How You Catch Hepatitis C

How Easy Is It To Transmit Hep C

Heres the good news: Its not easy to transmit hepatitis C without blood exposure, so you really dont have to worry about hugging or sitting close or anything like that, Dr. Fox says. Hepatitis C is in body fluids other than blood, but its harder to pass it without blood exchange.

That said, if you or someone close to you has hepatitis C, certain precautions can keep you extra-safe. For example, if your partner has hep C, its pretty hard to get it while doing normal activities, but you might consider not sharing things that could potentially have blood on it, like nail clippers and toothbrushes, says John Goff, M.D., a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and member of the American Liver Foundations National Medical Advisory Committee.

Other ways you cant get hep C? Breastfeeding, kissing, coughing, sneezing, eating or drinking, according to the CDC. Whew!

What The Cdc Recommends

Were you born between 1945 and 1965? If so, then youre a member of the Hepatitis C generation. The CDC recently recommended that all people born between during this time have a 1-time screening test for Hepatitis C. We now have new drugs that can treat and cure Hepatitis C so you should go get tested today.

The life you save may be your own! Please contact your local healthcare provider.

Sharing Personal Care Items

The chances of spreading hepatitis C within your household are low but possible. To be safe, don’t share personal care items that could be contaminated with blood, Lee says. These include razors, toothbrushes, cuticle scissors, and nail clippers.

In addition, be mindful when you go to nail salons or barbershops, where the same tools are used on all customers. A study published in the November-December 2014 issue of the Journal of Public Health Management & Practice found that while regulations to safeguard the public exist in most states, it’s unknown how many businesses comply with them. Ask about tool-sterilization procedures before you frequent these establishments. You can also bring your own nail care supplies.

Read Also: Early Signs Of Hepatitis C And Treatments To Know

What Does The Government Do To Protect Me

In Canada, several government organizations work together every day to keep your food safe:

• Health Canada makes food safety standards and policies to help minimize the risk of foodborne illnesses.
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency enforces these policies and standards and carries out inspections to make sure the food industry meets its food safety responsibilities. The CFIA works with Health Canada to make sure that foodborne illness is detected early and warnings go out to the public quickly.
• The Public Health Agency of Canada studies the incidence and causes of diseases in Canada, conducts outbreak surveillance, and coordinates outbreak response.

The Government of Canada works very hard to protect your health and safety:

• We are carrying out a five-year Food and Consumer Safety Action Plan, to strengthen and modernize Canada’s safety system and make sure you can have confidence in the quality and safety of the food, health and consumer products you buy.
• We are investing $75 million more in Canada’s food safety system to hire more inspectors, update lab technology, and improve communication with Canadians.
• We support and participate in public awareness campaigns about safe food practices, like the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education’s Be Food Safe program, which encourages Canadian consumers to think of food safety at every step of the food handling process, from shopping for groceries to re-heating leftovers.

Can You Be A Blood Or Organ Donor

People with hepatitis C cant currently donate blood. The American Red Cross eligibility guidelines prohibit people who have ever tested positive for hepatitis C from donating blood, even if the infection never caused symptoms.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services , information on organ donation, those with underlying medical conditions shouldnt rule themselves out as organ donors. This reflects new guidelines for organ donation announced by the HHS.

People with HCV are now able to be organ donors. This is because advances in testing and medical technology can help the transplant team determine which organs or tissues can be safely used for transplantation.

Recommended Reading: Can You Get Hepatitis From Saliva

How To Prevent Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by a virus . It can be serious and theres no cure, but the good news is its easy to prevent. You can protect yourself by getting the hepatitis B vaccine and having safer sex. If you have oral, anal, and vaginal sex, use condoms and dental dams to help stop the spread of hepatitis B and other STDs.

Questions To Ask Your Doctor

• Do I need treatment?
• What treatment is best for me?
• What medicines should I take?
• Are there any medicines I should avoid?
• How can I cope with the side effects of treatment?
• Is there a therapist I can talk to?
• How long will my treatment last?
• Can hepatitis C be cured?
• Are organ transplants and blood transfusions safe?
• Is it safe for me to get pregnant?

Recommended Reading: How Can You Pass Hepatitis C

Treatment Of Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is treated with antiviral medications that aim to clear the virus from your body.

New all-tablet treatments have greatly improved the outcomes for people with hepatitis C. These treatments can cure more than 95% of individuals with chronic hepatitis C. There are several new tablets that are used in combination to treat all hepatitis C strains . They are effective for people with no liver damage and those who have more advanced liver damage or cirrhosis.

These new tablet medications are available and subsidised on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, and can be prescribed by specialists, general practitioners and specialised nurse practitioners.

There are no restrictions on accessing treatment it is available for all adults with a Medicare card. People under 18 are able to access treatment and it is recommended they are referred to a pediatrician experienced in the treatment of hepatitis C.

