To know if you are immune or if you have a current hepatitis B infection, or which stage your chronic hepatitis B is at, you will need to have a blood test done.
For people unfamiliar with hepatitis B tests, the results might seem complex.Initial tests look for three markers, hepatitis B surface antigens, hepatitis B surface antibodies and hepatitis B core antibodies. Different combinations of results of the these markers indicate different things. See these information sheets — available in English, Chinese and Vietnamese — for simple explanations.
Below is a summary of hepatitis B tests from SA Health.
Test | What a positive result means |
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Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) |
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Hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb or anti-HBs) |
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Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) |
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Hepatitis B e antibody (HBeAb or anti-HBe) |
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Hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb or anti-HBc) |
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Hepatitis B virus DNA (HBV DNA) |
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