Hepatitis C: Free testing, treatment and how to stay safe
About hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is a virus in the blood that can badly damage your liver.
Viruses in the blood are known as blood-borne viruses. Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are some of the most common blood-borne viruses in the UK. HIV is also a blood-borne virus.
With the right testing and treatment, hepatitis C can be cured.
Could you have hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is passed on from someone with the virus through bodily fluids such as blood, semen and vaginal secretions.
Most cases of hepatitis C in the UK involve people who have injected drugs, but there are several ways you can catch hepatitis C. For example:
- Sharing needles or other drug-related items, such as spoons, water, filters, and notes and straws for snorting
- Tattooing or piercing with equipment that hasn't been sterilised, such as through unlicensed procedures or tattoos done in prison
- Sharing personal care items such as a toothbrush, razor or hair clippers
- Engaging in chemsex
- Having unprotected sex
- Medical or dental tools that haven't been sterilised properly.
Signs and symptoms of hepatitis C
If you have hepatitis C, you may have no symptoms, or have mild symptoms for a few weeks, including fever, tiredness, no appetite, and vomiting. If you leave the virus and it doesn’t go away, it can cause serious long-term health problems.
People can live with hepatitis C for years or decades without knowing it, which can result in serious liver damage. Signs of this are jaundice, stomach pain, aches in your joints and muscles, itching, tiredness and memory problems. If it's not treated, it can lead to liver cancer.
There is no vaccination for hepatitis C.
Get a free test for hepatitis C
If you're using one of our services or needle exchanges, we offer free and simple testing for blood-borne viruses. You will typically receive your results within two to three weeks.
If you're not using one of our services, you can usually get tested via your doctor or a sexual health clinic.
Learn more about our free blood-borne virus testing.
If the test shows that you have hepatitis C, or another blood-borne virus, all Change Grow Live services can help you get specialist treatment.
Hepatitis C treatment
Hepatitis C can disappear on its own, but most people will need treatment.
With new medications, most people with hepatitis C can be cured with no side effects.
Your treatment will usually be a course of tablets called direct-acting antivirals (DAA). You'll usually need to take a tablet every day for 8-12 weeks.
If you're using drugs or alcohol, you can still get treatment for hepatitis C.
You can get hepatitis C again after you've been treated for it, so it's important to take steps to prevent it in the future.
Note: In the past, the medication Interferon was used to treat hepatitis and had unpleasant side effects. It is not used anymore.
More information
At Change Grow Live, we're working with the NHS so that anyone who tests positive for hepatitis C can access the treatment they need.
Speak to the team at your local service to find out more.