Hi, How are you? I am so sorry to hear about your friend s diagnosis. Unlike hepatitis C where the indications of treating the disease are straight forward, the treatment of hepatitis B is still confusing. But experts do agree that treatment is warranted if the degree of liver damage is high and if the viral load is high then it warrants treatment. Not all hepatitis B patients need treatment (as most patients clear the virus spontanously) and only a minority of them end up being carriers or chronic sufferers. With regards to your friend, I would first get a Liver function test and a viral load done before contemplating any treatment. he might be one of the lucky few who will not need treatment. Also if you could provide me your geographical location, I could guide you to a doctor specialising in hepatitis B treatment. Hope this helps and please do not hesitate to contact me for further clarifications. Dr Suresh Raghavaiah.