Partner just been diagnosed as a Hepatitis B carrier. Questions and concerns.

[arathorn5050]

Hello. I am a 24 year old male from Sydney, Australia. About two years ago, I decided to be vaccinated for Hepatitis B because I was going to live with a friend who is a Hepatitis B carrier. I had the full course of three injections and then had a blood test afterwards to see if it had worked. My anti-HBsAb was about 1000 and my doctor told me that the vaccine had worked.

The reason that I write now is that partner has been recently diagnosed as a hepatitis B carrier. We suspect that she got it as a child as several members of her family also have it. Her blood tests were:

HBsAg Positive
HBeAg Negative
Anti HBcAb Positive
Anti HBeAb Positive
HBV DNA Negative
Normal liver function tests

We have not been sexually active but are planning to get married soon. I have several questions.

1. Will I be at risk of getting Hepatitis B? Can I have unprotected sex with her without getting the disease myself? Will we always have to use measures like condoms etc? I ask because I read somewhere that the vaccine was only 95 % effective.

2. How long does the vaccine last for? Will I need to get tested and/or have the vaccine again in the future? And if so, how frequently?

2. Will we be able to have children in the future without transmitting the disease to them?

3. What things does my partner need to do to try to minimise the effect of the disease on her life (monitoring, treatment etc)
  - can she drink alcohol?
  - are there any foods or medications that she should avoid?
  - can she use things like the oral contraceptive pill?

Thanks for taking the time to listen to my concerns!

[cuteus]

a hep b vaccine needs a boost at about the 10 yr mark, meaning that it might not last more than that.

[mythoughts]

Your vaccine will last your entire life. You do not need to use condoms for oral, anal or vaginal sex after being vaccinated, but I would. A very, very small % of people will not react to the vaccine. If your doctor said you did, than you're cool.

No, she cannot drink if she is chronically infected. Even one or two drinks can cause liver damage. If she is only a carrier & has cleared the virus, she can drink moderately.