London Medical Sexual Health
Private Hepatitis B test
London Medical provides the most up-to-date procedures for patients – with clinics held by some of the UK’s most renowned specialists.
Sexual health screening to identify risk and treat STIs
Hepatitis B is often known as Hep B. It’s a virus that is passed on during sex and when sharing injecting equipment. It infects the liver causing inflammation. For many people, Hepatitis B is a mild condition that passes with a few months without treatment. However, for a small number of people, it can cause chronic, longstanding liver disease.
London Medical provides quick private Hepatitis B testing and supportive treatment to protect your future health. London Medical offers standalone Hepatitis B tests. Hep B tests, together with tests for many other common STIs, are also included in the clinic’s comprehensive sexual health screening packages.
Hepatitis B is a virus that is carried in blood and body fluids like semen and vaginal secretions. The virus can infect the liver, causing inflammation and illness. In some people, Hepatitis B can become chronic, which can cause liver damage and increase your risk of developing liver cancer.
Many people exposed to Hep B won’t have any symptoms. If you develop symptoms, they may come on 2 or 3 months after the initial infection. Look out for:
- Flu-like illness, including fever, aches and feeling tired and unwell.
- Reduced appetite.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Diarrhoea.
- Abdominal pain.
- Jaundice, which is a yellow discolouration of the skin and eyes.
These symptoms usually settle in 4-12 weeks. However, in around 1 in 20 people, the infection can become chronic. Chronic Hepatitis B lasts for more than six months; the people affected are infectious carriers of the virus and are at increased risk of developing liver problems.
Hepatitis B is a highly infectious disease, more than a hundred times more contagious than HIV. It’s found in blood and body fluids like semen and vaginal fluid. The main ways the virus spreads is by:
- Vaginal, anal or oral sex without a condom.
- Rimming.
- Sharing vibrators and other sex toys without cleaning them or using a condom.
- Sharing needles and injecting equipment.
- Tattoos or piercings with contaminated equipment.
- A pregnant mother can spread the infection to her baby.
- Sharing contaminated toothbrushes or razors.
Casual, non-sexual contact doesn’t spread Hep B. Kissing, holding hands, and hugging are safe, it is also not passed on by sharing cups and cutlery.
If you are worried that you have Hepatitis B, or if a partner or close contact has the infection, it's important to get a test.
To be accurate, the test should be taken at least one month after your exposure to Hepatitis B. Harley Street Sexual Health also offers a test that detects infection at an earlier stage. It can show results as early as ten days, but it can miss a small number of infections, so the doctors will always arrange a follow-up test after a month.
Harley Street Sexual Health offers Hepatitis B testing by a blood test. The doctor will take a sample and send it to a specialist laboratory for analysis. The test detects the presence of the virus, confirming whether you have the infection.
Harley Street Sexual Health provides both standard and fast-track Hepatitis B screening. One of the clinic’s experienced consultants will email you the results as soon as they are received and reviewed. This takes less than 48 hours for the standard screening and just 6 hours for the expedited service.
If your result shows Hepatitis B infection, a consultant will contact you to discuss treatment and arrange a referral to a hepatitis specialist.
If you are exposed to Hepatitis B, treatment with Hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) within 48 hours of exposure may prevent you from developing the infection.
The consultants at Harley Street Sexual Health have close links with medical colleagues specialising in liver disease and Hepatitis B infection. They can refer you for assessment and treatment.
You can protect against Hepatitis B infection by using a condom during any oral, anal or vaginal sex. Cleaning any shared sex toys or using a condom can also help.
Having regular sexual health screening, especially when you change partners, or before any unprotected sex can help prevent the spread of Hep B and other STIs.
There is an effective vaccine against Hepatitis B. Harley Street Sexual Health provides vaccination against the virus. You should consider vaccination if you are at an increased risk of infection. People at risk include:
- Anyone who has a partner or close contact with Hepatitis B.
- Men who have sex with men.
- People who inject drugs.
- Healthcare workers.
- Anyone who regularly travels to places with high rates of Hepatitis B.
Our Consultants
Dr Nicky Mackie
Consultant in HIV and sexual health at Imperial College Healthcare Trust.
Dr Angela Robinson
Consultant in genitourinary medicine and HIV at Mortimer Market Centre, Honorary Senior Lecturer, University College London.
Our Locations
London Medical is located in the Harley Street medical area. Together with top experts across a range of multi-disciplinary fields, we offer the finest facilities for your care, all under one roof.
Monday to Friday 8.30am to 8pm
Monday to Friday 8.30am to 8pm
Monday to Friday 8.30am to 8pm
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Get in touch
If you have any questions or want to book an appointment, please speak to our team on +44 (0)800 0483 330.
Or, make an enquiry online using this form and one of our team will be in touch. Please note, all the information collected is required as part of our registration process. By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by our team. You don't need a referral from your GP to make an appointment with us.
Contact us
Our team can also be contacted on +44 (0)800 0483 330.
Please note, all the information collected is required as part of our registration process. By using this form, you agree with the storage and handling of your data by our team.