Hepatitis A, B & C · simple blood test · Australia-wide
FREEwith Medicare (bulk-billed)
A Specialist GP arranges your test over a quick phone call — they review your symptoms and risk, then send your pathology referral by SMS. Hepatitis is often silent, so testing after any risk is worthwhile.
Book a telehealth consult — free with Medicare (bulk-billed)
Get tested at any pathology lab Australia-wide — simply walk in
Results by SMS in 3-5 days — telehealth treatment if positive
Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. It has several causes, but the most common are the viral infections — hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. These viruses affect the liver in different ways and spread through different routes, but they share one important feature: they often cause no symptoms for a long time, so many people carry them without ever knowing. A simple blood test is the only reliable way to find them.
Hepatitis matters for sexual health because hepatitis B — and, to a lesser extent, hepatitis A and C — can be passed on through sex and close contact. Left undetected, hepatitis B and C can quietly damage the liver over many years, while hepatitis A causes a shorter but sometimes severe illness. The reassuring part is that all three are now very manageable: hepatitis A and B are vaccine-preventable, and hepatitis C can be cured.
The Types of Hepatitis: A, B and C
“Hepatitis” isn’t one condition — the three viral types behave quite differently, which is why understanding them helps you know when to test.
Type
How it spreads
What it means
Hepatitis A
Contaminated food or water, and oral–anal sexual contact
A short-lived infection; the body clears it and you become immune. Vaccine-preventable.
Hepatitis B
Blood and body fluids, including sex, and from parent to baby at birth
Can be short-lived or become long-term (chronic). Chronic hepatitis B needs monitoring. Vaccine-preventable.
Hepatitis C
Mainly blood-to-blood contact; sexual transmission possible where blood is involved
Often becomes chronic if untreated — but curable with a short course of antiviral tablets.
All three types are detected with the same simple blood test. Which parts are checked depends on your history — testing can look for a current infection, past exposure you’ve cleared, and, for hepatitis B, whether you’re already immune.
Symptoms and Who Should Get Tested
Many people with viral hepatitis feel completely well, particularly in the early years of hepatitis B or C. When symptoms do occur, they can include tiredness, nausea, loss of appetite, tummy pain, dark urine, pale stools, joint aches, and jaundice — a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. Because these signs are easy to miss or put down to something else, testing is the only way to be sure.
When should you get tested?
It’s worth testing for hepatitis if any of the following apply to you:
You’ve had a new sexual partner, multiple partners, or a partner has been diagnosed with hepatitis.
You’ve ever shared injecting equipment, or had a tattoo or piercing with equipment that may not have been sterile.
You were born in, or have travelled to, a region where hepatitis B or C is common.
You’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy — hepatitis B testing is a routine part of antenatal care.
You’d simply like hepatitis included as part of a routine STI screen.
Hepatitis Testing
Testing for hepatitis is straightforward — it’s a blood test. Depending on your history, the laboratory checks for a current infection, past exposure, and, for hepatitis B, whether you’re already immune. No special preparation is needed, the sample goes to the lab, and results are usually available within a few days. Hepatitis is included in most standard STI screens alongside chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV, so a routine screen will usually cover it.
Timing matters. After a possible exposure, it can take a few weeks — and sometimes a few months — for a hepatitis blood test to become reliably positive. If you’ve had a recent risk and test negative, a clinician may recommend testing again after this window. If you have symptoms now, get tested now regardless.
How testing works with Clinic365
A Specialist GP arranges your test over a quick phone call, reviews your symptoms and any exposure, and sends your pathology referral by SMS. You then walk into any pathology lab Australia-wide — no appointment needed — and results come back by SMS, usually in 3-5 days. If hepatitis is found, the Specialist GP calls you to explain what it means and arrange treatment, monitoring or referral. You can screen for other infections at the same time with the full STI test.
What Your Results Mean, and Treatment
What happens next depends on which type is found, and this is where the three viruses differ most.
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is a short-lived infection. There’s no specific cure — treatment is supportive while your body clears the virus, after which you’re immune for life. Most people recover fully. It’s also vaccine-preventable, which is worth knowing if you’re travelling or otherwise at higher risk.
