• 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?

I received my vaccine years ago--am I still protected?

If it has been years since you have been vaccinated, you may need or may request a hepatitis B surface antibody titer blood test to confirm that you are still protected. A person is considered protected if they have a positive anti-HBs or HBsAb test result greater than 10 mIU/mL. Sometimes these test results are under 10 and there is concern whether these low levels will still provide protection against hepatitis B. Anti-HBs or HBsAb test results can decrease over time, but an individual can still be protected even if the test results are less than 10 mIU/mL.

If your test results are low, your doctor may recommend a booster shot or a repeat of the series. If you confirm you completed the vaccine series, you can get a booster dose of the vaccine. Your surface antibody level will be tested again 1 or 2 months after the booster. If the blood test result is greater than 10 mIU/mL, then you are protected and will not require an additional booster shot in the future. (Ongoing studies show continued immunity for 30+ years) If a booster shot does not result in a level greater than 10, then complete the remaining two-doses of the vaccine series and recheck the levels again after 1-2 months. Retain a copy of the anti-HBs titer test as proof of protection.

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Find more Frequently Asked Questions here. 

Page updated 02/09/2022