For more information on the new medications for the treatment of hepatitis C, see our video: Hepatitis C Cure what it means for Victorians.

If your doctor does not know about the new treatments, you can call the LiverLine on for information, and to find a GP who can help you.

Talk with your doctor about treatment options and the potential for interactions with other medications, herbal preparations and other drugs. If you take prescribed medication this will be managed so you can access treatment.

In general, if you have hepatitis C you will feel better if you:

What Is The Treatment For Hepatitis C

Drugs are licensed for treatment of persons with chronic hepatitis C. Combination drug therapy, using pegylated interferon and ribavirin, can get rid of the virus in up to five out of ten of persons with genotype 1, the most common genotype in the U.S. and eight out of ten persons with genotype 2 or 3. It is important to know that not everyone will need treatment. The decision to treat hepatitis C is complex and is best made by a physician experienced in treating the disease.

Don’t Miss: Hepatitis A Is It Contagious

Poor Infection Control For Tattooing And Piercing

The notes that HCV may be transmitted by receiving tattoos or piercings from unregulated settings with poor infection control standards.

Commercially licensed tattooing and piercing businesses are generally thought to be safe.

More informal settings may not have adequate safeguards to help avoid the spread of infections. Receiving a tattoo or piercing in settings such as in a prison or in a home with friends carries a of HCV transmission

Who Gets Hepatitis C

Persons at highest risk for HCV infection include:

• persons who ever injected illegal drugs, including those who injected once or a few times many years ago,
• people who had blood transfusions, blood products or organ donations before June 1992, when sensitive tests for HCV were introduced for blood screening, and
• persons who received clotting factors made before 1987.

Other persons at risk for hepatitis C include:

• long-term kidney dialysis patients,
• health care workers after exposures to the blood of an infected person while on the job,
• infants born to HCV-infected mothers,
• people with high-risk sexual behavior, multiple partners and sexually transmitted diseases,
• people who snort cocaine using shared equipment, and
• people who have shared toothbrushes, razors and other personal items with a family member who is HCV-infected.

Don’t Miss: How Hepatitis B And C Are Transmitted

How Can I Prevent Spreading Hepatitis C To Others

If you have hepatitis C, follow the steps above to avoid spreading the infection. Tell your sex partner you have hepatitis C, and talk with your doctor about safe sex practices. In addition, you can protect others from infection by telling your doctor, dentist, and other health care providers that you have hepatitis C. Dont donate blood or blood products, semen, organs, or tissue.

Preventing Hepatitis B Or C

There are vaccines available to prevent hepatitis B. The vaccines are free for babies and children under 18 years, and some adults. Talk with your doctor or nurse to find out more.

There is no vaccine against hepatitis C. To prevent spreading or catching hepatitis B or C:

• Always use condoms during sex.
• Cover cuts and scratches.
• Do not share toothbrushes, razors or other personal items.
• Do not share needles, syringes or other injecting equipment, including those used for skin piercing and tattooing.
• Be careful about blood contact, for example, when playing a contact sport.
• Get advice from your doctor if you are likely to have contact with blood or body fluids at work.
• Do not donate blood if you have hepatitis B or C.

Recommended Reading: How Would You Know If You Had Hepatitis

Can Hepatitis C Be Prevented

There is no vaccine for hepatitis C. But you can help protect yourself from hepatitis C infection by:

• Not sharing drug needles or other drug materials
• Wearing gloves if you have to touch another person’s blood or open sores
• Making sure your tattoo artist or body piercer uses sterile tools and unopened ink
• Not sharing personal items such toothbrushes, razors, or nail clippers
• Using a latex condom during sex. If your or your partner is allergic to latex, you can use polyurethane condoms.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Can You Get Hep C More Than Once

Some people think hepatitis C is a one-and-done viruskind of like the chickenpox. But it is possible to get it more than once in your life, Dr. Fox says. If somebody had the infection, was cured of it, then goes back to the same behavior that got them infected in the first place, they can get re-infected, she explains. The chance of re-infection is lower though, suggesting that you may develop some degree of immunity after your first infection.

Still though, hepatitis C can lead to severe liver damage if left untreated, so if youre engaging in behaviors that put you at risk of getting or transmitting hepatitis C, talk with your doctor. A physician can answer your specific concerns and let you know whether or how often you should get screened. Thankfully, curing hepatitis C is easier than ever thanks to new, highly effective drugsbut better yet, you can avoid getting it in the first place!

• Hepatitis C Transmission: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. . Hepatitis C Questions and Answers for the Public. cdc.gov/hepatitis/hcv/cfaq.htm

• Hepatitis C Screening: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. . Testing Recommendations for Hepatitis C Virus Infection. cdc.gov/hepatitis/hcv/guidelines.htm

Read Also: What’s The Difference Between Hepatitis B And Hepatitis C

How Do You Get Hepatitis B

The virus that causes hepatitis B lives in blood, semen, and other fluids in your body. You usually get it by having sex with someone who’s infected.

