What should you know about nakakahawa ba ang hepa b?

Transmission can occur through sex, shared needles or equipment, unsterile tattooing or piercing tools, and contact with infected blood through an open wound. A pregnant person with hepatitis B can pass it to a baby around birth, so antenatal testing and newborn prevention are important. Hepatitis B is not spread by ordinary social contact such as hugging, sharing food, coughing, or sitting near someone. Some people have no symptoms; others develop fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, feeling generally unwell, or dark urine. A test is needed to know your status.

Arrange medical advice promptly after a possible exposure, because preventive treatment may depend on when it happened and whether you are vaccinated. Do not share razors, toothbrushes, needles, or equipment that may have blood on it. Cover cuts, clean blood spills safely, and use condoms until a clinician explains your status and protection. Household and sexual contacts can ask about testing and hepatitis B vaccination. A liver function test may help assess liver health, but it does not replace hepatitis B-specific blood tests.

Seek urgent help for confusion, fainting, severe abdominal pain, vomiting blood, or yellowing with marked illness. Contact a clinician soon after a possible blood or sexual exposure, during pregnancy if hepatitis B is known or suspected, or if dark urine, severe fatigue, nausea, or loss of appetite develops. Avoid alcohol and do not start supplements or medicines without checking whether they could affect the liver.

Which hepatitis B tests do I need? Am I protected by vaccination? Should my household or sexual contacts be tested, and what steps are needed after a recent exposure?