Living with others when one has hepatitis B

Living With Hep B
1

Hi all,

I was diagnosed with hepatitis B in 2020. Because of my medication (Tenofovirdisoproxil), the virus is no longer detectable in my blood. Even though I live alone most of the time, I visit my parents a couple of times a year and usually stay a couple of weeks each time in their house. They know that I have this virus but they are not vaccinated against it. I have told my mother a couple of times that she and my father should at least consider getting the vaccine but they don’t seem to want to. What is the community’s thoughts on this? I remember reading someplace that the household members of hep b-positive people should get the vaccine, but if my viral load is so low that it’s undetectable and if I ensure that no one in the house uses my toothbrush or razor then surely the risk of inection is low?

Kind regards,

Barry

2

Hi @Barry,

I would not worry about this. The chance of you spreading the virus to your parents when sharing a bathroom would be low under any circumstance, but given that your viral load is undetectable, the chance is essentially zero.

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3

Thanks for the response. Yes, this is what I think too. Nevertheless, the official guidelines (as far as I know) state that household members of hepatitis B-positive people should get vaccinated. But in any case, my parents don’t seem interested in getting the jab so what can I do. I think I’ll just leave it.