What is hepatitis C?
How do you get hepatitis C?
What are the signs and symptoms of hepatitis C?
How do I know if I have hepatitis C?
How do I reduce the risks of getting hepatitis C?
What do I do if I have hepatitis C?
How do I get treated?
Where can I find more information on hepatitis C?
Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. It can be caused by viruses such as hepatitis A, B, C, D,E and G, alcohol, some chemicals and drugs.
How do you get hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne infection. It’s passed on by blood-to-blood contact, when infected blood enters another person’s bloodstream. In Australia, most hepatitis C infections result from the sharing of needles and other equipment used for injecting drugs. You can catch hepatitis C even from sharing needles or other equipment only once.
There are other ways that you can catch hepatitis C. These include:
- A needlestick injury in a health care setting. The risk of catching hepatitis C from a needle found in a community setting, such as in the park, is very, very low
- Getting any body art, such as tattooing or piercing, when the equipment isn’t sterile
- Having unprotected sex involving blood or damage to the skin, such as anal sex and/or unprotected sex with a woman during her period. The risk of infection through penile-vaginal sex at other times is very low
- Sharing personal items that can have traces of blood on them, such as razors, toothbrushes and dental floss
- There is a low risk of an infected mother passing on hepatitis C to her baby either during pregnancy, or at birth. There is almost no risk from breast milk
In Australia, you are very unlikely to get hepatitis C through blood transfusion or organ transplantation.
You can’t catch hepatitis C from everyday social contact, such as shaking hands, kissing, or sharing a bathroom or toilet, or by donating blood.
What are the signs and symptoms of hepatitis C?
Many people don’t have any symptoms at first, or have a minor, flu-like illness. In some cases, the person’s urine becomes dark, and their skin and eyes turn yellow (jaundice). Hepatitis symptoms can disappear within a few weeks but this does not always mean that the infection has also disappeared. Anyone with hepatitis symptoms should see a GP or doctor of their choice. When the liver is ‘inflamed’ for more than 6 months, the illness is called long-term or chronic hepatitis.
Symptoms of chronic hepatitis C include:
- mild to severe tiredness
- loss of appetite
- feeling unwell and vomiting
- soreness under the ribs
- fever
- joint pain
How do I know if I have hepatitis C?
The only way to see if you have hepatitis C is with a blood test. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody test shows if you have ever been infected. It can take 4 – 6 months from the time of infection before this test becomes positive. So if your test result is negative, you will need a repeat test in 4 – 6 months time.
The HCV antibody test can’t show if you’ve become a carrier. So if your test result is positive, you may need another test (HCV PCR test) to tell if the virus is still in your blood.
Ask your GP, doctor of your choice or health care worker about hepatitis C testing.
There is no vaccine against hepatitis C.
However, there are ways you can reduce the risk of catching hepatitis C:
- Don’t inject drugs. If you do, never share needles, syringes, filters, water or spoons. Wash your hands or swab your fingers before touching another person’s injection site. Always use new clean needles and syringes. You can get these from most chemists, needle and syringe exchange outlets, and at country hospitals after hours
- Practice safe sex – use a condom or dental dam, and water-based lubricant. The risk increases if you have many partners, anal sex and/or sex during a woman’s period
- Before considering any body art (such as tattooing or piercing) make sure the body artist uses only sterilised equipment, and new razors and needles each time
- Don’t share personal hygiene items, such as razors, toothbrushes and dental floss.
- Health care workers should always use infection control procedures at work
What do I do if I have hepatitis C?
You need to work with your doctor to look after yourself. Make sure you have a doctor you are happy with and who has a good understanding of hepatitis C.
Even if you are already infected with hepatitis C, you can still catch a different type of the hepatitis C virus. If you have been treated, you can catch hepatitis C again. You always need to protect yourself against hepatitis C.
You also need to take responsiblity for not spreading hepatitis C to anyone else.
You need to minimise the risk of catching other liver infections, such as hepatitis A and hepatitis B. Ask your GP or doctor of choice about hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccination.
How do I get treated?
Treatment is available for hepatitis C. The treatment cures around 8 out of every 10 people depending on the type of hepatitis C. A healthy diet, enough sleep, and avoiding alcohol, tobacco and other drugs are also important.
Where can I find more information on hepatitis C?
Contact your GP or a doctor of your choice or:
HepatitisWA
(08) 9328 8538 or 1800 800 070 toll free
Sexual Health Helpline
(08) 9227 6178 or 1800 198 205 toll free
Health Direct
1800 022 222
You can find more information about hepatitis on the Internet:
HepatitisWA Website
(External link)Hepatitis Australia website (External link)
