The ABC of hep C
Hepatitis means 'inflammation of the liver'. The liver is a vital organ — it does over 500 things, including detoxing the body of the poisons in medications, pollution and processed foods; storing iron and other vitamins; storing energy from food and releasing it when you need it; and defending against germs like flus and colds.
• Hep C is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV).
• 'Acute' hep C refers to a new infection. Symptoms can include yellow eyes and skin, vomiting, dark piss, pale shit and exhaustion.
• 'Chronic' hep C refers to long-term infection. Symptoms usually include tiredness, nausea and heavy sweating. Chronic illness can cause depression.
• Damage to your liver happens if you have symptoms or not.
• Many people have no symptoms for years and find out they have hep C when they do a test.
• You can give someone hep C if you have symptoms or not.
• About a third of all people in custody have hep C, and the number doubles for those who inject drugs.
• You don’t have to see blood for it to be there. Just a microscopic bit of blood left behind on a tattoo needle or a fit or tourniquet can do the damage.
• Hep C gets worse over time — the longer you leave it, the worse it gets.
• Hep C can cause liver cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and liver cancer.
• Hep C is a 'blood-borne virus' (BBV) just like HIV. It is passed on to others when your blood gets into their bloodstream. This can happen with using unsterile needles for drug use or tattoos and during fights. Mothers can pass it to their babies.
The best ways to make sure there is no sharing of blood when injecting drugs is to:
• Always use new, sterile equipment (all of it — fits, spoons, filters, tourniquets, butterflies, etc.)
• Mix up individually and never share equipment.
• Practice good hygiene with clean surfaces, hands and injecting site, using sterile swabs.
• You can reduce the risk by doing the best you can with what you have: for example, by washing your hands and skin with soap and water if you cannot get sterile swabs.
There is now a cure for hep C — 'Direct-acting antivirals' (DAAs). The usual treatment is 1 tablet a day for 8–12 weeks. The Australian government is supporting the cost of tests and treatments because:
• Getting tested regularly and going on DAAs every time you test positive is the best way to get rid of hep C from our community.
• Funding testing and treatment is cheaper than caring for a community of people with advanced hep C.