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Access to hepatitis B test

  • Members of the public requiring hepatitis B testing are advised to consult their family doctor. You may wish to refer to the Primary Care Directory to find a suitable family doctor. Please contact the doctor directly for details of service, charges and respective arrangement.
  • Primary Healthcare Commission launched the Hepatitis B Co-care Scheme in February 2026. Eligible persons may enrol in the Scheme at District Health Centres / District Health Centre Expresses to receive a hepatitis B risk assessment, screening and long-term management.

Importance of a hepatitis B test

  • In Hong Kong, roughly one in every twenty people has chronic hepatitis B (CHB), primarily affecting those who are born before 1988 and did not benefit from the universal childhood hepatitis B vaccination programme.
  • People with chronic hepatitis B may remain asymptomatic. Blood test is required to diagnose hepatitis B.
  • A hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) test can evaluate a person's hepatitis B infection status.
  • Early identification of one’s infection status with active hepatitis B follow-up can prevent complications caused by CHB.
  • Persons who are uncertain about their hepatitis B status should get tested.

Hepatitis B surface antigen test

  • A positive HBsAg result indicates that the individual is currently infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV), where medical consultation would be sought as soon as possible; a negative result shows no evidence of HBV infection.
  • If HBsAg result is positive for more than 6 months after HBV infection, this means CHB has developed.
  • In addition to conventional testing on venous blood samples, there are commercially available HBsAg rapid diagnostic tests (RDT), which can provide fast point-of-care results and be used for initial screening for HBV infection. As compared to the reference standard of laboratory immunoassays, HBsAg RDT has good sensitivity and specificity.
  • HBsAg RDT provide preliminary serological evidence of HBV infection, while laboratory testing of blood sample will offer the definitive diagnosis of HBV infection.