Hepatitis B Blood Test

This hepatitis B test is suitable if you want certainty after unprotected sex, contact with blood or if you belong to a risk group. Even if you have no symptoms, testing can be useful, because hepatitis B often progresses for a long time without clear symptoms.

This test focuses exclusively on hepatitis B and is performed via a blood sample. Unlike urine or smear tests, this test is intended for infections that are detected via the blood. It is therefore a targeted test and not a complete STI screening.

In the Netherlands, approximately 40,000 people have hepatitis B (Atlasinfectious diseases.nl, 2022). This concerns reports of acute hepatitis B, not chronic hepatitis B.

The most important thing you can do to prevent hepatitis B is to have sex with a condom. Furthermore, it is important to be careful with blood from other people. It is therefore best not to share razor blades, nail scissors, syringes, or toothbrushes. You can also get vaccinated against the virus. In the Netherlands this is recommended for people who are at increased risk (GGD Amsterdam, 2022).

• People born in a country where hepatitis B is common.
• Sex workers
• Men who have sex with other men without being vaccinated against hepatitis B.
• People who travel for more than three months in a country where hepatitis B is common.
• Persons who have a profession where they often come into contact with needles or blood.

If hepatitis B is left untreated, the inflammation can become chronic and lead to serious liver damage and even liver cancer.

Five to ten percent of people with hepatitis B do not heal on their own. In newborns and small children this is ninety percent. A chronic infection then develops. An active chronic Hepatitis B infection can cause damage to the liver after ten to twenty years. These people can also eventually develop liver cancer.

In chronic active hepatitis B, liver cirrhosis or liver cancer can develop. This can lead to death if untreated.

Yes, hepatitis B usually causes no symptoms and the infection clears up on its own. A small proportion of people develop chronic hepatitis B. Active chronic hepatitis B can cause serious liver problems. Inactive chronic hepatitis B usually causes no symptoms.

In almost most people who contract the virus, hepatitis B disappears on its own within six months. If this does not happen and the inflammation is active, medicine can help. The treatment takes place in a hepatitis treatment center (Thuisarts, 2016). If the inflammation is not active, your doctor will check your blood every six months. The virus can also disappear on its own.

No, this home test only tests for hepatitis B. If you want to test yourself for other STIs, take a look at our other sexual health tests.

If your result is negative and the window phase has passed, then hepatitis B has not been detected. If you have been exposed to risk again at a later date, it is advisable to get tested again or discuss this with your GP.

No, at this time Homed-IQ does not have any reimbursement agreements with health insurers. In the Netherlands, if you test through the GGD because you fall into a risk group, testing for an STI is free. The cost of testing for STIs at the GP will be deducted from your health insurance deductible (own risk). The coverage of subsequent costs depends on your health insurance. Ask your health insurance company what exactly is covered. Are you not in a risk group or is it too busy at the GGD? Then you can test at your GP or with Homed-IQ. Currently, Homed-IQ has no agreements with health insurers.

After analysis, all samples are destroyed in accordance with medical guidelines. The laboratory uses only your unique test code and no personal data. This ensures that your privacy remains protected even after the test has been completed.

In rare cases, a sample cannot be properly analysed, for example if the collection was insufficient. In that case, Homed-IQ will contact you and provide instructions for a new sample collection.