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Hepatitis C, being blood aware
How is hepatitis C passed on?
Hepatitis C (or hep C) is only passed on through blood-to-blood contact. This is when the blood of someone with hep C gets into someone else’s blood stream.
The most common ways hep C is passed on is through:
- Sharing needles and syringes, or any drug injecting equipment.
- Backyard and prison tattooing and piercing.
Less common ways hep C can be passed on are:
- Fights, where people have open cuts and blood (e.g. their bloody fist hits your cut eye).
- Sharing household things with blood on them, such as razors, nail scissors or toothbrushes.
- From mother to baby at birth (vertical transmission).
- Occupational transmission (e.g. through needle-stick or sharps injuries).
- There is no documented evidence that a baby can get hep C through breastfeeding. If a mother’s nipples are cracked and bleeding, she should stop nursing until her nipples are healed.
Research suggests that a small number of people do get hep C through blood-to-blood contact during sex. So hep C can be passed on through sex, but it is rare. If blood-to-blood contact happens during sex, hep C might be passed on. To avoid this, use condoms, dams, or gloves and lubricant. People with hep C can be completely cured and free of hep C, so sex after being cured is no longer a risk for transmission. Read more about Hep C and sex & relationships >>
Using drug injecting equipment
Using unsterile injecting equipment is a risk for hepatitis C. This means sharing or reusing other people’s needles and syringes (fits) or other injecting equipment can put you at risk for hep C.
If you inject drugs, consider the following tips to reduce possible risks for hepatitis C (called harm reduction).
- Consider having extra equipment available.
- Use a new sterile fit for every hit.
- Don’t share any equipment (e.g. spoons, swabs, tourniquet) when preparing and injecting drugs.
- Wipe down all surfaces where the hit is being prepared.
- Wash hands before and after injecting, preferably using soapy water or alcohol swabs.
- Avoid all contact with anyone else’s blood, including traces not able to be seen – this may mean giving advice but not physically helping someone else to inject.
- Dispose of used fits in sharps bins or a fitpack.
Where can you get sterile equipment?
Needle and Syringe Programs (NSPs) can help you with health advice and sterile (new) equipment.
You can use this map to find your nearest NSW Ministry of Health NSP (Needle and Syringe Program). Click here for the NSW NSP map.
Contact the Hepatitis Infoline for more information
Have more questions about finding and using sterile injecting equipment? Contact the free Hepatitis Infoline or read our How do you get hep C page for more information on hepatitis C transmission and risk.
