Hepatitis C is a viral infection affecting the liver.
Hepatitis C is not as easily passed on as hepatitis A or B but it can cause long term damage to your health and there is no vaccine to prevent it.
The hepatitis C virus is present primarily in blood (including dried blood) and can also be present bodily fluids such as cum.
Traditionally injecting drug use was the most common way to catch hepatitis C but it is now known that unprotected sex, particularly high risk sex, and chemsex is associated with hep C infection.
Hepatitis C could be passed on in the following ways:
You can reduce the risk of getting hepatitis C by:
Hepatitis C produces many of the same symptoms as hepatitis A and B although most people do not notice any symptoms when they are first infected. It could take many years for symptoms to show.
We would advise that if you are or have been at risk, or if you are engaging in some of the higher risk activities or in chemsex to ask for a test at one of our nurse led sexual health clinics at least annually (once a year).
We are here to support you, not to judge you.
Hepatitis C is diagnosed by a blood test and can be carried out at on of our nurse led sexual health clinics.
We would advise that if you are or have been at risk, or if you are engaging in some of the higher risk activities or in chemsex to ask for a test for hepatitis C at least annually (once a year).
All of our services are free and confidential.
If you are found to have hepatitis C you will usually be referred to a liver specialist.
When first diagnosed with hepatitis C (within the first six months) this stage is called Acute Hepatitis C infection. It is sometimes the case that people will clear the virus themselves within the first six months though they would still need regular blood tests to ensure it has completely gone. The majority of people will not clear hepatitis C without treatment. If diagnosed in time they can be treated early, usually with a course of injections and tablets for six months, which aims to cure the infection.
If you not treated early or if a person has chronic (more than six months) hepatitis C infection there are treatments available which can also cure the infection. The choice of treatment depends on the strain of hepatitis C. This would be discussed with you and your specialist.
Hepatitis C treatment course lasts for several months and the drugs can have frequent side effects which may be severe.
Important: You will not become immune to catching hepatitis C again in the future even if you are treated and cured or if you cleared it yourself. You still have no protection or immunity from catching it again if you continue to take the risks mentioned above.
We are here to support you, not to judge you.
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