Health & Human services

What is Hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C, also known as hep C, is an infection of the liver caused by a virus (germ) called hepatitis C virus (HCV). When this virus enters the bloodstream, it attacks the liver.

First of all, what is the liver and why is it so important?

The liver is one of the most important organs in your body, and one of the largest (imagine the size of a football!). It is located under your ribcage in the right upper part of the abdomen. All your blood passes through your liver, and your liver can perform hundreds of functions including:

• Cleaning and filtering your blood of any toxins (bad stuff)
  • Why do you have something like toxins in your body? Well, sometimes your body makes them while performing important functions such as breaking down protein (a type of building block found in certain foods you eat, such as meat or nuts).
  • Your liver also cleans your blood that is full of good stuff such as vitamins and minerals from all the food you eat and turns it into something that your body can actually use.
• Producing an important digestive liquid called bile that helps your body break down and absorb fats (another building block your body gets from digesting food)
  • Bile also helps to take out all the bad stuff your body cannot use or does not need. Think of it as like taking out the trash!
• Storing nutrients (good stuff) your body can use and needs to be strong and healthy
  • Another building block found in food you eat is carbohydrates, you usually can find this in lots of foods such as bread, rice, and fruit.
  • Your body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, the main fuel your body uses; glucose is stored in your liver as glycogen, a form of back-up fuel for your body.
  • Since your liver performs essential functions for your body, it is important to understand how hepatitis C can lead to serious liver damage.  

Hepatitis C can be either acute or chronic: what does this mean? 

Acute hepatitis C infection means that it is a new infection and occurred within 6 months of when a person is exposed to the virus.

Chronic hepatitis C infection means that the virus has been in your body for more than 6 months. It is important to understand that you can spread hepatitis C to others in both stages is you do not receive treatment.

Health Complications of Hepatitis C  

If hepatitis C is left untreated, some serious health problems may occur. Some examples are liver failure, liver cancer, and cirrhosis (a stage of liver disease due to scarring and permanent damage—the scarring makes it harder for your organ to continue to function normally).  

How can a person get hepatitis C? 

Hepatitis C is a difficult disease to get andspread to others. It is not like the flu or cold so you cannot give hepatitis C to your friends or family by doing things like sitting next to them, hugging, or kissing. It is passed on by coming in contact with blood from a person who has hepatitis C. 

The most common way hepatitis C can spread is through injection drug use. People who use injection drugs share and reuse syringes, needles, and other supplies which can cause hepatitis C to spread from person to person. The best way to avoid getting infected with hepatitis C (and other diseases that are spread through the blood) is to use clean needles and syringes whenever possible and NEVER share these supplies with others.  

Other activities that can increase the risk of hepatitis C infection are: 

• Body piercing or tattooing not done by professionals at a licensed shop
• Having any form of sex (such as anal or vaginal) with a person who has hepatitis C
• Sharing a toothbrush or razor with a person who has hepatitis C
• Coming in direct contact with a needle that has blood from a person with hepatitis C
• A pregnant person with hepatitis C can spread the disease to their unborn baby

     
Ways hepatitis C DOES NOT spread:
It cannot be spread through:

• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Hugging
• Kissing
• Breastfeeding (Unless nipples are cracked or bleeding)
• Sharing utensils or drinking glasses
• Casual Contact
• Sharing food or water
• Mosquito or other insect bites

That means everyday contact is not risky. The odds of it spreading between people in a household are very unlikely and would require direct exposure to the blood containing HCV.  

How can Hepatitis C be prevented? 

There are currently no vaccines for preventing hepatitis C, but you can protect yourself (and others) by:  

• Practicing safe sex by using a condom or latex barrier
• Not sharing any personal items that may have even small amounts of blood on them such as: needles, syringes, razors, toothbrushes, earrings
• Making sure body piercing or tattoo equipment is sterilized (germ-free) and used by licensed professionals  
• When you visit a piercing or tattoo shop, look for their license displayed on the walls or at their station 
• Wearing gloves if you must touch anyone else’s blood
• Not donating blood, organs, or sperm if you have ever tested positive for hepatitis C 

What are the symptoms of Hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C often goes undetected for months, years, or even decades. Even without having any symptoms (signs of sickness), a person can still pass the illness to others, and the virus can still damage the liver. That is why it is so important for people to get tested at least once in their life, or more frequently if theyare at higher risk of becoming infected.  

