How do you get hep C?
You can have hep C and not know it.
You can live with hep C for many years before you start feeling sick. Sometimes you just feel very, very tired.
Fatigue
Do you ask yourself "why do I feel so tired all of the time?" It may be nothing you can put your finger on. You may just not feel right.
Other symptoms may include :
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- nausea
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- abdominal pain
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- muscle aches
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- jaundice
Some high risk ways you can get infected with hep C
Thousands of Kiwis have hep C but don't know it.
Do you have any of the following risks?
Health care overseas
Had medical, dental or cosmetic procedures in countries with low levels of infection control or high prevalence of hep C.
Tattoos
Had tattooing or body piercing done with unsterile equipment
IV Drug Use
Shared equipment (needles, syringes, spoons, straws) used to take recreational or performance-enhancing drugs, such as anabolic steroids, even once
Other high risks:
- Received a blood transfusion prior to 1992
- Had jaundice or abnormal liver function
- A mother or other household member with hep C
- Been in prison
If left untreated, chronic hep C can damage your liver. In some cases after many years, this can lead to cirrhosis (severe scarring of the liver), liver failure and sometimes liver cancer.
But treatment can cure* hep C. There are oral treatments which offer the chance of curing the virus for the majority of people living with hep C.
Talk to your healthcare professional today to get tested.
* Cure means that the hep C virus is not found in the blood 3 months after the end of treatment.
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-VHCV-200016. Prepared November 2024.