B than others, especially people born in places where hepatitis B is common and/or where the hepatitis B vaccine is not available.
It is recommended that all pregnant women are tested for hepatitis B.
It may be beneficial for some pregnant women who have hepatitis B to take antiviral medications during their pregnancy to reduce the chances of passing the hepatitis B onto their baby. Babies who are born to women who have hepatitis B can be given hepatitis B immunoglobulin and hepatitis B vaccination at birth. This greatly reduces the risk of transmission from mum to baby.
Testing for hepatitis B is not a routine test, so unless you ask for it, the check-ups you do with your doctor will not include it. If you want to know your hepatitis B status, ask your doctor for a hepatitis B blood test.
Hep B WA is an online hepatitis B information, screening and treatment access portal for remote culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) communities in WA.
The portal offers:
Accurate and easy to understand hepatitis B information, including translated resources.
A platform to ask hepatitis-related questions and for people living with hepatitis B to share their stories.
Access to telehealth appointments with the HepatitisWA Deen Clinic.
1. Be safe.
Clean and cover up blood straight away. Parents can keep their kids safe by covering up their cuts and sores with a band aid.
Don’t share anything that could have blood on it. Such as needles, injecting equipment, or personal items like toothbrushes.
Use protection, such as a condom when having sex.
2. Get Vaccinated.
The hepatitis B vaccine will protect you for the rest of your life.
Anyone can get the vaccine. It is safe for everyone – including pregnant women.
Since 2000, all babies born in Australia are offered the vaccine.
The vaccine comes in 3 doses over a 6-month period.
If you are not sure if you have had the vaccine you can get a blood test from your doctor to find out.
If you find out that you have hepatitis B, the good news is that your condition can be easily managed, and you can still live a long and healthy life.
It is important that people living with hepatitis B have regular liver check-ups with their doctor, every 6-12 months. The doctor can check if the virus is active and causing damage to the liver, or if it is staying quiet or ‘sleeping’.
If the hepatitis B virus is causing damage to the liver, then there is a treatment available. The treatment is not a cure, but it can help people living with hepatitis B to manage their condition, reduce the risk of transmission, and prevent liver damage. Not everyone with hepatitis B will need treatment, speak to your doctor if you want to know more.
References:
Health direct, Hepatitis B: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/hepatitis-b
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (Australian Immunisation Handbook), Hepatitis B: https://immunisationhandbook.health.gov.au/contents/vaccine-preventable-diseases/hepatitis-b
Hepatitis Australia, Hepatitis B: https://www.hepatitisaustralia.com/pages/category/hepatitis-b