I just got diagnosed with hepa B

Hi everyone.

I am 29 yrs old, single and just got diagnosed with Hepa B. I got a viral load of 2900 IU/mL and my gastroenterologist recommend me to start taking meds. Right now i feel like i am worthless and hopeless. I just don’t know what to do. I am just worried i might infect others.

How do you deal this feeling in everyday lives? The feeling that you are dangerous to other people around you..The feeling of fear that people would look down on you or reject and leave you because you got this infectious disease.

Do you disclose this status to your friends, the people who lives with you?

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Hi @Platwooo , welcome to the community. I’m sorry you’re feeling hopeless right now. I totally understand how being diagnosed with hepatitis B is scary. The decision of whether or not to take medication depends on multiple factors, most importantly whether your liver is showing signs of inflammation or scarring. Without knowing that information, I can’t give you a strong recommendation, but I will say that you could potentially be a candidate for treatment based on viral load. I don’t know if this would make you feel any better, but taking antivirals also reduces your risk of spreading hepatitis B to anyone else.

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I know it can be shocking and devastating bad news.

Doctors follow a medically standardized criteria to justify putting you on meds. Your current doctor or experienced heptalogist can do slew of bloodworks and scans to help you determine this. Most likely the insurance company would require this since the meds are very expensive without insurance.

If your doctor puts you on the meds your viral level will go nearly undetectable and with your vigilance you won’t spread it to others. Make sure your people close to you are vaccinated against hepb. Most don’t even know about hepb until it’s too late.

Let’s hope for a cure for HepB soon.

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Hi @Platwooo ,
I’m so sorry to hear that you’re feeling like this. You’re not alone- many people in this community felt shocked and scared when they first learned they had hepatitis B. BUT- it won’t feel like that forever :slight_smile: . If you can learn about hep B, you’ll find that you become more used to the idea and it will worry you much less. People with hep B can live long, healthy lives and it sounds like you have a good doctor to guide you.

About your main worry: there are simple things you can do to protect the people around you. The first is to know how hepatitis B is spread, and how it isn’t. Then you will know that you are not dangerous to other people in most situations.
I don’t know if your doctor has given you any information yet, but here are the basics: hepatitis B is NOT spread like the common cold, or like a stomach bug or food poisoning. So, breathing, sneezing, eating, touching people, hugging, kissing are safe. You don’t need to worry about any of those.
Instead, hep B is carried in the blood, and some other body fluids. Your blood would need to get into someone else’s body, to give it to them. This is not something that happens easily! The most common ways are during childbirth (called mother-to-child transmission or vertical transmission), during medical or dental treatment, or some kind of injury where you bleed a lot, or during sex. There are others, but those are the highest risk ones. For more information, I would recommend you use a reliable health website like this: Hep B Transmission | How Do You Get Hep B | Hepatitis NSW

The other really important thing to know, is that there is a very good vaccine for hepatitis B. If people have been vaccinated and their bodies have responded well to the vaccine (more than 95% of people vaccinated), then it’s almost impossible for them to get it. They are safe. If you know who among your friends and family have been vaccinated, that might also help you to feel less worried.

About telling family and friends: this decision really depends on you and your circumstances. Different people in this community have had different experiences. Most would agree that you should tell any sexual partners, because you might have given the virus to them. If that person has been vaccinated, they are probably protected, and they can get a blood test to check their body has made enough protective antibody. But if they are not vaccinated, they should be encouraged to get tested, and vaccinated.

In my personal opinion, though, you don’t need to rush to do this right now. Give yourself a few days to understand what has happened, learn more about hep B, and let your emotions settle. For that kind of big conversation, you should be prepared, calm, and have the right information.
The Hepatitis B Foundation (in the USA) has some very helpful information about this: Disclosure: How to tell your partner, family, or friends about your hepatitis B or D status: Tips and tricks - Hepatitis B Foundation
We are also here to support you as you think it through. Other people have had these discussions on the forum. Lots of them are under “Living with hep B –> Relationships” tags. Relationships - Hep B Community
Hang in there. :pink_heart:

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Hello,
You should follow your doctor’s advice. You should take the therapy according to the doctor’s protocol. You should not be afraid or worried, but you should be aware of hepatitis B infection. At the same time, you should consult a gynecologist regarding sexual relations with your partner or lover. Life is beautiful and should be enjoyed, despite the difficulties and obstacles. Today, medications for the treatment of hepatitis B are very effective.

Partizan

Hello @Platwooo

Me too I was diagnosed recently and I underwent very sad blue days, but believe me now I am totally very very confident and I became too much motivated.. Why? i’ll tell you why:

  1. I found out that I’m HBsAg positive at the middle of 2026 where medical studies are promising of a working cure for HBV
  2. HBV isn’t a dangerous disease such as Diabetes or Hypertension, you can live your life in its fullness
  3. HBV has a vaccine, so your beloved one can get vaccinated and that’s it :wink:
  4. Being a HBV carrier is a gift! You’ll take care of your body and you’ll eat healthy food
  5. And, being member of this great Hepb Community is a real advantage, where you’ll get geniune and real help, guidance and information from such amazing people from around the world.

Be happy there’s nothing to worry about, make your infection a great opportunity to be healthier and much more happier.

Dive into this wonderful forum and read the real stories from real people, some of them were in a worse situation than you have, look at their recovery process, see how many people here went from high viral load numbers to undetectable ones as @TomPsu mentioned.

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thank you for this information @joanna.f. It will help me a lot.

thank you for this advise @TomPsu

Thank you for this @et5656

Thank you and I will @MedMR.

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