Hepatitis B is caused by a virus that infects the liver. It’s easy to pass on during sex or by sharing injecting equipment. Most people who get it make a full recovery, but for a minority it can be more serious.
How is Hepatitis B caught?
The virus can be passed on in these body fluids:
It’s passed on through:
It can be found in saliva but there are no proven cases of it being passed on through kissing. Infections from bites are rare. You can pass on hepatitis B from two weeks before developing jaundice.
Avoid sharing razors, toothbrushes, nail scissors, hair clippers and tweezers because traces of blood on them can pass on hepatitis B. This includes dried blood as the virus can survive for at least a week outside of the body.
How do I know if I have Hepatitis B?
Many people who get hepatitis B notice no symptoms or they are so mild that they may not realise they have it. But weeks or months after infection it can cause:
Symptoms can last several weeks, taking months to get back to normal.
Most people make a full recovery but up to one in 20 become ‘carriers’ with chronic (long-term) infection. They usually feel fine but stay infectious to others, with a small risk of going on to develop liver disease.
Around one in 100 people gets a more serious illness which can be fatal if not treated immediately.
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