How is hepatitis C spread?
The hepatitis C virus is usually spread when someone comes into contact with blood from an infected person. This can happen through:
►Sharing drug-injection equipment.
Today, most people become infected with hepatitis C by sharing needles, syringes, or any other equipment used to prepare and inject drugs.
►Birth.
Approximately 6% of infants born to infected mothers will get hepatitis C.
►Health care exposures.
Although uncommon, people can become infected when health-care professionals do not follow the proper steps needed to prevent the spread of bloodborne infections.
►Sex with an infected person.
While uncommon, hepatitis C can spread during sex, though it has been reported more often among men who have sex with men.
►Unregulated tattoos or body piercings.
Hepatitis C can spread when getting tattoos or body piercings in unlicensed facilities, informal settings, or with
non-sterile instruments.
►Sharing personal items.
People can get infected from sharing glucose monitors, razors, nail clippers, toothbrushes, and other items that may have come into contact with infected blood, even in amounts too small to see.
►Blood transfusions and organ transplants.
Before widespread screening of the blood supply in 1992, hepatitis C was also spread through blood transfusions and organ transplants. Now, the risk of transmission to recipients of blood or blood products is extremely low.
Hepatitis C is not spread by sharing eating utensils, breastfeeding, hugging, kissing, holding hands, coughing, or sneezing. It is also not spread through food or water.
Can you get hepatitis C more than once?
Yes. You can be infected again even if you have cleared the virus or were successfully treated and cured. This is why people who currently inject and share needles, syringes, or other drug preparation equipment, along with those who receive maintenance hemodialysis, should be tested for hepatitis C on a regular basis.
Can hepatitis C virus be spread through sexual contact?
Yes, but the risk of transmission from sexual contact is believed to be low. The risk increases for men who have sex with men and for people who have multiple sex partners, have a sexually transmitted disease, engage in rough sex, or are infected with HIV.
Can you get hepatitis C by getting a tattoo or piercing?
Research has not shown that hepatitis C is spread within licensed, commercial tattooing facilities. However, transmission of hepatitis C (and other infectious diseases) is possible at facilities that don’t take the necessary measures to control infections during tattooing or piercing. Unregulated tattooing and piercing occurring in prisons and other informal settings may put a person at risk of infection.
Can hepatitis C be spread within a household?
Yes, but this does not occur very often. If hepatitis C virus is spread within a household, it is most likely a result of direct, through-the-skin exposure to the blood of an infected household member.
Who is at risk for hepatitis C?
The following people are at increased risk for hepatitis C:
- People who use injection drugs or did so in the past, even those who injected only once many years ago
- People with HIV infection
- People with certain medical conditions, including those who ever received maintenance hemodialysis and those with persistently abnormal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels (an enzyme found within liver cells).
- People who have received transfusions or organ transplants, including those who
- received clotting factor concentrates produced before 1987
- received a transfusion of blood or blood components before July 1992
- received an organ transplant before July 1992
- were notified that they received blood from a donor who later tested positive for hepatitis C virus infection
- Health care, emergency medical, and public safety personnel who have been exposed to the blood of someone who has hepatitis C (through needle sticks, sharps, or mucosal exposures)
- Children born to mothers who have hepatitis C
Can a person be infected with both HIV and the hepatitis C virus?
Yes. A person can be “coinfected” with both HIV and the hepatitis C virus. People who are coinfected are more likely to get cirrhosis as a result of their chronic hepatitis C infection. To learn more about coinfection, read HIV and Viral Hepatitis.
What is the risk of a pregnant woman passing hepatitis C to her baby?
Of every 100 infants born to mothers with hepatitis C, about six will become infected with the hepatitis C virus. However, the risk is greater if the mother has both HIV and hepatitis C.
Can women with hepatitis C breastfeed their babies?
Yes. There is no evidence that breastfeeding spreads hepatitis C, so infected women can safely breastfeed their babies. However, women with cracked or bleeding nipples should stop nursing temporarily until their nipples have healed. Hepatitis C is spread through contact with blood, and not enough is known about whether this practice is safe.
Can I get hepatitis C from a mosquito or other insect bite?
No. The hepatitis C virus has not been shown to be transmitted by mosquitoes or other insects.
Can I donate blood if I have tested positive for hepatitis C?
The American Red Cross does not accept blood donations from anyone who has ever tested positive for hepatitis C or from anyone with current signs or symptoms of hepatitis.
Can someone with hepatitis C donate organs?
According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Service’s online information on organ donation and transplantation, very few conditions would prevent someone from being an organ, eye, or tissue donor. Even with acute or chronic hepatitis C, you may be able to donate your organs or tissues. The transplant team will determine what organs or tissue can be used based on a clinical evaluation, medical history, and other factors.