Hepatitis B
Acute hepatitis B often clears on its own. When it becomes chronic (long-term), it’s managed and monitored over time to protect the liver, sometimes with treatment, and this is arranged through ongoing care. Hepatitis B is vaccine-preventable, so if your test shows you’re not immune, vaccination can be arranged through your regular GP.
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is now curable. A short course of antiviral tablets clears the virus in the great majority of people, usually with few side effects. A follow-up blood test confirms the cure. Because it so often has no symptoms until the liver is already affected, finding it through testing is the crucial first step.
Partners and why it matters
For hepatitis B in particular, recent partners may need testing and, where they’re not immune, vaccination through their own GP. Partner notification can be handled confidentially. The reason testing matters so much is simple: undetected chronic hepatitis B or C can quietly scar the liver over years without obvious symptoms. Found early, it can be monitored or — for hepatitis C — cured, which is why a test is worthwhile even when you feel completely well.
Frequently asked questions
Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. It has several causes, but the most common are the viral infections hepatitis A, B and C. These viruses affect the liver differently and spread in different ways, but they share one important feature: they often cause no symptoms for a long time, so many people carry them without knowing. A blood test is the only reliable way to find them.
The three that matter most for sexual health are hepatitis A, B and C. Hepatitis A is usually a short illness that your body clears completely. Hepatitis B can be short-lived or become long-term (chronic). Hepatitis C often becomes chronic if untreated but is now curable. Hepatitis A and B are vaccine-preventable; hepatitis C is not, but it can be cured.
Hepatitis A spreads mainly through contaminated food or water and oral–anal sexual contact. Hepatitis B spreads through blood and body fluids, including sex and from parent to baby at birth. Hepatitis C spreads mainly through blood-to-blood contact, with sexual transmission possible where blood is involved. Because routes overlap with other STIs, testing is often done together.
Many people feel completely well, especially in the early years of hepatitis B or C. When symptoms do appear they can include tiredness, nausea, loss of appetite, tummy pain, dark urine, pale stools, joint aches and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes). Because these are easy to miss or mistake for something else, testing is the only way to be sure.
With a simple blood test. Depending on your history, it can check for current infection, past exposure, and — for hepatitis B — whether you’re already immune. No special preparation is needed. The sample goes to a laboratory and results are usually available within a few days. Hepatitis is included in most full STI screens.
Consider testing after a new sexual partner, if a partner has been diagnosed, after sharing any injecting or tattooing equipment, if you were born in or have travelled to regions where hepatitis is common, if you’re pregnant, or simply as part of routine STI screening. Because hepatitis is so often silent, testing when you feel well is the main way it gets found.
Yes. A full STI screen typically checks for hepatitis B (and hepatitis C where indicated) alongside chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV. Hepatitis A is added when there’s a specific reason. If you’re booking a general check, you can have hepatitis included at the same time as everything else — one blood test covers several infections.
It depends on the type. Hepatitis A clears on its own, leaving you immune. Acute hepatitis B often clears by itself, while chronic hepatitis B is managed and monitored rather than cured. Hepatitis C is now curable in the great majority of people with a short course of antiviral tablets, confirmed by a follow-up blood test.
Yes — hepatitis A and hepatitis B are both vaccine-preventable, and the hepatitis B vaccine is part of the routine Australian schedule. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C, but because it can be cured, testing is the key step. Your test can show whether you’re already immune to hepatitis B or would benefit from vaccination through your regular GP.
Hepatitis B testing usually reports several markers together, which is why it’s read as a picture rather than a single yes/no. It can show a current infection, past infection you’ve cleared, or immunity from vaccination. If a current infection is found, the Specialist GP explains what it means and arranges the right monitoring or referral, since chronic hepatitis B is managed over the long term.
Often, yes — particularly for hepatitis B, which passes through sex. Recent partners may need testing and, where they’re not immune, vaccination through their own GP. Partner notification can be handled confidentially. Testing partners protects them and helps stop the infection spreading, and it’s a normal part of managing any positive result.
Hepatitis A resolves by itself. The concern is chronic hepatitis B or C, which can quietly damage the liver over many years — leading to scarring (cirrhosis) or liver cancer — usually without obvious symptoms until late. Finding it early means it can be monitored or, for hepatitis C, cured, which is exactly why testing matters even when you feel well.
