Hepatitis C Care
From diagnosis to treatment, we can help you prevent and often reverse liver damage. Treating Hep C as early as possible can decrease your risk of permanent damage and help keep your liver functioning normally.
Modern Hepatitis C treatment cures over 95% of people with a 1- to 3-month oral regimen. Once cured, the virus is gone permanently.
You don’t have to be "perfectly healthy" to start — almost everyone is eligible for treatment.
It’s important to remember that if you are exposed to HCV again after being cured, you can get Hepatitis C again.
Treatment for hepatitis C can significantly improve your overall health.
Hep C affects more than just the liver and may cause fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, and skin problems. Many people don’t realize how much it impacts their quality of life until after treatment, when they often report more energy, clearer thinking, and better overall well-being.
Being cured can also improve mental health by reducing anxiety, fear, and stigma, giving many people peace of mind and a fresh start. The good news is that today there are effective treatment options for nearly everyone, including people with cirrhosis, HIV, kidney disease, or those who drink or use drugs.
Treatment also stops transmission—once you’re cured, you can’t pass the virus to others through sex, blood, or from mother to child during childbirth.
What is Hepatitis C (Hep C)?
Hepatitis C is a viral infection that can cause long-term damage to your liver, especially if you don’t know you have it. If left untreated, it can cause cirrhosis (permanent scarring that limits function and can lead to liver failure) or liver cancer.
What are the symptoms of HCV?
Many people with Hep C don’t know they have it, and didn’t have any symptoms when they first came into contact with it.
When symptoms occur, they may include fatigue, abdominal pain, loss of appetite and/or nausea and vomiting and dark urine and/or Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
How is Hep C Diagnosed?
Diagnosing HCV involves two separate blood tests: one to detect HCV antibodies, which shows if you have come into contact with HCV at some point in your life.
The second test checks to see if your Hep C resolved without treatment, or if you’ve been cured with medications. If you think you may have been exposed, it’s important to talk to a healthcare provider to make sure you get the correct testing at the right time.
How is Hep C Transmitted?
Hepatitis C (HCV) is usually spread through blood-to-blood contact. Some of the most common ways people may be exposed include sharing needles or other equipment used to inject drugs; receiving a blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1992, when the U.S. began screening the blood supply; and getting tattoos, piercings, or body work with non-sterile equipment or ink. Exposure can also occur through certain medical or cosmetic procedures, such as injections or treatments performed with improperly sterilized equipment.
HCV can also be transmitted through sexual contact if blood is present, particularly with multiple partners or when sharing sex toys that may have blood on them. In some cases, it can be passed from mother to child during childbirth. However, hepatitis C is not spread through casual contact. You cannot get HCV from sharing food, hugging, kissing, or using the same bathroom.
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