Every chronic (long term) hepatitis C infection starts with an acute (short term) phase. Acute symptoms can begin to show up one to three months after exposure to the virus and can last anywhere between two weeks to three months. However, acute hepatitis C rarely causes symptoms, and as a result often goes undiagnosed.Since people who have hepatitis C do not always show symptoms right away, it is important to schedule and attend your regular checkups for early detection and treatment.  

The most common symptoms of hepatitis C are:

• Diarrhea & stomach pain
• Tiredness
• Changes in the color of uring or stool
• Fever
• Jaundice (Yellowing of the white part of the eyes or skin)
• Nausea & vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Joint pain

If you or someone you know have these symptoms, it is important to go and get checked out by a doctor, especially if you may have been exposed to someone who has hepatitis C.  

Why would I get tested?

• According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about 40% of people in the United States with chronic hepatitis C do not even know that they have it. 
  • Many people who become infected with hepatitis C may not develop symptoms but are still infectious and can spread hepatitis C to others. 
  • From 2013 to 2020, new infections were predominantly among young adults from ages 20-29, and adults from ages 30-39.
  • As of 2020, the amount of acute hepatitis C infections has increased by over 5 times since 2010 due to the rise of injection use of opioids and other drugs. 

• According to the World Health Organization, in 2019, approximately 290,000 peple died worldwide from hepatitis C complications, mostly cirrhosis and liver cancer. 
  • In the United States alone, there were approximately 14, 242 deaths from hepatitis C.

Who should get tested?

Here is what the CDC recommends:

• Everyone ages 18 years and older should get tested at least once.
• All pregnant people should get tested during each pregnancy.
• All individuals exposed to risk factors should get tested regularly, including:
  • People who use or have ever used injection drugs or shared needles (even just once and/or a long time ago)
  • People living with HIV
  • People who have received transfusions, organ transplants. and/or hemodialysis
  • People born to a pregnant person with hepatitis C infection
  • People who have an abnormal liver test or liver disease

Do you need consent from your parent or guardian to recieve testing and treatment?

Nope! Since hepatitis C is considered a communicable disease, minors 12 year or older may consent to testing and treatment of hepatitis C themselves, without the need of parental consent. This applies to other diseases including sexually transmitted infections. 

If you or anyone you know would like to get tested for hepatitis C, Long Beach Health Department's Sexual Health Clinic offers confidential and free testing.

What to expect when getting tested: 

Resources

Harm Reduction Resources for Syringes

• Syringe service programs (also known as SSPs, or syringe exchange programs/SEPs) are programs designed to provide health education and access to sterile materials such as syringes for safer drug use.  
• California law states that syringes and Naloxone (a safe, non-toxic easy to administer medication that can reverse overdose and prevent death) may be dispensed without a prescription. Pharmacies and physicians may dispense syringes to anyone 18 and older. There is no age restriction to receive syringes from SSPs, but individual programs may have their own varying restrictions
  • National Harm Reduction Coalition
    • Visit this webpage to find out more information about what harm reduction is and the resources offered by the National Harm Reduction Coalition throughout various locations in California  
    • There are maps available to find Naloxone, sterile syringes, and other harm reduction resources near you (services offered will vary depending on program)  
      • NASEN Harm Reduction Locations Map 
        A direct link to the online list of Syringe Services Programs (SSPs) in the United States. Please note it may not be a complete list of all available programs. 
  • Bienestar Harm Reduction Center 
    • Syring Service Program
      • Every Thursday, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm or 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm
      • 2690 Pacific Ave #300, Long Beach, CA 90806
      • For more information call: (866) 590 -6411 ext. 113, 130, 154, 13

• AADAP Health Intervention Program
  • Offers health education and risk reduction for women of color and people who inject drugs (PWID), all services are free and confidential  
  • Offered for ages 16-18:
    • Condoms, fentanyl and benzo test strips, NARCAN  
  • Offered for ages 18+:
    • Condoms, fentanyl and benzo test strips, NARCAN
    • Syringe access and disposal
    • Smoking supplies 
  • AADAP Needle Exchange Sites: Every Wednesday  All services are free and confidential, you do not need to be a client to exchange
    • West County Medical Clinic: 100 E Market St, Long Beach, CA 90805, 9:00 am - 11:30 am
    • Long Beach Multi-Service Center: 1301 W 12th St, Long Beach, CA 90813, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm