What Your Hepatitis B Test Results Mean (HBsAg, Anti-HBs and More)

From Mascot Healthcare Clinic, Akoka (Yaba), Lagos

Hello Friend! Hepatitis B results can look like a confusing list of letters. Here is a plain-English guide to the main markers — though you should always interpret results with a healthcare provider, because combinations matter.

The Main Markers

HBsAg (surface antigen): If positive, the virus is currently in your body. You have an active infection — either recent or long-standing.

Anti-HBs (surface antibody): If positive, you are immune. This happens after a successful vaccination or after recovering from a past infection.

Anti-HBc (core antibody): If positive, you have been exposed to the actual virus at some point — this marker does not appear from vaccination alone.

HBeAg (e-antigen): If positive, the virus is actively multiplying and you may be more infectious to others.

Common Combinations, Simplified

• Only Anti-HBs positive: protected by the vaccine — well done.
• HBsAg positive: active infection — you need a doctor's review and monitoring.
• All markers negative: not infected and not yet immune — you should get vaccinated.

This is a simplified guide. Some results need expert interpretation, so never panic over a single value — bring it to us.

Need testing or help reading your results? Visit Mascot Healthcare in Akoka for a full hepatitis B profile. If you are not yet immune, the Hepatitis B vaccine is the next step — see our complete guide.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Lawal Taiye (MBBS, Ibadan) — Mascot Healthcare Clinic, Akoka, Lagos.