Hepatitis A, B and C are liver infections caused by different viruses. All three can be passed on through sex, although in very different ways. A and B have vaccines and C can be cured with treatment.

Differences between hepatitis A, B and C

- Hepatitis A: spread by the fecal-oral route, through contaminated food or water and during sex involving oral-anal contact. It does not become chronic and the body clears it on its own. There is a vaccine.
- Hepatitis B: spread through blood, semen and vaginal fluids, so sex is one of the main routes. Most adults recover on their own, but fewer than 5% develop a chronic infection that can damage the liver. There is a vaccine.
- Hepatitis C: spread mainly through blood, for example by sharing syringes. Sexual transmission is less common and is linked to practices that involve bleeding, such as fisting, or to drug use during sex (chemsex). About 7 out of 10 infected people develop a chronic infection. There is no vaccine, but it can be cured.

Hepatitis symptoms

Many people have no symptoms, especially with hepatitis C. If they appear, they can include tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, dark urine, pale stools and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes). Chronic hepatitis can go years without symptoms while it damages the liver and, without treatment, cause cirrhosis or liver cancer.

Diagnosis

Hepatitis is diagnosed with a blood test that detects the virus or antibodies and shows whether the infection is recent or chronic, or whether the vaccine is protecting you. If you are diagnosed with an STI or are at risk, ask to be tested for hepatitis as well.

Hepatitis treatment

- Hepatitis A: there is no specific treatment; rest, fluids and avoiding alcohol are recommended while the liver recovers.
- Hepatitis B: acute hepatitis B does not usually need treatment; chronic hepatitis B is controlled with antivirals that lower the risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer, although they rarely cure it.
- Hepatitis C: it is cured in more than 95% of cases with oral antivirals, in 8 to 12-week treatments that in many countries are covered by the public health system.

How to tell your partner you have hepatitis

Telling them is especially important with hepatitis B, because your partner can protect themselves with the vaccine. Some tips:
- Explain which type of hepatitis you have, because the risk and what needs to be done vary a lot.
- Ask them to get a blood test and, if they are not vaccinated against A or B, to get vaccinated.
- No blame: chronic hepatitis can go years without symptoms.

If you cannot or do not want to tell them yourself, you have two options: ask for help at your healthcare center, where in some cases the staff notify contacts for you, or send an anonymous text message or email with STI notice, without your name or number appearing.

Who should you notify?

- Hepatitis B: your sexual partners, the people you live with and anyone who has shared injection equipment with you, so they can get tested and vaccinated.
- Hepatitis A: your sexual partners and household members from the last few weeks, who can get vaccinated to avoid infection if they do so quickly.
- Hepatitis C: the people you have shared injection equipment with or had sex with that carried a risk of bleeding.
Your healthcare team will help you work out the period in each case.

If you have been told you might have hepatitis

See your doctor and explain that a partner has hepatitis. You will have a blood test and, if you are not vaccinated, you may be given the vaccine: after a risky contact with hepatitis A or B, the vaccine (and in some cases immunoglobulin) works better the sooner it is given, ideally within the first few days. In the meantime, use condoms.

Prevention and vaccines

The hepatitis B vaccine is part of the childhood vaccination schedule in many countries and is recommended for adults at risk. The hepatitis A vaccine is recommended, among others, for men who have sex with men and for some travelers. Use condoms, avoid oral-anal contact without a barrier, do not share syringes, razors or toothbrushes, and use gloves and plenty of lubricant for practices that may cause bleeding.

Frequently asked questions about hepatitis

Other sexually transmitted infections

Syphilis · Gonorrhea · Genital herpes · HIV · Pubic lice (crabs) · HPV and genital warts · Chlamydia · Yeast infection (candidiasis) · Trichomoniasis · Scabies · Mpox (monkeypox)

Sources: MedlinePlus: hepatitis A; MedlinePlus: hepatitis B; MedlinePlus: hepatitis C.
Health information updated in October 2026. It does not replace advice from a healthcare professional.

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