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Hepatitis C

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) was discovered in 1988. Scientists had been searching since 1975 for an elusive agent called non-A, non-B hepatitis; it was given that name because many cases of hepatitis caused by blood transfusion turned out not to be due to either hepatitis A or B. Hepatitis C is now thought to be the most common cause of chronic hepatitis (long-lasting inflammation in the liver) and probably affects about 1% of the Australian community.

THE RISK OF ACQUIRING HEPATITIS C
in someone who has injected drugs is probably more than one in three; after one year of regular use the chance is more that 70%.

People acquire hepatitis C by contact with infected blood. The most common way that people contract Hepatitis C is through use of injecting drugs. Some people however, contracted hepatitis C through transfusion of blood or other blood products before effective screening of blood products became available in the early 1990s.

Clearly the biggest risk for infection with hepatitis C is injecting drug use. Individuals are most likely to acquire hepatitis C from sharing needles, but other injection equipment, blood contaminated swabs or fingers may carry the virus from one user to the next.

The risk of acquiring hepatitis C in someone who has injected drugs is probably more than one in three; after one year of regular use the chance is more that 70%. People who share houses with injecting drug users can acquire hepatitis C from shared razor blades, toothbrushes or other personal sharp items.

Facts About Hepatitis C
Third Edition 2007

Contents

• What is Hepatitis C?
• How do people get infected with HCV?
• What happens if you contract hepatitis C?
• What happens with chronic hepatitis Cinfection?
• What can be done to help people with HCV infection?
• Is there any specific treatment for chronic hepatitis C infection?
• How likely am I to respond to antiviral therapy for hepatitis C?
• How is antiviral therapy given?
• Are there side-effects?
• Is there a vaccine for hepatitis C?
• How can I stop the spread of hepatitis C?
• Can hepatitis C be spread by sexual contact?
• I am having a baby. Is there anything I can do to reduce the risk to my baby?
• Where can I get further information about Hepatitis C?

Download

Facts About Hepatitis C is now available as an A4 size pdf file.
Hepatitis C (Adobe Acrobat PDF 716K)