Clinic appointment
Hepatitis B Check
A blood profile of three hepatitis B markers (surface antigen, surface antibody and core antibody) which together show current infection, past exposure and vaccine-derived immunity.
- Doctor-reviewed results
- Laboratory analysis
- 1 to 2 working days from lab receipt
- No fasting required
What’s included
1 infection tested for
Hepatitis B surface antigen
Part of the outer coat of the hepatitis B virus. A positive result suggests the virus is present and the person may be infectious, and if it is still found after more than 6 months the infection is long-term (chronic). It is ideally tested together with anti-HBc, and a positive anti-HBc IgM alongside it points to a recent infection.
Hepatitis B surface antibody
Hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) is an antibody to the hepatitis B surface antigen. It shows immunity to hepatitis B, either after recovering from infection or after vaccination; if the core antibody (anti-HBc) is negative, it points to vaccination. The level is measured to check how well someone has responded to the vaccine.
Hepatitis B core antibody
An antibody to the core of the hepatitis B virus. It points to a current or past infection and usually lasts for life, but may be missing very early on. Vaccination does not produce it, which helps separate past infection from vaccine immunity.
Overview
Three hepatitis B markers read together answer three separate questions: are you infected now, have you been exposed in the past, and has vaccination given you immunity. It is asked for before starting healthcare or care work, before travel to higher-risk regions, after a possible exposure, and by anyone who wants to know whether their vaccination worked.
For someone who wants to know their hepatitis B status: whether they have been exposed, whether they are currently infected, and whether their vaccination has produced immunity. Often requested before travel, before starting work in healthcare, or after a possible exposure.
Who this is for and who it isn’t
Who it’s for
- Adults aged 18 and over
- Anyone starting healthcare or care work
- People checking that a vaccine course produced immunity
Who it isn’t for
- It does not test for hepatitis A or C, or HIV. If the question is a possible recent exposure, timing matters: markers can take a few months to appear, and a doctor advises on when to retest.
- Anyone with a new, severe or worsening symptom: contact your GP or call NHS 111. A test you buy today is not a substitute for being examined.
Common reasons people choose this test
- Starting work in healthcare or care
- Travel to a region where hepatitis B is common
- A possible exposure through sex, needles or blood
- Checking that a vaccine course produced immunity
- A partner or family member with hepatitis B
These are reasons people choose to test, not signs that something is wrong. A result is one part of a picture your doctor puts together with your history and an examination.
What your result looks like
Every result is shown with the unit and the reference range exactly as the laboratory reported it, with the doctor’s note underneath.
- Hepatitis B surface antigenNegative
- Result
- Not detected
- Range
- Not detected
- Hepatitis B surface antibody▼ Low
- Result
- 4 mIU/mL
- Range
- >10 = immune
- Hepatitis B core antibodyNegative
- Result
- Not detected
- Range
- Not detected
| Marker | Result | Units | Range | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hepatitis B surface antigen | Not detected | n/a | Not detected | Negative |
| Hepatitis B surface antibody | 4 | mIU/mL | >10 = immune | ▼ Low |
| Hepatitis B core antibody | Not detected | n/a | Not detected | Negative |
Doctor’s note (example)
Hepatitis B surface antibody is below the protective level and the other markers show no exposure, so a clinician would usually advise a booster dose of vaccine, which your GP or occupational health can give.
Values above are examples. Your report shows your own results with the laboratory’s units and reference range for your age and sex, reviewed, signed and released by a GMC-registered doctor.
How it works
- You book your appointmentA trained clinician takes your sample at one of our London clinics. Nothing to do at home.
- The clinician takes your sampleA single clinic blood draw by a trained clinician
- The laboratory analyses itYour sample is processed for the measurements included in this test. Lab processing typically takes 1 to 2 working days from receipt of your sample.
- A doctor reviews and releases itA GMC-registered doctor reads every result and signs the report before it reaches you.
- Sample
- Clinic blood draw
- Preparation
- Read instructions below
- Who it's for
- Any sex · ages 18+
How to prepare
After an exposure, hepatitis B can take 40 to 160 days to show up, and the surface antigen is most often found by 60 to 90 days. A negative result inside that window does not exclude infection, and a doctor advises when to repeat the test.
What we can and can’t tell you
The reference range beside each result is the laboratory’s own. A result in range is not a clean bill of health and a result outside it is not a diagnosis. Most ranges cover about 95% of healthy people, so about 1 in 20 healthy people fall just outside any one range. No test result replaces an examination or your own doctor’s judgement, and none of these panels is a cancer screening programme.
Read the full note
These blood tests look for antibodies to a virus, or for part of the virus itself, and are reported as reactive or non-reactive, or against a threshold, rather than as a normal range. A result reflects the time the sample was taken: a non-reactive result taken too soon after an exposure can miss an infection, so a test taken too early may need repeating. Depending on the test, a reactive antibody result can reflect past exposure or vaccination rather than an infection happening now, so the doctor reads it in context.
If you have symptoms that are new, severe or getting worse, contact your GP, an NHS sexual health clinic or NHS 111 rather than waiting for a result.
Frequently asked questions
What do the three markers mean?
Surface antigen means current infection. Core antibody means past or current exposure to the virus itself. Surface antibody on its own means immunity, usually from vaccination.
I was vaccinated years ago. Am I still protected?
Usually yes, if you completed the course and responded to it, even if your antibody level has since fallen. If you need proof of immunity for work, check with your employer's occupational health team which result they need. Your report shows the result exactly as the laboratory sends it.
How long do results take?
The laboratory typically takes 1 to 2 working days from receiving your sample. This does not include kit delivery, sample collection or return postage. A doctor reviews your results before they are released.
Can I choose a home kit or a clinic?
This test is a clinic blood draw, as it needs a venous sample for accuracy. We arrange a convenient appointment for you.
Is a doctor involved?
Yes. Every result is reviewed by a GMC-registered doctor who signs it off and explains what it means and what to do next.
Is it confidential?
Your results are available through your secure patient portal. Our privacy policy explains how your information is handled and when it may be shared to provide your care.
What happens to my sample and results?
Your sample is tested at a UKAS-accredited laboratory (ISO 15189). A GMC-registered doctor then reads every result and signs the report before it is released to your secure portal, so nothing reaches you unreviewed. Each marker is reported the way the laboratory sends it, for example reactive or non-reactive, or as a level against the laboratory's threshold, with the doctor's note on what the results mean together. A reactive result may need a confirmatory test, and the report explains how that and any treatment are arranged, usually through your GP or an NHS sexual health clinic. If a result needs urgent attention, the reviewing doctor is alerted straight away and we contact you by phone the same working day rather than leaving it in the portal for you to find.
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