Hep B support group in Germany

Living With Hep B
1

Hello everyone,

I live in Germany and was diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B in 2020. I was looking for a support group in the city I live in but couldn’t find any. I’d like to get in contact with other hepatits B patients in Germany to form some sort of support group. Send me a message either publicly on the forum or in private and let’s see what we can do to hekp each other.

Kind regards,

Barry

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2

Welcome @Barry

Thank you for offering to help those in Germany.
I think we do have members living there.

I hope they reply soon. Good luck.

@ThomasTu can you help?

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Hi @Barry,

I didn’t really hear of anything in Germany when I was working there. The German liver foundation may be able to connect you though: Beratung und Service - Deutsche Leberhilfe e.V. . Are there any Germans who might be able to help with community organisations (@LenaAllweiss, @wettengel @Fckhbvstigma @Greg,@Benno, @S.N)?

Thomas

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4

Hi Barry,

here you can find some addresses of self-help groups you can contact.

Jochen

08525 Plauen Ms. Ivonne Hegewald
Hep B Live Self-Help Group
0151-21324358
Specialisation Hepatitis B (HBV)

35745 Herborn Ms. Astrid Gerbershagen
Hepatitis - active, real, regional, informative self-help (HarriS)
02772-208375
Specialisation Hepatitis C (HCV), Specialisation All Viral Hepatitides, Specialisation Hepatitis B (HBV)

35745 Herborn Mr. Knut Gerbershagen
Hepatitis - active, real, regional, informative self-help (HarriS)
02772-208375
Specialisation Hepatitis C (HCV), Specialisation All Viral Hepatitides, Specialisation Hepatitis B (HBV)

99423 Weimar Ms. Marietta Wachholz
Weimar SHG
03643-418709
Specialisation Hepatitis C (HCV), Specialisation Hepatitis B (HBV)

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6

Hello Thomas,

The German Liver Foundation does not have any support groups in my city unfortunately. That’s why I’m trying to arrange something myself. My city has around 700,000 people yet I feel I’m the only one suffering from having tested positive for this virus.

Kind regards,

Barry

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Hello Jochen,

Thanks for your email. I’m looking more for a support group in my city where I can actually physically meet people in the same boat as myself.

Kind regards,

Barry

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Dear Barry,
Perhaps you can reach out to those groups, as they may know of a local group that is not publicly listed.
Best,
Jochen

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9

Okay, I’ll try that.

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Hi @Barry, any luck with this?

TT

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Hi Thomas,

Not really, and it’s very frustrating. I live in a big city of around 700,000 people. I cannot be the only one here with hepatitis B, yet no one talks about it.

Kind regards,

Barry

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Sorry to hear that, @Barry. Were there any groups nearby that the organizations suggested? My experience in Germany was that it was quite easy to travel to different cities (as long as Deutsche Bahn was cooperating…)

TT

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There are people living with it , you are not alone , don’t be scared , live a normal life

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14

Immigration and Working in Europe/Germany for a Doctor with Hepatitis B

Is it possible for a doctor who has Hepatitis B to immigrate and work as a physician in Europe, specifically in Germany?

My current medical status is as follows:

Viral load: Undetectable

HBsAg (Surface Antigen): Positive

Anti-HBs (Surface Antibody): Positive

I would be very grateful if anyone who has experience, knowledge, or personal experience with a similar situation could share their insights.

I am currently very confused and anxious about my future, and this issue is seriously affecting my ability to continue my studies.

Thank you in advance for any help or guidance.

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15

Welcome @hamideyad

Sorry we’ve taken awhile to answer your mail and the distress you are feeling.

I can’t answer you confidently about Germany allowing HepB doctors into their country.

Others may be able to help or at least direct you to the right place.

Please try not to worry. In Australia we have an immigration dept, that would have all the necessary information to enter Australia. Most countries would have something like that, I would think. Have you googled?

@ThomasTu @wettengel

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In Germany, a doctor with chronic hepatitis B can, in principle, practise, but there are specific assessment measures and possible restrictions depending on the type of work and the risk of transmission.

There is no general prohibition preventing a person with chronic hepatitis B from working as a doctor in Germany solely due to their diagnosis. The essential requirement for practising is to comply with the normal requirements for doctors — such as degree recognition, residence permit/licensure (“Approbation”) and other administrative/legal-professional requirements — as is the case for any healthcare professional.

