My mum had hepatitis B. Should I get tested?
Yes. Hepatitis B can pass from mother to baby at birth and stay silent for years. What the hepatitis B blood test checks, what your results mean, and when a liver ultrasound is needed.
- Liver health
- Hepatitis B
- Family history
Medically reviewed by Dr. William Aung, DocDocDash’s partner doctor network.
Last reviewed: October 2026.
The short answer: Yes, get tested. Hepatitis B can pass from mother to baby at birth, and it usually causes no symptoms for years, so you can’t know from how you feel. A simple hepatitis B blood test shows whether you have the virus, whether you are protected, or whether you need a vaccine. If the virus is found, a liver ultrasound checks how your liver is doing.
Many people only learn their mother had hepatitis B years later, often during a family health scare or a pregnancy check. If that’s you, this guide explains why your family history matters, what the screening tests look for, and how to get checked.
Why does my mum’s hepatitis B matter to me?
Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. In many parts of Asia, the most common way people caught it in the past was from their mother at birth.
Three facts make your mother’s diagnosis important:
- Babies infected at birth usually keep the virus. Around 9 in 10 babies infected at birth develop long-term (chronic) hepatitis B, compared with a small minority of adults.
- Vaccination at birth only became routine in recent decades. If you were born before your country gave every newborn the hepatitis B vaccine, you may not have been protected.
- It is usually silent. Chronic hepatitis B can quietly damage the liver for 20 or 30 years before any symptoms appear. Over time it can lead to liver scarring (cirrhosis) and liver cancer.
None of this means you have the virus. It means your family history is a clear reason to find out.
How is hepatitis B spread, and how is it not?
Hepatitis B spreads through blood and body fluids. Knowing how it moves helps you decide who else in the family should be tested.
| Can spread hepatitis B | Does not spread hepatitis B |
|---|---|
| From mother to baby during birth | Sharing food, cups or cutlery |
| Sharing razors, toothbrushes or nail clippers | Hugging, holding hands or kissing on the cheek |
| Unprotected sex | Coughing or sneezing |
| Shared needles, or unsterile tattoo, piercing or medical equipment | Living in the same house with normal daily contact |
This is why doctors usually recommend testing for the whole household, not just the children of someone with hepatitis B.
What does a hepatitis B blood test check?
A hepatitis B screening is one blood draw, usually with no fasting needed. The lab looks for three markers, often called the “hepatitis B panel”:
- HBsAg (hepatitis B surface antigen). A piece of the virus itself. If it is found, the virus is in your body now.
- Anti-HBs (hepatitis B surface antibody). Your body’s protection. If it is found, you are immune, either from a vaccine or from an old infection you cleared.
- Anti-HBc (hepatitis B core antibody). A sign that you have met the virus at some point, now or in the past. A vaccine does not cause this one.
Together, these three results tell your doctor a clear story: infected, protected, or in need of a vaccine. Many screening packages also include ALT and AST, liver enzymes that show whether the liver is inflamed.
What do my hepatitis B results mean?
These are the most common result patterns. Your doctor will explain your own report.
| HBsAg | Anti-HBs | Anti-HBc | What it usually means | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative | Positive | Negative | Protected by vaccination | No action needed |
| Negative | Positive | Positive | Past infection, now cleared and immune | Usually no action; tell your doctor before chemotherapy or strong immune-suppressing medicine |
| Positive | Negative | Positive | Hepatitis B infection | Further blood tests and a liver ultrasound |
| Negative | Negative | Negative | Not protected | Hepatitis B vaccine |
| Negative | Negative | Positive | Unclear result | Repeat or extra testing |
Why might I need a liver ultrasound too?
A blood test tells you whether the virus is there. A liver ultrasound shows what it may be doing to your liver.
What it shows: the size and texture of the liver, signs of fat or scarring, and any spots (lesions) that need a closer look. It uses sound waves, is painless, involves no radiation, and takes about 20 to 30 minutes. You usually need to fast for about 4-6 hours beforehand.
Other liver checks your doctor may add if you have hepatitis B:
- HBV DNA (viral load): how much virus is in your blood, which helps decide whether you need treatment
- HBeAg: whether the virus is very active
- FibroScan: a quick, ultrasound-style scan that measures liver stiffness, a sign of scarring
- AFP (alpha-fetoprotein): a blood marker sometimes used with ultrasound to check for liver cancer
Many people with chronic hepatitis B, especially those with a family history of liver cancer, are advised to have a liver ultrasound about every 6 months. Regular checks help find problems early, when they are much easier to treat.
Who in my family should get tested?
If one person in the family has hepatitis B, doctors generally recommend screening for:
- Their children, at any age, especially anyone born before routine newborn vaccination
- Brothers and sisters, who may have been exposed the same way
- Their partner or spouse
- Anyone else who lives with them and may share razors, toothbrushes or nail clippers
- Your own children, if you test positive
Planning a pregnancy or already pregnant? Hepatitis B testing is a routine part of pregnancy care.
What happens if I test positive?
If you have hepatitis B: a liver specialist will check how active the virus is and how healthy your liver is. Not everyone needs medicine straight away. Some people only need regular monitoring. Others take a daily antiviral tablet that keeps the virus under control and lowers the risk of liver damage. With regular follow-up visits, most people with hepatitis B live full, healthy lives.
Simple steps also protect your liver and your family:
- Avoid alcohol, which adds extra stress to the liver
- Check with your doctor before taking herbal remedies or new supplements
- Don’t share razors, toothbrushes or nail clippers
- Make sure your partner and household are tested and vaccinated
Frequently asked questions
I feel completely healthy. Do I still need a test? Yes. Most people with chronic hepatitis B feel well for many years. Feeling healthy does not rule it out.
I think I had the vaccine as a child. Should I still get tested? It’s still worth testing. If your mother had hepatitis B, you may have been infected at birth before the vaccine could protect you, and the test also confirms whether your protection is still there.
Is hepatitis B the same as hepatitis A or C? No. They are different viruses that all affect the liver. Hepatitis A spreads through food and water, and hepatitis C spreads mainly through blood. Your doctor may test for hepatitis C at the same time.
Can hepatitis B be cured? There is no complete cure yet for chronic hepatitis B, but antiviral medicine controls it very well, and regular checks protect your liver for the long term.
Book your hepatitis B screening with DocDocDash!
DocDocDash can help you book hepatitis B blood tests, liver ultrasound and full liver health packages at trusted hospitals in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Turkey and Hong Kong with clear prices and results explained by a doctor. You can also book together as a family.
Sources:
- World Health Organization: Hepatitis B fact sheet
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis B Foundation: understanding your hepatitis B blood test results
- American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD): hepatitis B guidance, including liver cancer surveillance
- Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL): hepatitis B clinical practice guidelines