How do I know if I have hepatitis C?
It only takes a small amount of blood to transmit hep C
Hep C is contagious and is spread when infected blood from someone with the hepatitis C virus comes into contact with your blood. The hep C virus can survive outside the body for days even in tiny and unseen traces of dry blood.
Infection can occur if you've been tattooed or had a body piercing with contaminated equipment or ink, if you had a blood transfusion in New Zealand before 1992, or if you've shared needles for injecting drugs - even once. Hep C can also be transmitted in other ways.
What are the symptoms of hep C? It's common for people not to have any symptoms. If symptoms do appear, they can be mild and vague, including extreme tiredness, joint pain, loss of appetite, nausea or abdominal pain.
Use our risk factors and symptoms checklist to see if you should get tested for hep C.
Hep C can be treated
A new hep C infection does not always require treatment and some people can clear the infection within the first 6 months. If the new infection persists beyond this point, it is considered chronic and requires treatment.
With treatment, hep C can be cured*.
*Cure means that the hep C virus is not found in the blood 3 months after the end of treatment.
A healthcare professional will be able to advise if treatment is required.
TESTING SAVES LIVES
Your healthcare professional is the best person to talk to if:
- you have any questions about hepatitis C
- you want to get tested
- you want to discuss treatment options
- you want to learn more about how to stay healthy.
You can use the hep C checklist which includes risk factors and symptoms together with some suggested questions to ask.
The information provided on this website should be used as a guide only. It doesn't replace the advice of your healthcare professional.
TAPS BG4425. NZ-HCV-180010. Prepared November 2024.