What is Hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is an infection that affects the liver. If left untreated it can cause potentially life-threatening liver damage. In the UK most Hepatitis C infections occur in people who inject drugs or have done so in the past.
Where to get help in Bexley
If you think you might have Hepatitis C or want to get tested, you can visit your local sexual health clinic or GP in the London Borough of Bexley. They can provide confidential testing and treatment. You can also order a free self-test kit if you're under 25.
For more information, visit the NHS website or contact your local healthcare provider.
Hepatitis C transmission via unprotected sex is rare, however it is still important to practice safer sex to avoid transmission STIs and unplanned pregnancy. If you received a blood transfusion before 1996 there is a chance you may have been infected with hepatitis C.
The most common ways hepatitis C is transmitted are:
- Sharing needles, razors and toothbrushes
- From a pregnant person to their unborn baby
- From unsterilised needles when getting a tattoo or piercing
Hepatitis C is generally asymptomatic until it has caused significant damage to the liver. If symptoms do appear, these can be mistaken for other diseases or infections. Symptoms are the same in both sexes and can include:
- Flu-like symptoms (fever and muscle aches)
- Tiredness and fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea and vomiting
- Abdominal pain
The only way to know if you have hepatitis C is to get a blood test. Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent long-term damage to your liver and ensure you do not pass on the infection.
- Use condoms when you have vaginal or anal sex.
- Use a condom to cover the penis, or a latex or plastic square (dam) to cover the vagina if you have oral sex.
- Test after every new sexual partner, or every year if you do not change sexual partners regularly.
- Complete the full treatment if you or your sexual partner have hepatitis C
- Do not share sex toys (if you do, wash and cover them with a new condom before anyone else uses them).
- Do not share needles, drug injecting equipment, razors or toothbrushes
Hepatitis C is treated with a course of anti-viral medications taken for several weeks. These can be in the form of tablets only, or a combination of tablets and injections. It is important that you complete your treatment to avoid reinfection. It is possible to become infected with Hepatitis C more than once as you do not develop an immunity to it like Hepatitis B.
You will need to attend an appointment at a sexual health clinic, hospital or GP surgery to be treated.
A doctor or nurse will ask you about your recent sexual history, and if you currently or used to inject drugs. They will perform a blood test and send your sample off to the lab for testing. Your results will either come through text or phone call. If you test positive for Hepatitis C, you will be referred for treatment.
It is important you tell your recent and current partner(s) if you have been diagnosed with Hepatitis C. This is to ensure they can test and get treated for it as early as possible. Although sexual transmission is rare, it is still a possibility that should be discussed between all parties involved. Even with protection, people may not feel comfortable taking the risk.
If left untreated, it can cause scarring of the liver (cirrhosis) which can stop the liver from functioning properly over time. In severe cases, the liver can stop working completely, and you may develop liver cancer.
There is a small risk (1 in 20) that you can pass Hepatitis C onto your baby, so it is important to avoid getting pregnant if you are being treated for Hepatitis C and for several months after as the treatment can harm the baby.
If you catch Hepatitis C and are pregnant, an uncomplicated infection will not have a significant effect on your pregnancy or cause harm to the baby although you may have a higher risk of pregnancy complications such as; preeclampsia, low birth weight, premature birth or the need for a C-section.