Your healthcare provider will get your blood test results and share them with you. It is important to know what your test results are and what they mean. Take time to discuss your results with your healthcare provider.

Hepatitis B is a notifiable disease, which means the Public Health program will be notified of all cases of hepatitis B. Because of this, you may get a call from a public health nurse about your test results before you hear from your healthcare provider. Public health nurses know a lot about hepatitis B and they are here to help. They can answer questions you have and help you plan your next steps for treatment.

What your hepatitis B results may show

If your blood tests show you have hepatitis B, your healthcare provider or a public health nurse will help you understand what your results mean and answer questions you have. They will also talk with you about steps you can take to protect yourself and those around you.

Your results may show:

• Protected (because of past infection): You had, and recovered from, hepatitis B. But hepatitis B viral DNA stays in your liver cells, so if you develop a weak immune system in the future, there is a small chance the hepatitis B virus can become active in your body again. In these cases, your doctor will refer you to a specialist for treatment. This is why it is important to tell new members of your healthcare team that you had hepatitis B.
• Protected (because of vaccine): You have never been infected with hepatitis B. You are immunized and protected.
• At risk: You are not infected and have not been exposed to hepatitis B. You don’t have any protection against the hepatitis B virus. You are at risk of getting hepatitis B. Your healthcare provider will recommend getting the hepatitis B vaccine series.
• Infected: You are infected with hepatitis B.

Medical terms can be hard to understand. Ask your healthcare provider for explanations and examples to make sure you fully understand your results.

For more information about hepatitis B blood tests and results, see Understanding Hepatitis B Blood Tests at Hepatitis B Foundation: Fact Sheets. The Hepatitis B Foundation fact sheets are available in multiple languages.

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