Is hepatitis B a sexually transmitted disease?

The virus can be present in blood and sexual fluids. Exposure can occur during vaginal, anal, or oral sex, particularly when there are cuts, sores, or contact with blood. A person can carry hepatitis B without feeling unwell, so symptoms cannot reliably show whether a partner has it. Sharing a home, toilet, meal, or casual touch does not transmit hepatitis B.

Possible symptoms include tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea, discomfort under the ribs, yellow skin or eyes, dark urine, and fatigue. Some people have no symptoms, which is why testing matters after a meaningful exposure.

Ask a clinician to check your vaccination status and discuss hepatitis B testing. Use condoms or other barrier protection until results and immunity are clear, and do not share razors or toothbrushes. If you have hepatitis B, tell current or recent sexual partners so they can receive confidential medical advice, testing, and vaccination when appropriate.

A liver function test may be part of an assessment, but it cannot alone tell whether the infection is present. Keep follow-up appointments if testing identifies infection, because monitoring helps guide care.

Contact a clinic promptly after unprotected sex with someone who has hepatitis B or after blood exposure during sex. Early advice may allow vaccination or other preventive measures. Seek urgent help for confusion, severe abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, unusual bleeding, or rapidly worsening jaundice.

Ask which hepatitis B tests you need, whether a partner or household member should be screened, whether vaccination is suitable, and how to protect others while results are pending. If you are pregnant or planning pregnancy, ask specifically about preventing transmission to the baby.