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Hepatitis C

Summary

  • Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus that affects your liver.
  • There is a cure for hepatitis C that works really well.
  • Without medicine to treat it, hepatitis C can cause liver disease and liver cancer.

 

Hepatitis C is a virus that causes damage to your liver. It can be chronic, which means you could have it your whole life if you don’t get cured. Other names for it are hep C or HCV. The only way to know if you have hepatitis C is a blood test.

 
How do you get hepatitis C?

You can get hepatitis C if your blood comes into contact with blood from someone who has hepatitis C. Some of the ways this can happen are:

  • sharing needles, syringes or other injecting equipment, including spoons
  • tattooing or body piercing with unsterile equipment
  • medical procedures with unsterile equipment
  • sharing toothbrushes, razors or nail files.

You are not likely to get hepatitis C through sex. But there is a chance of hepatitis C being passed on if there are open wounds or blood present during sex. You are more likely to get hepatitis C if you have anal sex without a condom. This is more likely if you have HIV. You can protect yourself by using a condom.

If you have hepatitis C when you are pregnant, there is about a 5% chance that you will pass on the virus to your baby. If you are pregnant and have hepatitis C, you should talk to your doctor. If you are thinking about getting pregnant and have hepatitis C, talk to your doctor about curing hepatitis C first.

Right now in Australia, we don't have enough information to know for sure if it is safe to take DAA medicine for hepatitis C while you are pregnant or breastfeeding. For this reason, treatment is usually delayed until after the baby is born and breastfeeding is finished. If you are pregnant or planning a baby, talk with your doctor about the best time to treat your hepatitis C.

You cannot get hepatitis C from:

  • hugging or kissing
  • sharing food and eating utensils
  • eating food made by someone with hepatitis C
  • insect or animal bites, e.g. mosquitoes
  • sharing a bathroom, shower or toilet
  • sneezing or coughing.

What happens if you get hepatitis C?

If you get hepatitis C, your body will try to fight the virus. You could get an acute or chronic illness.

  1. Acute hepatitis C means the virus might make you sick for a short time but then you get better.  Less than 1 in 10 people will have any signs or feel unwell. About 1 in 4 people naturally get rid of the virus. If the virus stays in your liver for more than six months, it is called chronic hepatitis C.
  2. Chronic hepatitis C means the virus stays in your liver for your whole life unless you take medicine for it. You may not feel sick, but over time it could damage your liver. If your liver gets too damaged, it won't work properly. Over many years, liver damage can lead to cirrhosis (severe liver scarring), liver failure or liver cancer. The impact on your health will depend on:
    • the age you were when you got the virus
    • how much alcohol you drink
    • if you have another illness or health issue
       

A cure for hepatitis C

The latest hepatitis C medicines are simple, safe, and work nearly every time. Speak to your doctor about being cured of hepatitis C. The medicines are known as direct-acting antiviral (DAA) medicines. They are tablets that are easy to take, for eight or twelve weeks depending on which medicine your doctor gives you. Most people don’t have any side effects or if they do, they are mild.

It’s important to note that if you are cured of hepatitis C, you can get it again. Even though your body will create antibodies for the virus, they will not protect you from a new infection.

If you get hepatitis C again, you can be treated again.
 


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