Why should I care about hepatitis?

Most people do not experience symptoms when first infected. Those who do may have flu-like symptoms, fatigue, abdominal pain and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes).

Testing

It is your choice to be tested or not. If you think you may have been at risk and would like to check, you can get a test from a GP or a community health centre.

Can I get re-infected?

What if I get infected?

Hepatitis B

About 5 out of 100 adults infected by hepatitis B virus will have long-term hepatitis B. Most of them will not experience symptoms until there is serious liver damage. There is currently no cure for hepatitis B but there is treatment to slow down liver damage. Current hepatitis B treatment works best at certain stages of the disease. It is important to have regular checks by your doctor to find out if you need treatment.

Hepatitis C

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis C About 3 out of 4 people who get the hepatitis C virus will develop long-term hepatitis C. Some may not have any symptoms for decades, possibly until there is liver damage. There is now highly effective treatment for hepatitis C, with close to 100% success rate.

Hepatitis C treatment is: • 1 tablet a day for 8 to 12 weeks (for most people) • Available through your GP • Subsidised for all Medicare Card holders • Available to all adults, including current drug users To find out more, call the Hepatitis Helpline on 1800 437 222, or your nearest liver nurse: • North: 0402 717 971 • Central: 0423 782 415 • South: 0466 777 873

If you’ve had hepatitis B before and recovered from it, you are immune to the virus and will not be re-infected.

Having hepatitis C does not prevent further infections with the same or different genotypes of virus. Even if you have been cured or have cleared the virus naturally, you can still be infected again.

Information & Support

For more information on all aspects of hepatitis B and hepatitis C, call the Hepatitis SA Helpline on 1800 437 222, visit www.hepsa.asn.au or email admin@hepatitissa.asn.au.

Hepatitis SA

Ph 1800 437 222 or (08) 8362 8443 Fax (08) 8362 8559 3 Hackney Rd Hackney SA 5069 PO Box 782 Kent Town SA 5071 www.hepatitissa.asn.au SA Health has contributed funds towards this Program.

Last update: Oct 2019

Cover image: Daniel Nieto on Pexels [www.pexels.com/photo/group-of-people-sitting-on-stairs-2124916]

What are the symptoms of hepatitis B & C?

Why Should I Care About Hepatitis?

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. It can be caused by many things including alcohol, toxins, viruses and bacteria. Viral hepatitis is hepatitis caused by viruses.

Why is it important to know about viral hepatitis?

Hepatitis damages your liver and you can’t live without your liver. The three most common types of viral hepatitis in Australia are A, B and C. Two out of the three – hepatitis B and hepatitis C– are transmitted through blood, e.g. by sharing injecting equipment. Hepatitis A is transmitted via food contaminated by faeces. It is a short-lived disease and those who get it usually recover in six months. Hepatitis B and C, on the other hand, can develop into long-term diseases which may, over time, result in serious liver damage, liver cancer or liver failure.

Hepatitis C is not classified as a sexually transmitted infection (STI) as there must be blood-to-bloodstream contact for it to be transmitted during sex. Studies have shown that there is a higher hepatitis C infection rate among men who have sex with men who are also HIVpositive.

How you get hepatitis A, B and C Type of viral hepatitis Hepatitis A Hepatitis B Hepatitis C

You get it from Blood

Sexual fluids

  

  

Food

*  

* (When food has been contaminated with faeces)

How can I protect myself and others?

Can I get hep B and hep C from injecting?

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis B and C can be transmitted via non-sterile injecting equipment, including swabs, filters, water and tourniquets, as well as fits, so it is important to protect yourself.

• There is a safe, effective vaccination which will protect you from hepatitis A. • Wash your hands after visiting the toilet and before preparing food.

Other ways of getting hep B and C

Hepatitis B

Both hepatitis B and C can also be transmitted via unsterile tattooing and body piercing, as well as sharing of personal items such as razors and toothbrushes that may contain traces of blood.

What about sex?

Hepatitis B can be transmitted through sex as it is present in body fluids such as semen or vaginal secretions of people with the hepatitis B virus.

• There is a safe and effective vaccination for hepatitis B. This is the best protection against getting hepatitis B. • Practise safe sex. Always use barrier protection, such as a condom and lube.

• People who inject drugs can get FREE hepatitis B vaccinations. Talk to your GP or call Hepatitis SA on 1300 437 222 for more information.

Hepatitis C There is currently no vaccination for hepatitis C, so protect yourself by injecting safely. When injecting:

• Always use your own injecting equipment (i.e. new syringe, spoon, bag, water, filter, swabs and tourniquets).

• Do your own mixing and don’t buy or accept deals that have been pre-loaded into fits (especially when you haven’t seen the new fit packet opened).

• If more than one person is sharing the mix make sure that all syringes are new and that none of the equipment has come in contact with anyone else’s blood. Even invisible traces of blood are enough to infect.

• Wash your hands before and after you inject, especially if you are injecting others.

• It is also a good idea to clean the surface on which you are mixing up e.g. table top, toilet seat, dashboard.

• When you have finished injecting put your syringe directly into a sharp safe/fitpack. Then take it to your nearest Clean Needle Program.

• Even fingertips and tourniquets can spread the hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus from person to person (i.e. putting fingers on the injecting site, then rolling a filter and dropping it into the mix, or sliding the tourniquet over the injection site and then letting someone else use it).

• The viruses may live outside the human body for a quite a long time. So it is really important to make sure that none of your injecting equipment comes in to contact with anyone else’s blood.

• Never re-cap someone else’s syringe (fit) and always clean up your own blood spills.

• Bleach will not kill the hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus.