Can someone in the med field please help.?

Question

Everybody I've asked has given me different answers. I hope there's a doctor or nurse out there who can help me. I received the hep b vaccine 9 yrs. ago. I routinely get screened for everything at my obgyn including hep b. Now last time I went my doctor said I had antibodies. She never told me this before. My antibody level is 600 and I had a negative antigen. She said the antibodies were from the vaccine. Now my concern is did these antibodies show up because my boyfriend exposed me to hep b? i know I've had the vaccine but I don't want to keep exposing myself to something like this. Or did they just show up only b/c of the vaccine and not b/c I was exposed? My boyfriend can't have his blood drawn so I cannot check this way. Is there any way to tell by my blood results? i'm so confused.

Answer 1

Please read my answers carefully.

1. Your doctor hasn't mentioned your hep B antibody results in the past either because she didn't test for them in the past, or she didn't think the results worth mentioning. Or she forgot. However if you had hep B vaccination 10 years ago and you still have a level of 600 you have had these antibodies the whole time whether your doctor tested for them or not. You seem to be assuming that having surface antibodies is a recent development. This is almost certainly not the case.

2. No, you almost certainly don't have antibodies because your boyfriend has exposed you to hep B. You almost certainly have antibodies because you had a vaccination. That is the whole point of having the vaccination - to get antibodies. These antibodies stop you getting hep B.

3. It is possible to tell from a blood test whether your immunity is a result of vaccination or if it is a result of past infection ("exposure"). If you have hep B core antibody as well as hep B surface antibody it means that you are immune because of a previous infection. If you only have hep B surface antibody it means you are immune because of vaccination. Either way, you are immune, and cannot get hep B (or get it again).

4. It is possible your doctor hasn't tested for hep B core antibody, in which case you can't be absolutely certain whether your immunity is a result of past infection or vaccination. However, if it were from past infection that would have had to have been BEFORE you got vaccinated: you can't get infected after a successful vaccination.

5. There is no reason from what you've said to suggest your boyfriend might have hep B. However, even if he does, you can't get it. You are immune. That's what having 600 units of surface antibody means.

6. The hep B vaccine lasts about ten years on average, but it varies a lot from person to person, which is probably why your doctor checked your antibody level at this stage. The younger you are when you have the vaccine, the longer it works, on average. Some people will get lifelong immunity, but some will need a booster shot at some stage. You need a booster if your surface antibody level falls below 50 or so. With a current surface antibody level of 600, I'd probably check it again in about two years.

I hope this clears it up.

Answer 2

No, you haven't passed anything on to your boyfriend. If you had your hepatitis B vaccine you are protected. What happens is your body when checked produces antibodies meaning you are protected. If you had high levels of antigen this would mean you had the actual virus and not the antibodies ( the protectors from the virus). So you are ok.

What does the test result mean?
Hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs): a positive result indicates immunity to hepatitis B from the vaccination or recovery from an infection.
Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg): A negative result indicates that a person has never been exposed to the virus or has recovered from acute hepatitis and has rid themselves of the virus (or has, at most, an occult infection). A positive (or reactive) result indicates an active infection but does not indicate whether the virus can be passed to others.


Here is a site that will explain it all to you ok...

http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/hepatitis_b/test.html

Answer 3

I'm a nurse. Your blood test shows you are fine dear. Have a wonderful holiday. Don't further expose yourself. As you know there is no cure for hep B only a preventive vaccine. Take care.

Answer 4

High antibodies and negative antigens....you are perfectly immune to hep b in my opinion,until you remain immunocompetent.......
I think just enjoy ur life without any concern....u r equally safe from hep b with or without ur bf.

Answer 5

I hate to do this but I will answer yoru question with a question. Why didn;t you ask your doctor abotu these things? During a physical and when getting the resluts are the appropriate time and place to discuss your health and topics of concernt hat arise.

Answer 6

There is no reason why your boyfriend can't have his blood drawn. If there was a major accident and he had to be put on IV, they would still stick him so if he is afraid then you need to put your foot in his ***. There is no excuse and he should go and get tested for your sanity and health.

Answer 7

What the hell do you mean that your boyfriend can't have blood drawn??? Drag that sucker to the lab. They can poke a hole in him somewhere.If he is opposed to a blood test, a letting YOU see it I'd sew velcro to my knees if it were me...The hell with diplomacy....If you and were a couple i can't see any reason why we shouldn't not very straight forward on such important issue....If not common sense at least common curtesy...........

Answer 8

yeah i extremely favor to carry close the answer to this question too!! i favor to study about disease yet blood kind of somewhat makes me sick.. nicely i ought to probably attempt to carry the nausea decrease back yet you recognize......besides i imagine some thing alongside the lines of nursing or biotechnology possibly?