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Hep C is an easily cured viral infection. It is passed on when blood from someone who has hep C gets into the bloodstream of someone else. For more information, call the Hepatitis Infoline on 1800 803 990 >>

Hep C is passed on through blood-to-blood contact. Blood from someone who has hep C must get into the bloodstream of someone else. In Australia, this occurs mainly when people inject drugs, or through tattooing or body piercing. For more information, call the Hepatitis Infoline on 1800 803 990 >>

There are usually no symptoms. In a small number of cases, people might feel sick when they first catch hep C. It would be like the symptoms of hep B.

Click here for more information on hep C symptoms >>

For more information, call the Hepatitis Infoline on 1800 803 990 >>

Yes, very good new treatments are now available to everyone in Australia who has hep C.* Treatments give a 95% chance of cure (getting rid of your hep C). They have few side effects, are pills and don’t involve injections, and only last for 12 weeks (generally). For more information, call the Hepatitis Infoline on 1800 803 990 >>

*Cures are available to people who have a Medicare Card or Health Care Concession Card and who aren’t hospital inpatients.

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that affects the liver. Most adults recover from the infection. Most babies develop life-long infection (called chronic hepatitis B). With life-long infection, chronic hepatitis B can lead to serious liver problems.

For more information, talk to a doctor or call the Hepatitis Infoline on 1800 803 990 >>

People who catch hepatitis B might have symptoms within the first six-months. These include:

• fatigue
• weight loss
• feeling like you have a flu
• dark urine
• jaundice

Those people who have hepatitis B longer than 6-months (called chronic hepatitis B) don’t have any symptoms. If they do have symptoms, they include:

• tiredness, depression and irritability
• pain in the liver (upper, right side of abdomen)
• nausea and vomiting
• loss of appetite
• joint aches and pains

Click here for more information on hepatitis B and hepatitis C symptoms >>

For more information, talk to a doctor or call the Hepatitis Infoline on 1800 803 990 >>

Consider being vaccinated for hepatitis B if you are:

• a person who injects drugs
• a man who has sex with men
• have sex with someone with hepatitis B
• in household contact with someone who has hepatitis B
• on haemodialysis
• someone with HIV or impaired immunity
• have some other type of liver disease
• someone with a clotting disorder
• waiting for a liver transplant
• traveling to countries where hepatitis B is endemic
• adopting children from overseas who have hepatitis B
• going to be in prison

Consider being vaccinated for hepatitis B if you work as:

• a sex worker
• a staff-member in a facility for people with intellectual disabilities
• a juvenile justice or prison worker
• a healthcare worker, ambulance personnel, dentist, embalmer, tattooist or body-piercer
• a police officer, member of the armed forces or emergency services worker
• a funeral worker (or other worker who has regular contact with human tissue, blood or body fluids and/or uses needles or syringes).

For more information, talk to a doctor or call the Hepatitis Infoline on 1800 803 990 >>