I got vaccinated for hep b 10 yrs ago. i get tested at my obgyn for everything everytime just to be safe. last time i went they said i had antibodies for hep b but the antigen was negative. now my doctor said i had the antibodies b/c of the hep b vaccine. what i want to know is how do i know if i was exposed or not? b/c if i was exposed that means my boyfriend has it and even though i had the vaccine i don't want to expose myself to that. what do i do? my doctor acted annoyed w/ me and i didnt understand can someone please help me. the only thing she said was the antigen will tell you if you were exposed?? i've gotten tested before and she never told me about any antibodies showing up?
2006-12-22 14:52:20 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ STDs
Ok, so an antibody is a cell which your body has produced in response to the virus, however you will have these antibodies from being vaccinated, thats what the vaccine is for - to provide you with antibodies in case you exposed to the real virus (which is th antigen). The antigen means the proteins on the surface of the virus, so, if you are antigen negative it means you have not been exposed to the virus. However, if you were vaccinated 10 years ago, there is a small chance those antibodies have worn off by now and you have antibodies from being exposed to the virus sometime in the last 10 years. but, if your not antigen positive you dont surrently have any active infection so u should be safe as well as your boyfriend.
2006-12-22 14:58:43 · answer #1 · answered by bobqueen 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are two kinds of hep B antibodies commonly tested for: core antibodies (anti HBc) and surface antibodies(anti HBs).
If you have surface antibodies but no core antibodies it means you have had the hep B vaccine in the past and it is still working, but you've never had the hep B infection.
If you have both core and surface antibodies you have been infected with hep B in the past, but you have since got rid of it and are now immune.
Either of the above results would indicate that you are immune to hep B, don't currently have it and cannot get it, even if your boyfriend has it (and there's no reason to suspect he does from what you've said).
If your doctor is telling you you have antibodies from the vaccine it means that you are immune because of the vaccine rather than from having had the infection in the past. If your immunity to hep B is a result of having had the vaccination you should check your surface antibody levels every few years and have a booster vaccination if the levels are low.
The antigen test (HBsAg) tests whether an active hepatitis B infection is present. It will be negative if you've never had hep B, or if you have had hep B in the past and have since got rid of it and become immune to further infection.
2006-12-24 03:31:36 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well doesn't matter if you were exposed you cannot tell by looking at your antibodies because the vaccine has covered up that trail where you can identify things. Well anywayz you are safe from the virus provided the vaccine is efficacious.
The only way to find out is to check your boyfriend if he has hepatitis B, but I think everyone has been immunized with hep B vaccine and he might be just the same as your situation.
2006-12-23 01:06:07 · answer #3 · answered by oracle 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are antibodies to the vaccine part and antibodies to a live virus. Antigen only comes from live virus at 10 years. Ask which ones you have. I've added some info to help.
2006-12-22 23:49:08 · answer #4 · answered by novangelis 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you were exposed at 1 time or another not necessarily from your boy fried but maybe a sleeping buddy. if you are carrying the antibodies that means you were exposed and it is still in your system but it does not mean you have the disease....you are just carrying the antibodies right now.
2006-12-23 05:35:13 · answer #5 · answered by sweetness #1 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