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Hepatitis C: Your GoodRx Guide

Comprehensive information for you or a loved one — including treatment options and discounts on popular medications.
Meredith Grace Merkley, DO, FAAPPatricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH
Published on April 13, 2023

Definition

Hepatitis C is a common viral infection that causes liver damage and liver cancer. There are millions of people in the U.S. living with hepatitis C. 

When someone develops hepatitis C, they also develop liver inflammation. An inflamed liver doesn’t work the way it should. A healthy liver does many important things that keep your body healthy. The liver:

  • Filters waste from the blood

  • Breaks down toxins

  • Makes bile, which digests food

  • Makes proteins that stop bleeding

  • Helps fight off infections

  • Stores vitamins and iron 

If you have hepatitis C, your liver can have trouble doing these things. Over time, liver inflammation leads to liver damage and scarring (cirrhosis). 

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Causes

The hepatitis C virus causes hepatitis C.

People can get hepatitis C if they come in contact with blood that has the hepatitis C virus.  

The most common ways that someone comes in contact with the hepatitis C virus are through: 

  • Accidental needle sticks 

  • The sharing of needles or syringes

  • Tattoos or piercings that use needles that aren’t sterile

  • Childbirth (a person with hepatitis B can pass the virus to an unborn child)

The hepatitis C virus was only discovered in 1989. So some people with hepatitis C came in contact with the virus because of a blood product transfusion or organ transplant. The U.S. started screening blood products and organs for hepatitis C in 1992. Since then, it’s very unlikely for someone to get hepatitis C from blood products or an organ transfusion. 

Symptoms

Most people living with hepatitis C don’t have any symptoms until they develop liver damage. It takes 10 to 20 years for the virus to cause liver damage. That means people can live with the virus for decades and never notice that anything is wrong. 

Some people develop symptoms for a short time about 2 to 12 weeks after they get exposed to the hepatitis C virus. These people may develop:

  • A loss of appetite

  • Fever

  • Fatigue

  • Muscle aches

  • Abdominal pain

  • Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)

  • Nausea and vomiting

Once people develop liver damage, these symptoms usually return. People may notice additional symptoms, like: 

  • Easy bleeding or bruising

  • Swelling in the abdomen, legs, ankles, and feet

  • Confusion, trouble thinking, and memory loss

  • Itchy skin

  • Tiny red lines (swollen capillaries) on the skin above the waist

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Diagnosis

Hepatitis C can be diagnosed with a blood test that looks for the hepatitis C virus or antibodies to the hepatitis C virus.

Experts recommend that every adult get a hepatitis C test at least once in their lifetime. 

If you have symptoms of liver damage, you may also need additional blood tests that check the overall health of your liver and how well it’s working. 

Medications

Hepatitis C is curable with direct-acting antiviral therapy (DAAT). 

DAATs are medications that stop the hepatitis C virus from replicating. Commonly prescribed DAATs include:

Most people only need to take these medications once a day by mouth for 8 to 12 weeks. DAATs are very effective. Studies show that 95% of people who take DAATs are cured of hepatitis C. 

Even though DAAT can cure hepatitis C, it can’t reverse liver damage. But even if you already have liver damage or other hepatitis C complications, you may still benefit from DAAT. Studies show DAAT can lower the risk of needing a liver transplant and developing liver cancer.

Prevention

There’s no hepatitis C vaccine right now. Some clinical trials are underway, but they’re still in early stages. 

So the best way to keep your liver safe from hepatitis C is to avoid exposure to other people’s blood by: 

  • Not sharing needles

  • Wearing gloves when you clean up blood or come in contact with blood

It’s possible to get hepatitis C from sharing personal-care items, like toothbrushes, razors, or nail clippers. But this rarely happens. To be safe, you may want to avoid sharing these items with others. 

The hepatitis C virus can live in semen, breast milk, and saliva. But it doesn’t usually pass from person to person through these bodily fluids. But to be safe, make sure to use condoms when having sex. 

You can get hepatitis C more than once. So, even if you’ve been cured of hepatitis C in the past, you should still follow these steps so you don’t get hepatitis C again. 

Common concerns

Is hepatitis C a sexually transmitted infection (STI)?

Hepatitis C can pass from person to person during sex, so it can be called a sexually transmitted infection. Using condoms during sex can protect you from hepatitis C. 

Hepatitis C virus doesn’t spread easily through contact with semen or vaginal fluids, but it does spread easily through contact with blood. Bleeding can happen more easily during anal sex, which means that hepatitis C can spread more easily through anal sex than other types of sex.

Is it safe to be around someone with hepatitis C?

Yes. The hepatitis C virus spreads through direct contact with blood and sometimes through contact with semen or vaginal secretions.

The most common ways hepatitis C spreads to others is through pregnancy, accidental needle sticks, or needle sharing. 

Hepatitis C is not spread through the air or saliva. So you can’t catch it from someone coughing or sneezing. You can’t get hepatitis C from hugging, kissing, or sharing food or drinks with someone who has hepatitis C. 

It’s also safe to breastfeed if you have hepatitis C.

What should you do if you test positive for hepatitis C?

If you test positive for hepatitis C, let your primary care provider know right away so you can start treatment with DAAT. Most primary care providers are trained to treat hepatitis C. Most people don’t need to see a specialist unless they have signs of liver damage or liver cancer.

Here are some steps you can take steps to keep your liver as healthy as possible:

References

Center for Disease Control. (2020). Hepatitis C testing.

Center for Disease Control. (2020). Q&As for health professionals.

View All References (8)

Columbia University Department of Surgery. (n.d.). Center for liver disease and transplantation.

European Association for the Study of the Liver. (2018). EASL recommendations on treatment of hepatitis C 2018. Journal of Hepatology

Geddawy, A., et. al. (2017). Direct acting anti-hepatitis C virus drugs: Clinical pharmacology and future direction. Journal of Translational Internal Medicine. 

Ghany, M. G., et al. (2019). Hepatitis C guidance 2019 update: American Association for the study of liver diseases – Infectious Diseases Society of America recommendations for testing, managing, and treating hepatitis C virus infection. Hepatology

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2018). Symptoms and causes of cirrhosis

San Francisco Department of Public Health. (n.d.). Hepatitis C.

Schillie, S., et. al. (2020). CDC recommendations for hepatitis C screening among adults-United States, 2020. MMWR Recommendations Report

World Health Organization (2022). Hepatitis C.

GoodRx Health has strict sourcing policies and relies on primary sources such as medical organizations, governmental agencies, academic institutions, and peer-reviewed scientific journals. Learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate, thorough, and unbiased by reading our editorial guidelines.

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