Drug Addiction & Hep C – are you at risk

  • Being accidentally stuck by a needle used by someone infected with hep C

Many people don’t even know they have chronic hep C. Knowing how the virus spreads makes it easier to help protect yourself and others.

How does someone get chronic hep C? Anyone can get chronic hep C if they come in contact with an infected person´s blood. This can happen from:
  • Sharing a razor or toothbrush with someone who has hep C
  • Sharing piercing or tattoo tools with someone who has hep C (contaminated needles/ink)
  • Sharing manicure/pedicure tools with someone infected with hep C
  • Receiving blood products for hemophilia (hee-muh-FEE-lee-uh) before 1987
  • Receiving a blood transfusion before 1992 (there are stricter screening procedures in place now)
  • Sharing needles with someone infected with hep C (even if it only happened once) – risk associated with drug abuse and addiction
  • Having unprotected sex with someone who is infected with hep C
  • Being born to a mother with hep C
  • Being accidentally stuck by a needle used by someone infected with hep C
Chronic hep C is more common than you
think. In fact, it’s the most common
chronic viral infection that can be
spread by blood in the United States