Hepatitis C, also called hep C, is a curable liver infection caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). The word hepatitis means “inflammation of the liver”.
Hep C is be passed from person-to-person through blood-to-blood contact and causes damage to the liver. HCV is slow-acting and symptoms may not appear for many years – but the virus can still be causing damage to the liver if it is not treated. Hep C treatment is a cure!
Impact of Hepatitis C
The hepatitis C virus is slow-acting, and symptoms may not appear for many years – but the virus can still be causing damage to the liver. For people living with hepatitis C, the impact of the virus can affect many aspects of their health and wellbeing. Around 60,000 British Columbians have hep C.
How is Hepatitis C Passed?
Hepatitis C is a virus that is passed through blood-to-blood contact. This happens when the blood of someone who does not have Hepatitis C comes in contact with the blood of person who is living with the virus.
This can happen through:
- Sharing drug use equipment (needles, pipes, and snorting equipment)
- Blood transfusions (prior to 1990, before proper screening for Hepatitis C was done for donated blood and blood products)
- Through unprotected sex where blood is present (more common among men who have sex with men, and overall less common in Canada).
- Improper sterilization of tattoo, piercing, and medical equipment.
Worldwide, the most common way Hepatitis C is passed is through the improper sterilization of medical equipment.
There is also the concern of Hepatitis C being passed from a person who is pregnant to the fetus. This is called “vertical transmission” and is relatively uncommon. About 5% of children born to a parent with Hepatitis C will acquire the infection through vertical transmission. 25% to 50% of the children born with Hepatitis C through vertical transmission will spontaneously clear the Infection without treatment.
Watch Hep C 101: What is Hepatitis C
How to get Tested for Hepatitis C
Many people live with hepatitis C for years or decades without knowing they have it. If you think you might have hep C, its very important to get tested. This is because hep C is now easy to cure with new, easy-to-take treatments that BC PharmaCare covers.
The only way to find out if you have hep C is to get tested.