Are you among the 1 in 2 people who have undiagnosed hepatitis B?
Testing can help you find out
A simple blood test, usually covered by health insurance plans, can detect chronic hepatitis B.
A blood test will detect indicators of the hepatitis B virus in your body, so you know whether you’re protected or infected. These indicators include:
Hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs)
- Made by your immune system
- Attacks the hep B virus
- Keeps you protected from hep B
Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)
- Found in the blood of people infected with hep B
- Chronic hep B occurs when HBsAg stays in your blood for 6 months
- Repeated testing over 6 months provides a more accurate diagnosis
The goals of chronic hepatitis B treatment
Prescription medicine for chronic hepatitis B may help:
Decrease the amount of hepatitis B virus in your body
Reduce the risk of liver damage
Decrease the chance of developing serious liver diseases, such as cirrhosis and liver cancer
Monitor your chronic hepatitis B regularly
Actively managing your chronic hepatitis B is critical, no matter where you are in your treatment journey. Your doctor can conduct tests on an ongoing basis to monitor your hepatitis B.
Viral load test
Measures how much hepatitis B virus is in your body
ALT test
Shows whether or not you have active liver damage
Liver cancer screening
Looks for cancer cells through an ultrasound image of your liver, and/or an AFP blood test
AFP=alpha-fetoprotein; ALT=alanine aminotransferase.
