Causes
The hepatitis C virus (HCV) spreads through blood and can be transmitted in the following ways:
- Sharing needles while using illegal street drugs. In the US, this is the main way hepatitis is spread.
- Using non-sterile instruments and needles for tattooing and body piercing.
- Receiving organs (such as a kidney, liver, or pancreas) from a donor who is infected with HCV. However, organ donors in the US are screened for HCV infection, so the risk of being infected with the virus after an organ transplant is low.
- Blood transfusion, which used to be a major way that HCV was spread. But today, screening tests are performed on all donated blood so this cause has almost been eliminated.
- Sharing personal care items such as razors, scissors, nail clippers, or a toothbrush with an infected person.
- Engaging in high-risk sexual behavior (e.g., having multiple partners or not using condoms when having sex with an infected person).
Although the risk is low, having a sexually transmitted infection or being infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may increase the risk of sexual transmission of HCV infection. The risk of an infected pregnant woman transmitting the virus to her baby is also low.
Doctors don't know the length of time a person infected with the virus remains contagious. For this reason, anyone who tests positive for the HCV antibody should take precautions to avoid spreading the infection. See "Treatment and Prevention" for more information.