Hepatitis C / HCV Treatment
HOPE can help you navigate treatment for hepatitis C in three simple steps:
What is hepatitis C/HCV?
Hepatitis C (HCV) is a virus, spread by contaminated blood, that attacks the liver and leads to inflammation. HCV is spread from blood to blood contact and can also be transmitted through sexual contact, although this is less common.
Some people get a short term, or acute, infection and are able to clear the virus. However, 80% of people who get infected develop a chronic infection.
Hepatitis C is curable, and there are multiple medications for treatment.
Should I get tested for hepatitis C?
The CDC recommends universal hepatitis C screening for all adults 18 and older and all pregnant women during each pregnancy.
You may be at higher risk of getting hepatitis C if you:
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- use syringes/needles to inject drugs or share syringes
- inhale (snort) drugs
- have “at-home” tattoos or piercings with non-sterile equipment
- were born to a mother with hepatitis C
- received a blood transfusion before 1992