Hepatitis B and C are two STIs you often notice nothing of. They sit in your blood, can slowly strain your liver, and yet most people feel fine at first. With hepatitis B, roughly 90 to 95 percent of adults clear the virus on their own, and hepatitis C is now curable in most cases. Getting clarity about where you stand takes a simple blood test.
Just want to know for sure? That's understandable. On this page you'll read calmly what hepatitis B and C are, how you can catch them, which symptoms may be involved, and how to get checked discreetly. No judgement, no scare stories, just the information you need.
What is hepatitis, exactly?
Hepatitis literally means inflammation of your liver. That inflammation is often caused by a virus, and the best-known are hepatitis A, B and C. This piece is about B and C, because those are the two forms you can catch through sex and blood.
Your liver is a quiet worker. It clears waste, helps your digestion and makes all kinds of substances you need. When a virus attacks your liver, you usually notice little at first, because your liver rarely complains.
That's exactly what makes hepatitis tricky. The virus can do its work without you having clear symptoms. According to the RIVM, a large share of people with an acute infection have no symptoms at all at first.
Hepatitis A, B and C: what is the difference?
You often hear hepatitis A, B and C in one breath, but they're three different viruses. You mainly get hepatitis A through contaminated food or drink, and that form almost always clears by itself without lasting damage. Hepatitis B and C are the forms that spread through blood and sex, and those two are the ones that matter for an STI check.
There's a vaccine for hepatitis A and B, but not for hepatitis C. That makes hepatitis C a bit of an outlier, because you can't get a shot against it. The good news is that this form is now well treatable.
In this piece we'll leave hepatitis A aside and focus on B and C. Those are, after all, the two you can catch through unprotected sex or blood contact, and the ones a discreet test gives you clarity about.
What is the difference between hepatitis B and C?
Hepatitis B and C are both caused by a virus and both affect your liver, but they differ on important points. Hepatitis B spreads mainly through sex and blood and usually clears by itself in adults. Hepatitis C spreads mainly through blood and becomes chronic more often, but is now well treatable.
The table below lists the main differences. See it as a short overview, not a diagnosis. Only a doctor can establish what is actually going on with you.
| Hepatitis B | Hepatitis C | |
|---|---|---|
| Mainly via | Sex and blood | Blood, sometimes sex |
| Often becomes chronic | In 5 to 10% of adults | In about 80% of infections |
| Vaccination available | Yes | No |
| Curable | Acute usually clears itself | Yes, usually with medication |
| Symptoms at first | Often none | Often none |
The big difference is the chance of a chronic infection. With hepatitis C the virus stays in your body far more often, while your body usually clears hepatitis B by itself as an adult. According to the RIVM, about 80 percent of acute hepatitis C becomes chronic.
How do you get hepatitis B or C?
You mainly get hepatitis B through unprotected sex and through blood. The virus is present in blood, semen, pre-ejaculate and vaginal fluid, so sex without a condom is a clear route. Hepatitis C spreads mainly through blood-to-blood contact, and during sex it plays a role more often when blood is involved.
That explains why the two viruses spread slightly differently. With hepatitis B, sex is a main route; with hepatitis C, that's a bit less often the case. Blood contact means shared needles, but also a tattoo or piercing that wasn't done with sterile equipment.
You don't catch hepatitis from a toilet seat, sharing a glass or shaking hands. It really is tied to blood and to certain body fluids. How you can catch hepatitis B specifically, and when the risk is higher, is covered in our piece on hepatitis B transmission.
Which symptoms does hepatitis cause?
The annoying thing about hepatitis is that you often notice little. Many people have no symptoms at all at first, and that's exactly why an infection sometimes stays unnoticed for a long time. When symptoms do appear, they usually come weeks to months after the infection.
Possible signals are fatigue, little appetite, nausea, abdominal pain and muscle or joint pain. A more striking sign is jaundice, where the whites of your eyes or your skin turn yellow and your urine becomes dark. None of these symptoms proves on its own that you have hepatitis.
If you recognise something hepatitis C-like, read our piece on hepatitis C symptoms. And if you're mostly worried about that yellow tinge, our piece on jaundice goes deeper into the possible causes.
How dangerous is hepatitis?
Here's the good news that often gets buried: most people come through it well. With hepatitis B, according to the RIVM, roughly 90 to 95 percent of adults recover fully on their own. Your immune system clears the virus itself, and afterwards you're usually protected.
