Can you have hepatitis C & not know it?

The short answer is, yes.

Most people living with hep C might not know they have the virus. Hep C is a slow acting virus and people with hep C might go years without any symptoms. The only way to know you have hep C is to get tested.

Hep C usually has no symptoms

Hep C is an easily-cured liver infection. Hep C is only passed on through blood-to-blood contact. This is when the blood of someone with hep C gets into another person’s blood stream. When someone first gets hep C, most people won’t notice anything at all. A small number of people might feel a bit tired or run down, but those kinds of feelings are so common that they aren’t usually linked to hep C.

After the initial infection, the virus often moves into a chronic phase without any obvious symptoms.

Symptoms like tiredness, difficulty concentrating, abdominal discomfort, or jaundice can develop over time if the virus goes untreated, but many people never experience these at all.

Because you can have hep C without any symptoms, a blood test is the only reliable way to know whether you have it.

Who is more likely to have hep C in Australia?

Anyone can have hep C, but some groups of people are more likely to have come into contact with the virus.

People who have injected drugs at any point in their life. This includes people who may have injected only once, a long time ago. Sharing needles, syringes, or other injecting equipment – even things like spoons, filters, or tourniquets – can be enough for blood-to-blood transmission. If this is part of your history, a hep C test is the only way to check.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are disproportionately affected. Data from the Australian Centre for Disease Control shows that almost one in five Australians living with hep C are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Hepatitis NSW has information and resources specifically for Aboriginal communities.
People who have spent time in prison have higher rates of hep C. In 2023, four in ten people starting hep C treatment in Australia were in custodial settings.*
People who received blood transfusions or blood products before 1990 in Australia may have been exposed before routine screening of blood donations was introduced.
People who have had tattoos, body piercings, or medical or dental procedures with unsterile equipment, including overseas, may also have come into contact with the virus.
Men who have sex with men, particularly those living with HIV, have a higher risk of hep C.

If any of these apply to you, it’s important to get tested. Testing is simple and easy to access. You can read more on the Hepatitis NSW page about whether you might be at risk for hep C.

A note on stigma

Hepatitis C is often associated with injecting drug use. This has created a layer of stigma that can make it harder for people to talk openly about hep C with their doctor, with their family, or with anyone. That stigma is something Hepatitis NSW works actively to address, because no one should face discrimination over a health condition.

It doesn’t matter who you are or what your history is, everyone in Australia with a Medicare card can get treated and cured for hep C.

“It used to be that you suffered prejudice at the doctors for talking about hepatitis C or drug use. That’s changing, luckily. And now any doctor can prescribe the cure for hepatitis C.”
Steve, Peer Worker
You can hear more of Steve’s hep C story.

Testing and treatment: what’s involved

Testing for hep C starts with a blood test your GP can organise. The first test looks for hep C antibodies, which show whether you’ve ever been exposed to the virus. If that comes back positive, a second test (a PCR or RNA test) checks whether the virus is still active. In some settings, including some NSPs (needle and syringe programs) and community health services, rapid point-of-care testing using a finger-prick dried blood spot (DBS) test is also available. Have a look at our Hep C Testing Chart for more info on hep C tests.

You can ask your GP for a hep C test at any time. You don’t need symptoms and you don’t need a specific reason.

If the test shows you have hep C, treatment is available and low cost for anyone with a Medicare card. The current treatments, direct-acting antivirals – are tablets, usually taken for 8 to 12 weeks. They have minimal side effects and cure hep C in more than 95% of cases. In most situations, your GP can prescribe them directly without a specialist referral.

More than 129,000 Australians have already started treatment since these medicines became available in 2016.** Hepatitis NSW has a useful guide on getting ready for your appointment if you’d like to know what to expect.

Next steps

If you’d like to find out more or get tested, here are some options:

Talk to your GP.

Call the Hepatitis Infoline on 1800 803 990. The team can answer questions, talk things through, or help you find a testing service near you through the local service directory.

Read more on the Hepatitis NSW website. The hep C information hub covers everything from how hep C is passed on to what treatment looks like. You can also read and watch stories from other Australians who’ve been through testing and treatment.

Share this post. Someone you know might find it useful.

Hep C is curable. Testing is simple. Treatment is free. A blood test is the only way to know if you have hep C — and if you do, there’s a clear path to getting rid of it.

This information is general in nature and is not a substitute for medical advice. If you have questions about your health, talk to your doctor or call the Hepatitis NSW Infoline on 1800 803 990.

* https://www.burnet.edu.au/media/elyikgbr/2025-australias-progress-towards-hep-c-elimination-fullreport.pdf
Executive Summary on page 11

** https://www.burnet.edu.au/media/elyikgbr/2025-australias-progress-towards-hep-c-elimination-fullreport.pdf
Executive Summary on page 11