Q: I am 30 years old. Six months back I donated blood and came to know that I am HBsAg positive. My elder and younger brothers too have tested positive. Could this be false positivity? What should we do? My younger brother has taken some ayurvedic and homeopathic medicines but they did not help. I have not taken anything so far. Please advise.

A:False positive tests are always possible but unlikely in this case, especially when other members of the family also have a positive test result. You should see a physician for simple tests to determine whether your infection is active - that is, causing liver problems that can be detected by tests but not severe enough to cause symptoms. Relatively few people with hepatitis B infection have complications later in life, but it is certainly worth finding out whether your infection is active. Some patients with active hepatitis B benefit from the drug interferon. As far as I know, ayurvedic and homeopathic medicines would not be helpful in preventing complications of hepatitis later in life.