In a smaller share, the virus does stay in your body. That's called a chronic infection, and over the long term it can strain your liver. With hepatitis C that happens more often, but that's exactly where treatment has improved greatly in recent years.
Hepatitis C is now curable in most cases with medication. Worldwide, according to the WHO, those medicines cure more than 95 percent of people. How that treatment works and how long it takes is covered in our piece on hepatitis C treatment.
What does a chronic hepatitis mean?
You speak of chronic hepatitis when the virus stays in your body after the first few months. You usually notice little of it, but in the background the virus can slowly strain your liver. Precisely because you often feel fine, a chronic infection sometimes stays unnoticed for a long time.
With a chronic infection, a doctor usually keeps an eye on things with blood tests. That tracks how your liver is doing and whether treatment makes sense. According to Thuisarts.nl, after a hepatitis B infection a GP checks your blood again after six months to see whether the virus has cleared.
So the message isn't that a chronic hepatitis means immediate disaster. It mostly means it's smart to know you have it, so you can look at what's sensible together with a doctor.
How do you get tested for hepatitis?
A hepatitis test is a blood test. For hepatitis B the lab checks whether the virus is in your blood; for hepatitis C, antibodies are often tested first and then confirmed if needed with a test for the virus itself. For both, it's a small finger or arm prick, nothing more.
The so-called window matters. It takes a while before an infection shows up in your blood. According to Soa Aids Nederland, for hepatitis B you can get tested about three months after a risk moment for a reliable result.
You don't need a complicated process for this. You can get checked discreetly and anonymously, without your GP or insurer being involved by default. How that works exactly, from prick to result, is in our piece on the hepatitis test.
Can you prevent hepatitis?
There's a vaccine against hepatitis B, but not against hepatitis C. In the Netherlands the hepatitis B shot has been part of the national immunisation programme for babies since 2011, so many younger people are already protected. If you're unsure whether you've been vaccinated, your GP can check.
For both, a condom substantially reduces the risk during sex. The virus is in blood and body fluids, so a barrier really makes a difference. With hepatitis C, anything that avoids blood-to-blood contact helps too, like not sharing needles or razors.
So prevention is partly a shot and partly just being smart with blood and sex. You don't have to become paranoid about it. It comes down to a few simple habits that keep the risk small.
Who is at higher risk of hepatitis?
Anyone can catch hepatitis, but in some situations the chance is a bit higher. Think of unprotected sex with changing partners, blood contact through shared needles, or a tattoo or piercing not done under sterile conditions. Sex where blood may be involved raises the chance too.
That doesn't mean you did something wrong if you're at risk. It's purely about the routes the virus can travel along. If you recognise such a situation, a test can simply give you peace of mind.
Some people choose to get checked after a risk moment or periodically. Whether that fits you is a personal call. There's no reason to feel uncomfortable about it.
Is hepatitis part of a standard STI check?
Hepatitis B and C aren't automatically in every STI test. A standard STI check often looks first at chlamydia and gonorrhoea, and sometimes at HIV and syphilis. Whether hepatitis is included depends on the package you choose and on your situation.
If you want to be tested broadly, look carefully at which infections are in your package. In our overview which STI test you need when we explain how to choose. HIV often belongs in that same conversation.
If you're unsure whether your earlier hepatitis test gave the whole picture, our piece on hepatitis screening is a good next step. There we explain what a screening does and doesn't show.
When is it smart to get checked?
There's no reason to feel ashamed about getting tested, and there's no fixed checklist that applies to everyone. Some people choose to get checked periodically, simply to know where they stand. Especially after unprotected sex or blood contact, a test can give you peace of mind.
If you want to test specifically for hepatitis, the hepatitis test gives insight there. If you want to view hepatitis alongside other viral STIs, the viral infections package looks more broadly.
Don't see a test as something scary, but as a way to get clarity. Whether the result is reassuring or asks for a next step, at least you know where you stand. Always discuss an unusual result with your GP, who can help you decide whether further steps are needed.
References
- RIVM. Hepatitis B. 2024. rivm.nl
- RIVM. Hepatitis C. 2024. rivm.nl
- World Health Organization. Hepatitis C fact sheet. 2026. who.int
- Soa Aids Nederland. Hepatitis B. 2024. soaaids.nl
- Thuisarts.nl. Ik heb hepatitis B. 2024. thuisarts.nl
Every blood test result at Discreet Test includes a professional assessment by a BIG-registered doctor. For treatment decisions, discuss your results with your GP.
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