Please help me...

[smarttail]

Hi guys, thanks for taking the time to hel me out.

I went in a few weeks ago and asked my doctor to test me for all standard STDs. She called me a few days later and said I was negative for everything except Hep B and the she wanted to retest to confirm the results. So I retested and again was positive for Hep B.

Results:
Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) Non Reactive
Hepatitis B Core Antibody, Total (anti-HBc) Reactive
Hepatitis B Surface Antibody (anti-HBs) 189.7 mlU/ml

From all my research on the internet, it appears to me from sites such as the CDC and Mayo Clinic, that I am immune due to natural infection. When I spoke to my doctor about the results of the second test, she opened with, "I just want to let you know you can live a perfectly normal life and have children. You will need to inform all sexual partners and use condoms. And we will have to monitor your liver values closely" When I asked her if I was chronically infected she said maybe at a low level and that it would always be in my body and I might always be contagious but that my immune system might suppress it for periods of time...

Please help me understand why my doctor is telling me that this is going to be something that must be monitored for the rest of my life when the CDC is telling me I am now immune? Please point out whatever it is I am missing. I so appreciate the help, I have been obsessing over the results and cant come up with anything else. She can't see me until Tuesday, but I am going to try to get in with an infectious disease specialist on Monday simply to interpret my results.

Thank you again for taking the time to help me.

[StephenCastlecrag]

According to your latest test results, I don't see how your doctor can say you are positive for Hep B.
Because your HBcAb is positive, this indicated you HAD Hep B infection in the past, but have recovered (your HBsAg is now Non-Reactive) and you have also developed immunity (your HBcAb is > 10 miu/ml) against future Hep B infection.
It has been discovered recently, for people who had recovered from Hep B infection (HBcAb positive, HBsAg negative) or who have their chronic Hep B under control (not on medication, HBsAg positive, hbvdna(viral load) very low), their Hep B may become active again if they receive immnuo  suppressive therapies due to other diseases, such as cancer and rheumatoid arthritis, then some of them should receive prophylaxis Hepatitis B antiviral treatment as a precaution.
The latest thinking is that for those who had recovered from HepB infection (HBcAb positive, HBsAg negative), there may be some residual HBV cccDNA, but it is under the profound control of our immune system.

I would disagree with your doctor that you are infectious. There maybe very tiny amount of virions in your blood, but I believe most of these will be coated with HBsAg anti-bodies that  renders them non-infectious if someone else was exposed to it. Since we don't normally have blood to blood contact, so I don't see how it matters. I also don't believe there will be any virions in your bodily fluid.
As for having your liver functions monitored closely, I again disagree. Liver functions panel is usually part of routine health checks and that should suffice.
I am not a doctor, you may like to get a second opinion from a liver specialist, and not an infectious disease specialist.

[flyinsky]

I see that you are immunized for heb b.are you sure that 187 is antibody not antigen.if yes I see that your doc is making a mistake and you have no hepatitis