German occupational health and safety regulations (such as the Ordinance on Occupational Medical Prevention – ArbMedVV) identify certain activities where there is an increased risk of contact with blood or bodily fluids (for example, invasive procedures or exposure-prone procedures).
For chronic hepatitis B, this can translate into:

gesetze-im-internet.de

Assessment of whether the person has significant viraemia (viral DNA levels) or a risk of transmitting the virus during exposure-prone procedures (e.g., surgeries or tasks involving needle sticks/injections).
In high-risk cases (exposure-prone procedures), an individual assessment may be requested and, in some cases, certain activities may be limited if a real risk of transmission is deemed to exist (as in various European guidelines that differentiate based on viral load and invasive procedures).

In the general European context — including recommendations used as practical reference — healthcare professionals with hepatitis B can carry out routine clinical activity as long as their viral load is low and they do not perform “exposure-prone” procedures without additional measures; and specific restrictions are applied on a case-by-case basis after professional medical evaluation.

When a hospital or clinic hires you, it is mandatory to undergo an examination by the occupational physician (Betriebsarzt).
This occurs after the offer/contract, not during the selection process.
What is assessed
General fitness for the position
Specific occupational risks
Vaccination status
Relevant communicable diseases only if they affect the work.

It is not an “exclusion examination”, but rather one of fitness and prevention.

If you indicate or chronic hepatitis B is detected, the occupational physician (Betriebsarzt) assesses:
HBV DNA (viral load)
Antiviral treatment status
Type of clinical activity you will perform
Nothing is decided solely on the basis of “having hepatitis B”.

In Germany (as in the EU), the decisive variable is the viral load, not the HBsAg itself.
As a guide (not as a rigid law):
Undetectable or very low HBV DNA → no restrictions
Low HBV DNA with stable treatment → fit, possible follow-up
High HBV DNA + invasive procedures → individual assessment.

The occupational physician (Betriebsarzt) assesses whether your position includes procedures with a real risk of blood-to-blood contact, for example:
Commonly considered Exposure-Prone Procedures (EPP)
Major surgery
Traumatology
Oral/maxillofacial surgery
Surgical gynaecology
Procedures where the doctor’s fingers are not visible and there are sharp instruments
Normally NOT Exposure-Prone Procedures (EPP)
Internal medicine
Psychiatry
Radiology
Anaesthesia (except surgical procedures)
Primary care
Clinical consultations, ultrasound, diagnostic endoscopy
In non-EPP specialties, chronic hepatitis B usually does not imply any limitation, even with low detectable DNA.

The employer DOES NOT receive your diagnosis.
The occupational physician (Betriebsarzt) only communicates:
“Fit for work”
“Fit for work with restrictions”
“Unfit for tasks X”
Example:
“Fit for the position, excluding invasive surgical procedures”
Hepatitis B is not mentioned unless you authorise it.

In some cases:
Regular HBV DNA monitoring
Confirmation of treatment adherence
Review if you change position or duties
This is managed by occupational medicine, not human resources.

In Germany:
Hepatitis B is protected by anti-discrimination laws
They cannot dismiss you or deny you employment solely because of the diagnosis
Decisions must be proportionate and based on real risk.

I hope this has been helpful.

Regards

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Thanks for sharing this information, @Luis.

I can speak to the protection of health data being shared with your employer in Germany. Datenschutz (data protection) is a big concept and my hep B status was not provided to my boss while I was working there.

Thomas

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18

Thank you very much. You have given me hope to continue learning after I had completely lost my passion.

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19

Thank you for your attention

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20

Hello Barry,

I was wondering if you could form the support group in your town. I currently live in Germany. Would it be possible to join? I’m pretty sure we do not live nearby, but I would really appreciate the opportunity to meet other people who experience the same or similar difficulties.

I want to wish you all the best and say that you are not alone.Thank you very much for your post, just reading it gave me some support. I hope life will get better for all of us, or at least not worse.

Kind regards,
Kati

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21

Welcome @Katerina

I’m not Barry but wanted to welcome you to our community.

Have a read of some interesting information and comments.

We are not alone in this community.

Caraline

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