What is hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is a virus that can damage the liver. Unlike hepatitis A and B, there is no vaccine to protect against hepatitis C. Most people who have the hepatitis C virus have no signs or symptoms at all for many years. But even if you have no symptoms, you can still pass the virus on to others.

How can you get hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is carried in the blood. The virus is spread through contact with the blood of a person who has hepatitis C. You can’t catch it through everyday contact such as holding hands or hugging and kissing, or sharing toilets, plates and cups and kitchen utensils.

Hepatitis C can be passed on in the following ways:
Have you ever?…
Injecting drugs using shared equipment, even if you only did this once or twice, or a long time ago Received a blood transfusion before 1991, or blood products like clotting factors before 1986. All blood in the UK is now screened for hepatitis C.

Had unprotected sex (without a condom) with someone who has the virus Had a tattoo or piercing with equipment that is not sterile Received medical or dental treatment abroad in countries where hepatitis C is common and where equipment may not be sterilised properly.

Shared a razor or toothbrush with someone who may have hepatitis C.

Hepatitis C can also be passed from a mother with hepatitis C to her baby, before or during the birth.

Did you know…?
200,000 people in England are estimated to have hepatitis C The majority of people with hepatitis C are probably unaware they have it.

There is no available vaccine to protect against hepatitis C It can take years or even decades for symptoms of hepatitis C to appear Effective treatment is available.

Is treatment available?
Treatments for hepatitis C are improving all the time. A form of drug therapy is available that can cure the infection in about half of the people treated overall.

What to do if you think you’re at risk
If you think you could have been in contact with the hepatitis C virus at any time in the past, you can have a test to find out if you have been infected.

Your doctor will be able to test you for hepatitis C. Local drug agencies and sexual health clinics (sometimes called genito-urinary medicine or GUM clinics) may also offer testing.

For further information visit www.hepc.nhs.uk or call the hepatitis C information line on 0800 451451 (textphone 0800 0850859). Lines are open 10am-10pm, 7 days a week.