Who should be tested? HBV is transmitted through contact with blood or infected bodily fluids, through unprotected sex, unsterile needles, and from an infected mother to her newborn during the delivery process. HBV is not transmitted casually,
through the air, or from casual social contact(hugging, coughing, sneezing).
The following groups are especially at high-risk for infection and should be tested:
• Health care workers and emergency personnel
• Partners or individuals living in close household contact with someone who is
infected
• Individuals who have had multiple sex partners or who have been diagnosed with an STD
• Injection drug users
• Men who have sex with men
• Individuals who received a blood transfusion prior to 1972
• Individuals who have tattoos or body piercings
• Individuals who travel to countries where hepatitis B is common (Asia, Africa, South America, the Pacific Islands, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East)
• Individuals emigrating from countries where hepatitis B is common, or who are born to parents who emigrated from these countries (see above)
• ALL pregnant women should be tested for hepatitis B infection
Is there a vaccine for hepatitis B? The good news is that there is a safe and effective vaccine for
hepatitis B that lasts a lifetime. It is recommended in the U.S. and other countries for all infants and
children up to age 18 and adults at high risk for infection.
