 |
 |
home
what's
my risk?
about
Hep A
about
Hep B
about
Hep C
how
it's passed on
symptoms & effects
treatment
prevention
Hep
C + HIV
FAQs
Hep
B Recall
find
a clinic
links
contact us
 |
||
|
||
 |
Hepatitis C is much harder to pick up than hepatitis A or B. The hepatitis C virus is found in the blood of an infected person (even in amounts of blood that can be too small to see). It can also survive in dried blood for several days.
Infection happens when some infected blood gets into the bloodstream of another person through a break in their skin, breaks which might be too small to see. Ways in which this can happen include:
Sharing injecting equipment or ‘works’ (needles, syringes,
filters, spoons, water, etc) - whether injecting drugs or steroids.
Unprotected
sex, especially anal sex or sexual acts that can cause bleeding such as
fisting. Rimming may also spread the virus, especially if an arse is bleeding
slightly (bleeding which might be hard to see). Doing these sexual acts
with large numbers of people means a greater risk.
Sharing sex toys with an infected person could spread the infection in
blood on the dildo, etc. There’s a similar risk from dried blood
on shared toys from a few days before.
Studies are showing that it may be possible for hepatitis C to spread when equipment is shared for snorting drugs (such as rolled up bank notes, straws or ‘bullets’ used for taking cocaine). Tiny amounts of infected blood might pass from one person’s nose to another.
With the risk from blood (including dried blood), the virus can be spread by sharing the razor, toothbrush, nail scissors, etc. of someone with hepatitis C. There’s no risk from sharing cutlery, cups, etc.
Hepatitis C infected a lot of people who received blood transfusions or blood products before 1991. Since then screening of the blood supply has stopped this in the UK. There may still be a risk from blood supplies and some medical procedures in countries that have don’t take adequate steps to prevent the spread of the virus.
There‘s also a risk in getting piercings, tattoos or acupuncture in these countries. These should be safe in the UK as professional piercers, tattooists and acupuncturists take effective measures to prevent infection. A risk remains if you’re pierced, tattooed, etc. by someone who doesn’t take precautions against the spread of hepatitis C and other infections.
The hepatitis C virus can be found in lower levels in the semen of infected men. It isn’t yet clear what role semen plays in the spread of hepatitis C but it can’t be ruled out.
If you have HIV (or another sexually transmitted infection) and hepatitis C this can make you more likely to pass on hepatitis C if you have unprotected sex – because your immune system is having to fight two infections and so cannot fight so well against either one.
Do you have a question about Hepatitis C that is not answered on this website? Try www.hepCuk.info, the NHS FaCe It website or www.britishlivertrust.org.uk.
 |