Explainer

Hep B

Real talk

Hepatitis B (hep B) is a viral infection that can damage your liver if it isn’t treated. The easiest way to protect yourself is by getting a short course of vaccinations.

Myth-busting

Myth: “Hep B can be passed through contact with spit or sweat.”
Fact: Nup! Hep B is passed via blood, semen, vaginal or rectal fluids, or from a pregnant person to their baby during birth.

Myth: “Hep B is untreatable.”
Fact: Chronic hep B is a lifelong condition, but there are many treatment options available to manage the condition.

Myth: “People with hep B shouldn’t chestfeed their babies.”
Fact: Hep B isn’t passed through milk. This would only pose a risk if the nursing parent had bleeding nipples and the baby wasn’t vaccinated.

Myth: “Hep B can be passed through contact with spit or sweat.”
Fact: Nope! Hep B can be passed through shared injecting equipment, sexual contact (via blood, semen, vaginal, or rectal fluids), from a pregnant person to their baby during birth, and through household contact involving direct contact with these fluids.

Myth: “Hep B is untreatable.”
Fact: Most adults clear the virus without treatment, but sometimes hep B can become a long-term or lifelong condition. The good news is there are many ways to manage it.

Myth: “People with hep B shouldn’t chestfeed their babies.”
Fact: Hep B isn’t passed through breast milk. Once the baby has had their first hep B vaccine and an injection of antibodies, chestfeeding is safe—unless the parent has cracked or bleeding nipples.

What is hep B?

Hep B is a viral infection of the liver, and is one of the three major blood-borne viruses in Australia. It can be acute (healing within six months) or chronic (becoming a lifelong condition).

Hep B is a common infection worldwide, but many people don’t realise they have it.

How do you get it?

Hep B is passed during any kind of sex where one person’s sexual fluids enter another person’s genitals, anus or throat. This can happen during penetrative sex with fingers, sex toys, or a penis. It’s possible – but less common – to pass hep B through oral sex on the vulva or around the anus.

Hep B can also be passed through the blood by sharing needles, razors or toothbrushes, blood play in sexual settings or getting unsterile tattoos or piercings.

Worldwide, hep B is most commonly passed from a pregnant person to their baby during birth.

What are the symptoms?

Hep B usually doesn’t have any symptoms, but some people experience tiredness, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes jaundice and a fever. Chronic infection can cause serious damage to the liver over time if left untreated.

How is it prevented?

The most effective way to prevent hep B is to get vaccinated. The hep B vaccine is recommended for everyone in Australia as part of the routine immunisation schedule. Vaccination for hep B involves three injections over a 6-month period (at months 0,1 and 6).

If you’re not sure you’ve been vaccinated, you can ask your doctor for a blood test to check.

To reduce the risk of hep B, you can use barriers like condoms, gloves and dams during sex until you’re vaccinated.

If you inject drugs, using sterile equipment is another important prevention strategy. You can access free Needle and Syringe Programs (NSP) across Australia.

How do you test for it?

A blood test can detect hep B. This is recommended as part of your routine STI screening until you’ve been vaccinated.

Check out our STI testing guide on what to expect at a sexual health check.

How do you get treated?

A new hep B infection often resolves itself without treatment in adults, but regular checks with your doctor are important as the virus can change over time.

There are treatments available for hep B and the right treatment will be discussed with a specialist healthcare professional.

If you’re diagnosed with hep B, your doctor should offer advice about follow-up and monitoring.

For more information about hep B, visit the Hepatitis Australia website and HepLink Australia.

When to see a healthcare professional

A healthcare professional can recommend the tests that are right for your body and your sexual practices. They can provide treatment straight away if you need it, check for any complications, and talk with you about re-testing or letting partners know. Regular checks are a simple way to look after yourself, your partners and your community.

See a healthcare provider if: