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hepatitis B/C test
Starting at €110
Hepatitis B/C test, results within 1-3 business days
Always includes consultation with a doctor or nurse
Amsterdam South, Amsterdam Center, Utrecht, Nijmegen, Eindhoven, The Hague, Rotterdam
Anonymous testing and treatment
No waiting time
Certified laboratory and physicians
OneDayClinic is the only private clinic that has been designated a "reliable provider of STI care."
- Hepatitis B/C is an inflammation of the liver caused by a virus
- You get hepatitis B and C through sex or through infected blood
- A condom protects well, but not 100%
- Men who have sex with men more likely to contract hepatitis B and C
- Hepatitis B and C do not always cause symptoms
- Drug treatment is sometimes necessary
- The GGD always does a source and contact investigation
- You can get vaccinated against hepatitis B so you can't get it again
- For high-risk groups, vaccination is free at the GGD and OneDayClinic Amsterdam Centrum
For more reliable information on this STD: go to www.soaaids.nl and/or www.thuisarts.nl
Why Onedayclinic?
- Only one in the Netherlands where the
result after
2 hours! (in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and Eindhoven) - Anonymous STD testing and treatment possible
- Cash payment possible
- BIG-registered physicians
- Open evenings and weekends
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. This inflammation is usually caused by the hepatitis virus, of which there are five different variants (A through E). Of these, the variants hepatitis B and C are sexually transmitted. Hepatitis B is much easier to get from sex than hepatitis C. Hepatitis B is therefore considered an important STD (one of the big five*) and hepatitis C is not.
Hepatitis B occurs regularly in the Netherlands, but it is a lot rarer here than in many other parts of the world. Hepatitis C is rare in the Netherlands. Both viruses are mainly seen in high-risk groups, such as men who have sex with men, people from high-risk areas and people who inject drugs. To prevent outbreaks, the GGD in the Netherlands always does source and contact investigations as soon as someone is found to have hepatitis.
Read more about hepatitis B at soaaids.nl and thuisarts.nl.
Read more about hepatitis C at thuisarts.nl.
Did you know that...?
... you can also get hepatitis A from some types of sexual contact? This is because when you get poop particles from someone with hepatitis A in your mouth, you can become infected with it. This can happen, for example, during rimming or if you have fingered someone anally and then don't wash your hands. Yet hepatitis A does not officially count as an STD.
... there are vaccines against hepatitis A and B? By taking several shots, you can be protected against these diseases for many years and often for life. Unfortunately, no vaccine exists yet against hepatitis C.
What are the consequences of hepatitis?
Hepatitis can come in two forms: acute and chronic. This has to do with how long the virus stays in your body: acute is less than 6 months and chronic is long-term. Especially chronic hepatitis can end up damaging your liver.
What happens if you have hepatitis B?
If hepatitis B is in your body for a short time (less than 6 months), it is called acute hepatitis B. In most adults, it heals on its own within those 6 months and does not become chronic. Your body then clears the virus. During the time the virus is in your body, it can irritate your liver.
You can have acute hepatitis B with and without symptoms. Most people have no symptoms. If you do develop symptoms, the first symptoms you usually have are flu-like symptoms such as fever, fatigue, nausea, muscle and joint pain. Then you often get typical hepatitis symptoms as well, such as pain right in the upper abdomen, diarrhea, vomiting and jaundice. See below for more symptoms. Very few people get so sick from hepatitis B that they have to go to the hospital.
The symptoms go away on their own in most people within 6 months because their bodies clear the virus on their own. In that case, no treatment is needed. If you are cured of hepatitis B then you can never get it again; you are immune.
If the hepatitis B virus remains in the blood for more than 6 months, we call this a chronic infection. Because of this, you have long-term inflammation and this can become harmful to the liver. Then the gastrointestinal-liver doctor (MDL doctor) can give medications to prevent damage.
What happens if you have hepatitis C?
The symptoms of hepatitis C are the same as hepatitis B. Many people have no symptoms if they have hepatitis C.
Hepatitis C usually does not go away on its own and then becomes chronic. A chronic hepatitis C infection must be treated by the MDL doctor to prevent damage to your liver.
