What is Hepatitis and what are its effects?
Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver. Different types of hepatitis can be a result of viral infection, substance use or misuse, prescribed medications, genetic conditions, and exposure to environmental toxins.
There are three main types of Hepatitis in the United States: A, B, and C.
- Hepatitis A is usually transmitted through a fecal-to-oral route, so poor handwashing. It can also be transmitted through contaminated food, water, or direct contact with someone who has Hepatitis A. Hepatitis A DOES have a vaccination.
- Hepatitis B is transmitted through blood-to-blood contact or other bodily fluids during sex with an infected partner, as well as unsafe injections or exposures to sharp instruments. Hepatitis B DOES have a vaccination.
- Hepatitis C is transmitted through blood-to-blood contact or other bodily fluids during sex with an infected partner, as well as unsafe injections or exposures to sharp instruments. Hepatitis C does NOT have a vaccination.
Transmission & Symptoms
Hepatitis C is spread through direct contact with blood. This could include the following:
- Sharing syringes and drug injection equipment
- Vertical transmission (mother to baby through pregnancy)
- Non-sterile instruments (which can include medical and personal items)
- Sexual contact with a person living with Hepatitis C
- Transfusion of unscreened blood
Symptoms of Hepatitis C can include any of the following; abdominal pain, fever, dark urine, joint pain, diarrhea, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, jaundice, pale stools, and loss of appetite.
Many individuals who have Hepatitis C are asymptomatic or don’t have any symptoms at all. That is why it is important to get tested regularly.
Myths & Facts
You can give yourself Hepatitis C
Myth! You can NOT give yourself Hepatitis C. You would have to come into contact with someone else’s blood to be exposed or contract Hepatitis C.
You have received the Hepatitis C vaccine
Myth! There is NOT a vaccination for Hepatitis C, so getting tested regularly is important if you suspect you might be getting or have gotten exposed recently.
You can get cured of Hepatitis C
Fact! Hepatitis C can be cured in an eight (8) or twelve (12) week treatment. After taking the treatment as prescribed a person will be cured of active Hepatitis C, but they will always test positive on an antibody test. This is because that person’s body has created antibodies to help fight off that infection.
Hepatitis C treatment is long and painful
Myth! Hepatitis C treatment is either eight (8) or twelve (12) weeks, which is either two (2) or three (3) months long. There are little to no side effects of this treatment, but if there are any they could include; headache, fatigue, nausea, and diarrhea.
Data
Globally, an estimated 50 million people have chronic hepatitis C virus infection, with about 1.0 million new infections occurring per year.
WHO estimated that in 2022, approximately 242,000 people died from hepatitis C, mostly from cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.
Hepatitis C treatment can be done safely in primary care, harm reduction services and prisons which is more accessible and convenient for patients.
About 2.3 million people of the estimated 39 million living with HIV globally have serological evidence of past or present HCV infection.
Treatment
If left untreated, Hepatitis C can lead to cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, liver cancer, head/neck cancer, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (cancer of the lymphatic system).