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• Sexual intercourse with an infected person (vaginal, anal or oral sex)
• Receiving contaminated blood products
• Infected mother to child (during normal child birth)
• Needle sharing and needle stick injury​
  
• Sharing contaminated equipment e.g. tattooing and acupuncture needles

• It may be without symptoms or may present with severe liver disease
• If an individual has acute hepatitis B, he/she will experience malaise, low grade fever, nausea, loss of appetite, dark tea-colored urine and jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin)​
  
• Some infected individuals do not show any signs and may remain symptom free and ignorant of the infection until they are tested

• Hepatitis B antigen tests: the presence of hepatitis B antigen means that the person is infected and infectious to others
• Hepatitis B antibody test: the presence of h​epatitis B antibody means that the person is immune
• Liver function tests assess the functional state of the liver

• There are new medications that can help some carriers to get rid of their infection. You should seek advice from a specialist for further information
• ​​Regular check-ups with your doctor to assess the function of the liver and detect any early cancerous changes
• Sexual partners should be screened for infection
• Pregnant women must inform their obstetrician so that necessary precautions may be taken to prevent infecting the newborn
• Inform your doctor and dentist that you are a carrier so that precautions may be taken during procedures
• Do not share personal items like shavers and toothbrushes as there may be blood contamination
• Use a condom during sexual intercourse to prevent infecting others