Hepatitis B is a virus that causes damage to your liver. It can be chronic, which means having it your whole life. It can lead to liver disease or liver cancer.
There is a safe and effective vaccine to protect from getting hepatitis B. Most people born in Australia after May 2000 would have been given the vaccine at birth. If you were born overseas, or are unsure if you have been vaccinated, you can ask your doctor to check.
Hepatitis B infection can be acute (up to 6 months) or chronic (life-long). Many adults can naturally clear the hep B virus during the acute stage, but others will go on to have chronic hep B infection.
There is no cure for chronic hepatitis B, but there is effective treatment to manage the effects of the virus if you need it.