Hepatitis B is caught primarily through contact with infected blood, semen, or other body fluids. Common ways the virus spreads include:
- Having vaginal, anal, or oral sex without a condom with someone infected.
- Sharing needles or other drug-injection equipment.
- From an infected pregnant person to their baby during childbirth.
- Using unsterilized tattooing, piercing, or medical/dental equipment.
- Sharing personal items like razors, toothbrushes, or nail clippers that may have blood on them.
Hepatitis B is not spread through casual contact such as hugging, coughing, sneezing, or sharing food. It can survive outside the body for several days, which means indirect contact with contaminated objects is also a risk if proper sterilization is not done. Transmission through sexual fluids and blood contact is the primary way it spreads.
