Some people’s bodies get rid of the virus without treatment, and in most cases where that doesn’t happen, DAAs can cure the infection. Hepatitis C spreads through blood, usually when people share needles and syringes to inject drugs. There is a hep B vaccine, and antiviral meds can treat the infection. It can be transmitted through sex or sharing needles and syringes to inject drugs, and it can pass from a pregnant person to a baby during childbirth. Hepatitis B spreads through contact with the bodily fluids - such as blood and semen - of someone who has it. And most people who get hep A recover in a few weeks or months without treatment. There’s no treatment for hep A, but there is a vaccine to prevent it. This virus can also spread through sex if people don’t use condoms or another barrier method.

You can get it if someone with the virus goes to the bathroom and doesn’t wash their hands before they cook your meal. Hepatitis A spreads through poop-contaminated foods and drinks. Hepatitis A, B, and C all cause liver disease, but they differ in the ways they spread and are treated. This alphabet soup of viruses can be confusing. Hepatitis A, B, C: What’s the difference? Basically, you take the pills every day for about 3 months and you’re done. They’re called direct acting antivirals (DAAs), and they make it pretty easy for doctors to treat the virus. Without treatment, hep C can progress to cirrhosis, liver cancer, and eventually liver failure.īut we do have medications that can cure most cases of hep C. You need your liver to make digestive fluid, get rid of toxins, and do other important stuff. Hep C is a big deal because it can damage your liver. You can’t get hep C from kissing someone or taking a sip of your friend’s beer.

In rare cases, the virus can pass from person to person during sex - but only if there’s blood involved. The virus spreads through blood-to-blood contact, such as sharing a needle or syringe with someone who has hep C when injecting drugs or getting a tattoo in a less-than-clean shop. About half of people with hep C have no clue they’ve got it, because this virus often sneaks in without symptoms. Research suggests that more than 2 million American adults have hep C, but the real number is probably much higher. Hepatitis C is a viral infection that can cause serious liver damage.

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