• What Is Hepatitis B?

• 
  What Is Hepatitis B?
  • Hepatitis B Facts and Figures
  • Hepatitis B Symptoms
  • Acute vs. Chronic Hepatitis B
• The ABCs of Viral Hepatitis
• 
  Liver Cancer and Hepatitis B
  • Liver Cancer Awareness Month
  • Liver Cancer Awareness Month Media Toolkit
• Hepatitis Delta Coinfection
• Hepatitis C Coinfection
• HIV/AIDS Coinfection
• 
  Frequently Asked Questions about Hepatitis B
  • What is hepatitis B?
  • Why is hepatitis B so dangerous?
  • Is there a cure for hepatitis B?
  • What treatments (medicines) are available for chronic hepatitis B?
  • If the currently approved hepatitis B drugs do not provide a cure, then how are they helping?
  • What can I do if I live in the U.S. and the insurance co-pay for my hepatitis B drugs costs too much for me to buy them?
  • Is there any special diet for people living with chronic hepatitis B infection?
  • What blood tests are important to diagnose and evaluate my hepatitis B infection?
  • Does everyone with chronic hepatitis B need to take medicine?
  • Will herbals, natural “remedies”, Ayurveda or Traditional Chinese Medicine, supplements, or vitamins and minerals control hepatitis B?
  • If I don’t need to take medicine for my hepatitis B at this time, what must I do to support my liver?
  • Can a hepatitis B infection be prevented? How can I protect my loved ones?
  • Is the hepatitis B vaccine safe?
  • Is the hepatitis B vaccine safe during pregnancy?
  • Can I catch hepatitis B from the vaccine?
  • If I started the vaccine series but didn't complete my 2nd or 3rd dose on schedule, do I have to start over?
  • I received my vaccine years ago--am I still protected?
  • Should I get the hepatitis B vaccine if I have a chronic HBV infection or have recovered from a past infection?
  • Where can I get vaccinated against hepatitis B in the USA?
  • What should I do if I am diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B?
  • I am diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B, can I get married and have children?
  • I am currently pregnant, and I have chronic hepatitis B. What should I do to protect my baby?
  • Can I donate blood if I have hepatitis B?
  • If I have chronic hepatitis B infection, can I hug my children, partner or friend?
  • I’m in love, when and how do I tell my (prospective) partner that I have hepatitis B?
  • If hepatitis B is sexually transmitted, how come my partner isn’t infected?
  • If chronic hepatitis B is a silent disease, why do I have symptoms?
  • Sometimes I feel sad and depressed because of my hepatitis B status, what should I do?
  • What is the likelihood that someone infected with hepatitis B will develop liver cancer?
  • I’m living with hepatitis B, what should I do to reduce my risk of developing liver cancer?
  • My country does not have a clinical trial for hepatitis B. Is it possible to travel to another country to participate?
  • I keep hearing about a “Functional Cure” for chronic hepatitis B, what does this mean?

Does everyone with chronic hepatitis B need to take medicine?

Not everyone with chronic hepatitis B needs treatment. Every person should be carefully evaluated by a doctor with experience treating people living with hepatitis B. There are often few or no symptoms for decades, so the only way to know for sure is to get specific blood tests to learn more about your hepatitis B infection and the health of your liver.

Tests may include

• Hepatitis B-specific blood tests such as HBsAg, HBsAb, HBeAg, HBeAb, HBV DNA, qHBsAg,
• Liver-specific blood tests such as those that check for liver damage (ALT/AST), and those that evaluate liver function.
• Diagnostic imaging such as ultrasound and/or Fibroscan may also be used to help determine the health of the liver.

    Your doctor will also want to know if there is a family history of liver disease or liver cancer. An experienced doctor looks at the results of these tests in relation to each other to determine if you would benefit from currently available treatments. Your doctor might also refer to one of the professional Clinical Guidelines, developed by professional medical organizations to provide guidance to doctors treating people diagnosed or living with hepatitis B.

You should also make sure to support your liver by following a healthy lifestyle, avoid alcohol, avoid smoking, eating healthy and getting regular exercise. Here is more information on how to maintain a healthy liver.

The below medicines are the ones approved for treatment of hepatitis B. these medicines are not cure for hepatitis B. They work by controlling viral replication and consequently reducing the risk of liver damage. View our Treatment Options page for more information.

• Antivirals: Tenofovir disoproxil (Viread), Entecavir (Baraclude), Tenofovir alafenamide (Vemlidy), Lamivudine (Epivir).
• Interferons: Alpha or Pegylated forms.

 

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Find more Frequently Asked Questions here. 

Page updated 02/09/2022