Hepatitis C
What Increases Your Risk
Certain factors may increase your risk of becoming infected with the hepatitis C virus. Just because you are at risk for getting hepatitis C does not mean that you have the virus. But if you are at risk, talk to your doctor about whether you should be tested.
Risk factors you can control include:
- Sharing needles and other equipment (such as cotton, spoons, and water) used to inject drugs.
- Having your ears or another body part pierced, getting a tattoo, or having acupuncture with needles that have not been sterilized properly. The risk of getting hepatitis C in these ways is very low.
- Working in a health care environment where you are exposed to fresh blood or where you may be pricked with a used needle. Following standard precautions for health care workers makes this risk very low.
Risk factors you cannot control include:
- Having had a blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1992. Starting in 1992, all donated blood and organs were screened for hepatitis C.
- Having been exposed to unsafe practices for giving shots, such as reusing needles. This occurs in some developing countries.
- Needing to have your blood filtered by a machine (hemodialysis) because your kidneys cannot filter your blood.
- Being born to a mother who has hepatitis C. The risk of passing the virus to a child is greater if the mother is also infected with HIV.
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| Author: | Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS | Last Updated: August 27, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine W. Thomas London, MD - Hepatology | |
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