Patient's question:
Recently, the company implemented a health check, and I received the results the day before yesterday. I noticed that there were two plus signs in the liver function test (I'm not sure what they specifically are). Now, I'm dating a girlfriend, and we have intimate moments, including sexual activity, but there hasn't been anything else. I'm worried it might be contagious to her.Doctor's answer:
Hepatitis B is primarily spread through blood (such as during surgery, blood products, or sharing needles). Additionally, there are some viruses in saliva, semen, and vaginal secretions, so sexual contact is also a mode of infection. Therefore, if one spouse has hepatitis B, they can also transmit it to the other. To prevent the spread of hepatitis B between spouses, it is first important for both partners to be honest with each other. The infected party should promptly inform the other about their condition, allowing the other to undergo "HBsAg, HBeAg, anti-HBe, and anti-HBc" (the "four major hepatitis B markers") and liver function tests. If any of the "four major hepatitis B markers" in the other partner is positive, it means they have also been infected with the hepatitis B virus. In such cases, it is sufficient to prevent the condition from worsening.