Frequently Asked Questions

• Infants born to infected mothers
• Sex partners of infected persons
• Sexually active persons who are not in a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship (e.g., >1 sex partner during the previous 6 months)
• Men who have sex with men
• Injection drug users
• Household contacts of persons with chronic Hepatitis B infection
• Health care and public safety workers at risk for occupational exposure to blood or blood-contaminated body fluids
• Hemodialysis patients
• Residents and staff of facilities for developmentally disabled persons
• Travelers to countries with intermediate or high prevalence of Hepatitis B infection

The virus is transmitted through contact with the blood, semen, or other body fluids of an infected person.

Transmission can happen through:

• Sexual contact
• Sharing needles, syringes, or other drug-injection equipment
• From mother to baby at birth
• Sharing items such as razors or toothbrushes with an infected person
• Direct contact with the blood or open sores of an infected person

Transmission does not occur by:

• Sharing eating utensils
• Breastfeeding
• Coughing or sneezing
• Hugging, kissing, holding hands, or other casual contact
• Hepatitis B virus is not found in urine or feces

On average, symptoms appear 90 days (three months) after exposure, but they can appear any time between six weeks and six months after exposure.

Infection with Hepatitis B can lead to immunity – if you recover from acute infection and the infection does not progress to chronic infection. The younger a person is when infected with Hepatitis B , the greater their chance of developing chronic Hepatitis B. Once you recover from Hepatitis B, you must get tested by your provider to see if you have developed immunity. Being free from symptoms does not mean that your immune system fought off the infection.

Chronic Hepatitis B is a serious disease that can result in long term health problems, including liver damage, liver failure, liver cancer, or even death. Approximately 2,000 to 4,000 people die every year from Hepatitis B-related liver disease in the United States.

The presence of signs and symptoms varies by age. Most children under age 5 years and newly infected immunosuppressed adults are asymptomatic. When present, signs and symptoms can include:

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Dark urine
• Clay-colored bowel movements
• Joint pain
• Jaundice