You also can get it if you:

• Have direct contact with infected blood or the body fluids of someone who’s got the disease, for instance by using the same razor or toothbrush as someone who has hepatitis B, or touching the open sores of somebody who’s infected.
• If you’re pregnant and you’ve got hepatitis B, you could give the disease to your unborn child. If you deliver a baby who’s got it, they need to get treatment in the first 12 hours after birth.

Symptoms Of Hepatitis C

It is very important to know that not everyone with hepatitis C has symptoms. The only way to know if you have hepatitis is by talking to your doctor and getting a blood test.

Many people living with hepatitis C feel well and only have symptoms once the disease has progressed and there is serious liver damage.

If you do not have symptoms this does not mean that the virus isnt causing damage.

When first infected, some people may find:

• their urine becomes dark
• their eyes and skin turn yellow
• they experience a minor flu-like illness.

These symptoms may disappear within a few weeks, but this does not necessarily mean that the infection has been cleared.

Over time, symptoms that may develop include:

• tiredness and fatigue
• flu-like symptoms
• pain in the abdomen where the liver is located
• not feeling hungry and indigestion.

Around 30% of people who have been infected may clear the virus from their blood naturally, with no treatment, within 6 months. These people no longer have the hepatitis C virus and are not infectious, but will always have hepatitis C antibodies in their blood. The presence of hepatitis C antibodies shows that someone has been exposed to the virus, but does not offer any immunity against hepatitis C. People can become reinfected after clearing the virus naturally, or after treatment.

Also Check: What Are The Ways You Can Get Hepatitis C

When To Talk To Your Doctor

You may not realize that you’ve come in contact with hepatitis B or C because oftentimes there aren’t any symptoms. You should get tested if you’ve been in any situation that presents a risk of infection, like sharing needles. The CDC also recommends that all pregnant women get tested for hepatitis C.

Some people can be allergic to the hepatitis B vaccine, so you should also see your doctor if you experience any bad reactions after getting one of the doses.

Getting Tested Is The Only Way To Know If You Have Hepatitis C

A blood test called a hepatitis C antibody test can tell if you have been infected with the hepatitis C viruseither recently or in the past. If you have a positive antibody test, another blood test is needed to tell if you are still infected or if you were infected in the past and cleared the virus on your own.

• Are 18 years of age and older
• Are pregnant
• Currently inject drugs
• Have ever injected drugs, even if it was just once or many years ago
• Have HIV
• Have abnormal liver tests or liver disease
• Are on hemodialysis

Don’t Miss: What Are The Long Term Effects Of Hepatitis C

Can Hepatitis C Be Prevented Or Avoided

The only way to prevent hepatitis C is to avoid coming in contact with an infected persons blood. Always have protected sex . Dont do intravenous drugs. Dont share personal care items with a person who has hepatitis C. If youre a health care worker, follow your workplaces standard safety practices.

How Hepatitis C Is Spread

Hepatitis C is a blood borne virus which means you have to come into contact with blood from someone else with the disease to contract it. It only takes a very small amount of blood for the virus to transfer, for example, on a razor or a toothbrush. Other ways include:

• through open cuts, wounds or scratches
• via blood transfusion before September 1991 or via NHS blood products before 1986 in England
• sexual transmission if you pass on blood during sex
• from infected mothers to babies
• dental treatment, injections, or tattoos if done with unsterilised equipment mainly abroad
• injecting drugs
• sharing any drug injecting equipment such as needles and tourniquets

Also Check: Hepatitis B Liver Cancer Symptoms

How Is Hepatitis C Transmitted

The way the virus does spread is through contact with the blood of someone who is infected. Most commonly, this occurs through one of the following methods.

Intravenous drug usePeople who share needles or other supplies while injecting drugs like cocaine and heroin have a high risk for contracting hepatitis C. Even if you only used these types of drugs once years ago, there is still a chance you are infected.

Needlestick injuriesHealth care or other safety workers may come into contact with an infected persons blood if theyre accidentally stuck with a contaminated needle or other sharp object. Parents often worry about their children developing hepatitis C after finding a needle on the ground or at the beach. While thats possible, its unlikely, Dr. Nachman saysthe most commonly discarded needles are insulin needles, which typically dont contain enough blood to transmit hepatitis C. Plus, the virus can only survive about a day outside of the body.

Medical proceduresNow, donated blood and organs are screened for the hepatitis C virus. However, before 1992, that wasnt the case, so people who received blood transfusions or an organ transplant before that time might have become infected.

Tattoos and piercingsThese days, licensed and regulated tattoo parlors dont pose much of a danger. However, piercings or tattoos received in unregulated settings, such as prisons, may spread hepatitis C, Dr. Kodali says.

RELATED: 8 Things You Probably Didnt Know About Hepatitis