CHRONIC Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B and your liver
The liver is the largest organ in your body. It has many important bodily functions, which keep you healthy. Some of its functions include:
The liver is the largest organ in your body. It has many important bodily functions, which keep you healthy. Some of its functions include:
- Removing toxins from the body (from food, drugs or alcohol)
- Storing iron and other essential chemicals and vitamins
- Producing bile used to break down fats in your food
- Helping to fight infections
- Breaking down food into energy your body can use
- Helping to break down red blood cells and allowing blood to clot when needed
What is Chronic Hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is an infection caused by a virus carried in your blood, which affects your liver. The infection can be acute (short-lived) or chronic (long-lasting). If you have chronic hepatitis B (or CHB), you are likely to have been infected since you were a baby.
If you have CHB, you must see your doctor regularly. While you may have no symptoms for many years, this is not a guarantee that your liver is unaffected by the virus.
People with CHB need lifelong monitoring, so that changes in their disease course get picked up in time. This ensures that if their disease becomes active, they can start treatment before liver damage occurs.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT LIVER DAMAGE CAN OCCUR EVEN IF YOU FEEL HEALTHY. FOR THIS REASON, PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS B NEED REGULAR HEALTH CHECKS.
If you have CHB you will need to visit your GP every 6-12 months, depending on your doctor’s advice. Your GP will request blood tests to check how the liver is functioning and to measure the amount of hepatitis B virus in your blood.
DO NOT SKIP MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS: REGULAR CHECKS ARE THE ONLY WAY YOUR DOCTOR CAN TELL IF THE HEPATITIS B VIRUS IS HARMING YOUR LIVER.
For more information please click on the information booklets below.
Hepatitis B is an infection caused by a virus carried in your blood, which affects your liver. The infection can be acute (short-lived) or chronic (long-lasting). If you have chronic hepatitis B (or CHB), you are likely to have been infected since you were a baby.
If you have CHB, you must see your doctor regularly. While you may have no symptoms for many years, this is not a guarantee that your liver is unaffected by the virus.
People with CHB need lifelong monitoring, so that changes in their disease course get picked up in time. This ensures that if their disease becomes active, they can start treatment before liver damage occurs.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT LIVER DAMAGE CAN OCCUR EVEN IF YOU FEEL HEALTHY. FOR THIS REASON, PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS B NEED REGULAR HEALTH CHECKS.
If you have CHB you will need to visit your GP every 6-12 months, depending on your doctor’s advice. Your GP will request blood tests to check how the liver is functioning and to measure the amount of hepatitis B virus in your blood.
DO NOT SKIP MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS: REGULAR CHECKS ARE THE ONLY WAY YOUR DOCTOR CAN TELL IF THE HEPATITIS B VIRUS IS HARMING YOUR LIVER.
For more information please click on the information booklets below.
Tips for staying healthy with CHB
While hepatitis B cannot be cured, there are things you can do to stay healthy and to reduce the risk of damage to your liver.
While hepatitis B cannot be cured, there are things you can do to stay healthy and to reduce the risk of damage to your liver.
Here are some tips about how to reduce the risk of spreading hepatitis B
Protecting your family and friends against hepatitis B
The good news is that there is a very effective vaccine against hepatitis B. The vaccine works only for people who have not had hepatitis B infection already.
THE BEST WAY TO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY AND PARTNER AGAINST HEPATITIS B IS TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO SEE THEIR GP FOR A BLOOD TEST AND VACCINATION IF NEEDED.
The good news is that there is a very effective vaccine against hepatitis B. The vaccine works only for people who have not had hepatitis B infection already.
THE BEST WAY TO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY AND PARTNER AGAINST HEPATITIS B IS TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO SEE THEIR GP FOR A BLOOD TEST AND VACCINATION IF NEEDED.
Information Booklets
English
Vietnamese
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Chinese (Simplified)
Your Medical Appointments
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Arabic
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Videos on Hepatitis B
Videos on Hepatitis B developed in collaboration with Cancer Australia, TCRC, and Cancer Council NSW.
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A Hepatitis B Community Awareness Initiative
The HOPE project seeks to improve chronic hepatitis B (CHB) detection and care in the Assyrian and Arabic communities in Western and South Western Sydney, as they represent two of the largest population groups at-risk of this disease and its complications.
Our project seeks to explore the hepatitis and liver cancer beliefs of high risk migrant communities to inform the development of a culturally tailored intervention and to increase awareness and knowledge of CHB.
The successful collaboration between Western Sydney Local Health District and St Narsai Assyrian Christian College have produced exceptional video for the HOPE project. These short videos are targeted at raising awareness of hepatitis B amongst Assyrian and Arabic communities.
Our project seeks to explore the hepatitis and liver cancer beliefs of high risk migrant communities to inform the development of a culturally tailored intervention and to increase awareness and knowledge of CHB.
The successful collaboration between Western Sydney Local Health District and St Narsai Assyrian Christian College have produced exceptional video for the HOPE project. These short videos are targeted at raising awareness of hepatitis B amongst Assyrian and Arabic communities.
B-aWARE a hepatitis B community awareness initiative - English Version
B-aWARE a hepatitis B community awareness initiative - Assyrian Version
B-aWARE a hepatitis B community awareness initiative - Arabic Version
Short Stories about Hepatitis B - Hepatitis NSW
These videos were provided from Hepatitis NSW
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Michael Flack – “The Interview”
The video expresses the level of discrimination people who have Hepatitis B encounter when looking for work |
Zamzam Omar – “Hepatitis B – Could it B me?”
Hepatitis B – Could it B me?, is a reference to the catchy phrase that appears on the hepb.org.au home page. In a general sense, most videos that address health topics are boring and use medical jargon that a lot of us don’t understand.With this video, my intention was to keep it short, simple and straight to the point.The aim is to encourage individuals to go get tested for Hepatitis B, while raising awareness of the misconceptions that are associated with the virus. Hopefully, this video will entice individuals to undertake the necessary research and steps to ensure they get tested and basically be mindful of Hepatitis B |
Amy Xu – “A Greater Gift”
Traditionally on Chinese New Year, red packets filled with money would be given from parents to their children. Instead of being upset at her daughter who just isn’t interested in Chinese culture, asides from the annual receiving of money, a mother takes the opportunity to remind her daughter about what’s important |
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