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The Hepatitis C virus attacks the liver and can cause serious, long-term damage over many years.
At this time, there is no vaccine but other treatments are available which can help to slow down the progress of the infection.
The virus is carried in the blood and passed through body fluids. It is present in semen and vaginal fluids.
How do you catch it?
Sharing contaminated needles or other drug injecting equipment.
Small risk (approx 5%) of passing it through unprotected sex.
Small risk (approx 3%) of passing it from mother to baby.
Using non-sterile equipment for tattooing, acupuncture or body piercing.
Through contaminated blood transfusion.
What to look for…
A short flu-like illness
Feeling sick and throwing up
Diarrhoea
Loss of appetite
Weight loss
Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes)
Itchy skin
Or no symptoms at all!
Did you know…?
There are about 400,00 people infected with Hep C in Britain.
Advanced liver disease may not show itself until 20 years after infection.
The virus will not show up in a blood test until 3-6 months after you have been infected.
There is no vaccine for Hepatitis C at this time.
But, there is treatment available.
The virus can live outside the body (i.e. still infectious) for months.
Sharing any injecting works (including spoons, filters, water, etc) is the most common way of catching Hep C.
Contacts
Reading Family Planning Clinic
(also available at Connexions, Friar Street on Friday afternoons between 2 and 4 o’clock)
tel: 0118 322 7201
The Zone
(Young Person’s Clinic –19s and under)
tel: 0118 987 7202
Your own GP
Brook
(Young People Sexual Health Advisory Service)
freephone 0800 0185 023
Websites
www.ruthinking.co.uk
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www.playingsafely.co.uk
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