<p>I need something explained to me like I’m a six year old.
Community service is important to me, but with my recent mobility issues I haven’t been able to do participate as a Sound Steward on the Duwamish River, so have been looking for alternatives.
Giving blood is also important, because I know it is always needed and because D1 had multiple transfusions as an infant.
Years ago I gave blood( after i quit breastfeeding) but after giving blood three times, I was told that it couldn’t be used because of antibodies for Hep B. ( donors aren’t told apparently till their blood is rejected three times).
I was tested by my Dr., not contagious, not a carrier, just have the antibodies.
Didnt remember ever being ill with anything worse than a cold , other family members negative as far as I know ( I think they test babies at birth?)
A few months ago, the blood center sent me a letter stating that they had a new test, and asked that I have my blood retested so I could donate.
So I went in to have my blood tested again, anti-HBc test.
Again, I was rejected. My blood has antibodies, but not contagious.</p>
<p>So do I need to have my blood tested by my Dr? what test should they use? Why couldn’t they use my blood if not contagious?
This also sounds like people who have been vaccinated for HepB can’t give blood?</p>
<p>Don’t know. Call your doctor.</p>
<p>I will, it’s just that it’s not a high priority for what I need to spend my visit time on.</p>
<p>You should consult with your primary care physician. He/she will probably want to run a liver panel as well as few other tests to figure out if you have a chronic condition or if it’s simply from being previously exposed. Call your doctor.</p>
<p>My wife tested positive for rubella prior to us getting married. Luckily, I love her and married her in spite of being positive for rubella.</p>
<p>I was tested by my doc when I was previously told by the blood bank that I was positive, and I am confident I don’t have an active infection.
I just didn’t understand if the reason my blood was rejected was because recipients without immune response could still contract Hep B?</p>
<p>Engineer4life- that just means she was successfully vaccinated or resolved the infection.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/HBV/PDFs/SerologicChartv8.pdf[/url]”>http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/HBV/PDFs/SerologicChartv8.pdf</a></p>
<p>It’s best to discuss these types of questions directly with your doctor. </p>
<p>From the linked chart:</p>
<p>■ Total hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc): Appears at the onset
of symptoms in acute hepatitis B and persists
for life. The presence of anti-HBc indicates previous or ongoing infection with hepatitis B virus in an undefined time frame.</p>
<p>I also found this which is a little more detailed.
[Hepatitis</a> B: The Test](<a href=“http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/hepatitis-b/tab/test]Hepatitis”>http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/hepatitis-b/tab/test)
I’ll just have to remember to ask which tests I’ve already had done as my dr no longer is covered under my ins and so can’t prescribe tests and have them be covered. ( she is a naturopath and our ins doesn’t cover NDs anymore). However, her extended consults are a nice balance to the 5 minute visits I get from the specialists I’ve been seeing.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that your blood will be used by patients who are most likely weak, have compromised immune systems, etc. Blood banks have to be extremely careful not because you may be sick but because the effect it can have on the recipient.</p>
<p>You want to test positive for rubella antibodies. If you get pregnant and contract rubella while pregnant, your baby can have serious birth defects. I remember that before I was married, I had to have a test to make sure my rubella antibody titter was high enough.</p>
<p>You know, the same thing happened to my sister. I didn’t really understand it. Seemed like she was in no risk, and not infected, but had the antibodies.</p>
<p>I hope someone on here knows what you’re talking about!</p>
<p>At some point in time, you were exposed to the Hep B virus…that’s the only way you can have antibodies to it. It could have been a mild infection and you may not have experienced anything other than feeling like you had the flu. You could have been exposed to it through a blood transfusion you may have received sometime during your life or maybe you came into contact with the blood of someone who had the virus. Your immune system could very well have cleared the virus from your system, so that you don’t have any detectable virus in your bloodstream, but you’ll still have the antibodies. 90% of healthy adults recover on their own.</p>
<p><a href=“Home » Hepatitis B Foundation”>Home » Hepatitis B Foundation;
<p>I thought that the above had a nice chart about the 3 different hepatitis tests you should get (Hep B surface antigen, Hep B surface antibody, Hep B core antibody) what the results mean.</p>
<p>According to the blood bank site, you can donate if you’ve had the Hep B vaccine after a 21 day waiting period as long as you are not given the immunization for exposure to hepatitis B. But your sample will be positive for the Hep B antibody. I’ll have to see how the questionnaire that every donor has to fill out deals with the issue (I donate about 4 times over the course of a year).</p>