If you are cured of hepatitis C you can get it again; unfortunately, you do not become immune.
*De big five SOA’s zijn: chlamydia, gonorroe, HIV, syfilis en hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is how you get it:
- through sex
Hepatitis B is found in semen, pre-cum, vaginal fluid and blood. You can catch it through vaginal sex, anal sex, and sometimes oral sex (blowjobs and petting) without a condom. Hepatitis B is quite contagious during sex.
- by blood
Blood-to-blood contact can also transmit the hepatitis B virus, such as when sharing razor blades, toothbrushes or drug syringes. You are also at risk if you get a tattoo or piercing in an illegal shop or abroad. Furthermore, you can sometimes contract hepatitis B from acupuncture, medical procedures and blood transfusions abroad.
- at birth
An infected mother can pass hepatitis to her child during birth.
Hepatitis C is how you get it:
You can contract the hepatitis C virus almost exclusively through contact with infected blood, for example when sharing razors, toothbrushes, straws for sniffing drugs, needles for injecting drugs, when getting a tattoo, piercing, acupuncture, medical procedures and blood transfusions abroad (non-Western areas).
During sex, the chance of contracting it is small, but this is possible. If a small wound occurs during sex, you can transmit it. This happens more often during anal sex. Sometimes hepatitis C also occurs in semen from an infected person. Through a small wound you can then still contract hepatitis C if semen gets in here.
During childbirth, an infected mother can pass it on to her child.
If you have LGV or HIV, you are more likely to get hepatitis B or C from sexual contact with someone who has hepatitis.
Most people have no symptoms with a Hepatitis B/C infection.
If you do develop symptoms, they usually occur 2-3 months after infection. Symptoms can last up to 6 months. The symptoms of hepatitis are the same for men and women.
With hepatitis B, you are contagious as early as 6 weeks before symptoms appear. If you have contracted hepatitis C, you are contagious to others after only 1 week.
Common symptoms of hepatitis are:
- fatigue
- fever, not feeling well
- abdominal pain, especially right upper abdomen
- pain in muscles, joints or bones
- decreased appetite, nausea, vomiting
- diarrhea
- Skin rash: spots on the skin
- jaundice: in this, your skin and whites of the eyes turn yellow, pee turns dark brown and poop sometimes turns gray/white, your skin can become very itchy in this process
Click here to learn more about the symptoms of hepatitis B infection and hepatitis C infection.
Even if you have no symptoms, you may have hepatitis B or C. Therefore, always get tested if you are at risk for this. Without symptoms, you are still contagious.
It is wise to get tested for hepatitis if:
- You have symptoms that could fit with hepatitis
- You have been warned about hepatitis B or C by a sex partner or the GGD
- you or a sex partner is from a high-risk group**
- you may have received blood from someone with hepatitis in your blood
When is a hepatitis B/C test reliable?
A hepatitis B or C test is well reliable from 3 months after possible infection, more than 90%. However, in some people, the test does not become positive until 4 months for hepatitis B and 9 months for hepatitis C. Do you think you have hepatitis and your test was negative after 3 months? Then consider repeating the test or see your doctor to discuss your symptoms/concerns.
Do you have complaints? Then always come immediately for a test.
Do you have no symptoms but have been at risk? Then test at least 3 months after the risk for hepatitis B/C and other STDs such as HIV. It is also a good idea to get tested for other STDs, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, 2 weeks after the risk.
It is wise to use a condom until you get your test results.
**These are the high-risk groups:
- men who have sex with men
- sex workers
- transgender persons who have sex with men
- people from areas where hepatitis is common (Eastern Europe, Middle East and Mediterranean region, Central Asia, South and Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, South and Central America, Caribbean)
- people with many alternating sex partners (more than 3 in six months)
First of all, it is good to avoid coming in contact with infected blood. So do not share toothbrushes, razor blades or straws and needles if you use drugs. If you get a piercing or tattoo, check that the shop is licensed and adheres to hygiene measures. In non-Western regions, it's also better not to get a tattoo or piercing, not to get a shave at the barber shop and better not to have acupuncture or medical procedures done because not everywhere the instruments are cleaned properly. If you need a blood transfusion in high-risk areas, of course it is necessary and life-saving at the time. Then realize that you may have contracted hepatitis or other diseases, discuss everything with your doctor when you return home and get tested after 3 months.
