Hepatitis B is widespread throughout the world. In the United States, Asian Americans are disproportionately affected by hepatitis B. While Asian Americans make up only 6% of the US population, they account for more than 60% of Americans living with hepatitis B.
If untreated, nearly one in every four people with hepatitis B develops serious liver problems, including liver cancer. In fact, hepatitis B-related liver cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among Asian Americans. Therefore, hepatitis B testing can help many people gain access to life-saving treatments that can prevent serious health damage.
What is A Hepatitis B Test?
A hepatitis B test looks for antibodies that indicate you’re immune to the hepatitis B virus, either through vaccination or prior exposure to the virus.
Find out more about hepatitis B titer tests, such as what they’re used for, what the results mean, and what to expect during the test.
How Do We Test For Hepatitis B?
The FDA-approved hepatitis B virus test (HBV) looks for surface antigens to determine if you have hepatitis B. (viral proteins). Surface antigens are the first signs of acute infection, but they are also present in chronic (long-term) infections.
Finding a hepatitis B infection early is extremely beneficial for avoiding liver health complications.
If the HBV test returns a positive result, a second confirmation test is performed at no extra charge to ensure that you receive the most accurate results possible. The accuracy of laboratory testing is measured in terms of sensitivity and specificity. Our HBV test has an 88% sensitivity rate and a 99-100% specificity rate.
Hepatitis B Titer Tests Determine:
- Whether a high-risk individual is immune to hepatitis B
- Whether hepatitis B immunoglobulin is required after a needle prick
- Whether a person requires hepatitis B vaccine immunity after vaccination
Does The Hepatitis B Test Use Urine Or Blood?
The Hepatitis B test facility conducts on blood donated by the patient.
What Should You Do To Get Ready For The Test?
There is no need to fast or prepare; simply visit the lab of your choice as soon as possible & get tested for Hepatitis B.
Who Should Be Tested For Hepatitis B?
People who have hepatitis B frequently have no symptoms and are unaware that they are infected. If you do have symptoms, they might include extreme exhaustion, lower abdominal tenderness or pain, appetite loss, nausea, vomiting, joint pain, headache, fever, and hives. Six weeks to six months after the infection has entered the body, these symptoms may start to manifest.
When Is The Ideal Time To Have the Testing Done?
Highly contagious and spreadable through the bodily fluids of an infected person, hepatitis B is typically spread through sexual contact, the sharing of needles, or the use of intravenous drugs.
Although the test can identify an HBV infection as soon as 3 weeks after exposure, our clinicians advise waiting 6 weeks before testing to ensure the most accurate results.
If you have a few of these symptoms or have come into contact with someone who has a chronic HBV infection, you should think about getting tested. Hepatitis B testing should be a regular part of your STD screening regimen.
What Will The Result Reveal?
Either a positive or negative outcome will be revealed by the results. A negative test result indicates that there is no evidence of HBV in your blood sample, whereas a positive result indicates that there is.
Is Hepatitis B Curable?
Hepatitis has no known treatment, but since 90% of acute infections go away on their own, you usually don’t need to worry about it. You have a chronic infection if your HBV test results have been positive for more than six months.
Once you know this, you can take medication to stop the virus’s spread and prevent your liver from suffering harm. The majority of HBV patients continue to lead active, healthy lives.