If you are pregnant it is a good idea to participate in screening through the midwife, this way you can avoid the possibility that you might infect your baby.
You can prevent hepatitis B during sex in two ways: with vaccinations and with condoms. If you complete the entire vaccination series of 3 shots, you will be protected for life and cannot get hepatitis B again. Read more about the vaccination below. The advantage of condoms is that they protect not only against hepatitis, but also against other STDs. So the vaccinations and condoms together protect you the very best.
You can prevent hepatitis C during sex only with a condom. This is especially important if you have anal sex.
Want to know how to use a condom correctly? Click here.
Some people find it difficult to start talking about condoms. You can find helpful information and tips about this on the Sense website.
How does hepatitis B vaccination work?
If you have never had hepatitis B before, you can get vaccinated through your family doctor, the GGD or a tropical center, for example. Often you can even opt for a combined vaccination against hepatitis A and B (the Twinrix), so that you are immediately protected against both. Knowing that you are protected contributes to finer, carefree sex.
The GGD offers free hepatitis B vaccination for at-risk groups. You can take advantage of this if you are a man or transgender person who has sex with men or if you are paid for sex (are a sex worker). If so, contact the GGD in your area.
OneDayClinic is participating in this GGD campaign for free hepatitis B vaccination! We are working together with GGD Amsterdam. If you are a risk group, you can get your hepatitis B shots for free at our clinic in Amsterdam Centrum (Spuistraat 239).
To be fully protected against hepatitis B, you need 3 shots in 6 months.
- prick 1: when you get this one, blood is taken right away to make sure you haven't had hepatitis B before
- prick 2: follows 1 month after the first prick
- prick 3: follows 5 months after the second prick
- additional blood test: 1-2 months after the last shot, you can check in your blood if you have made enough antibodies to be protected for life; this is called a titer test and is optional
You make your appointment very easily online yourself. You can do this up to an hour in advance. Often you can get an appointment the same day.
An appointment lasts an average of 15 minutes. In it, you discuss your situation with the doctor or nurse and together you look at what tests are needed for you. You do not need to know this in advance.
At OneDayClinic, you can take an anonymous hepatitis test. You may make up a name and date of birth during your appointment, but you must be able to remember it.
A hepatitis test is always done from blood. This is taken from your elbow crease during your appointment. Do you faint easily? Please notify us in advance and make sure you have eaten something. You do not have to be sober for a hepatitis test.
With our hepatitis B test, we first do a screening (HBsAg + hepatitis B virus core antibodies). If that screening is positive then the lab automatically continues testing with additional tests according to their protocol. This allows them to find out if it is an acute, chronic or cured infection.
We can also do hepatitis B titration for antibodies after vaccination upon request, but this is not part of our standard STD blood testing package. Please see the price list for current prices.
Our hepatitis C test is an antibody test and well part of our standard STD blood test package. Have you ever had hepatitis C before? Then this is not the right test for you. You would be better off seeing your doctor for another type of test (an RNA test).
You can easily view the results through our results portal at your convenience. You need your unique code and date of birth. It takes 1-3 business days for the results to come in and they will be online after 8 p.m. in the evening.
Good to know:
Does your test show that you have acute or chronic hepatitis B or C? Then we are obliged to pass this on to the GGD. They can then conduct a source and contact investigation to prevent a major outbreak.
Treatment of hepatitis is always through a specialist in the hospital: the gastroenterologist, the gastroenterologist, the liver physician (MDL physician). Some people do not need treatment, some only for a short time and others for life. Treatment is with tablets or injections. New drugs are sometimes invented that increase the chance of a cure.
Read more about the treatment of hepatitis B here and more about the treatment of hepatitis C here.
Also, the GGD should do a source and contact investigation to see who else may have it. This will help prevent outbreaks of hepatitis in the Netherlands.
