Hepatitis C

Brief information on hepatitis C

• Hepatitis C is transmitted through blood, especially when sharing syringes during Drug usesometimes also during sex.
• Without treatment, the disease often becomes chronic and can have serious health consequences.
• In most cases, hepatitis C can be cured with treatment within 8-12 weeks. It is best to be treated for hepatitis C in an HIV specialist practice or a gestroenterological practice to avoid waiting times before starting treatment.
• In contrast to Hepatitis A & B there is No vaccination. You can are repeatedly infected with hepatitis C.
• How to protect yourself: Clean syringes when using drugs ("don't share anything") and gloves when fisting. With long and vigorous fucking, blood is sometimes involved - then condoms provide protection.

Protection

Hepatitis C is often recognised far too late and can lead to severe liver damage. It is diagnosed by a blood test. As hepatitis C is transmitted through blood, you can follow a few simple protective rules.

There is no vaccination against hepatitis C, and you can become infected again even after you have been cured. You can protect yourself with the following measures:

Only use your own equipment when using drugs. If blood could be involved in sexual practices, use gloves to protect yourself when fisting or condoms when fucking.

While fucking

• Do not share sex toys such as dildos with others. It is best to always put on a new condom or clean or disinfect the toys thoroughly.
• Condoms protect you when fucking, use a new condom for each partner. If you're going to fuck without a condom, you should at least use more lubricant than usual, but less poppers - then you won't bleed as easily.
• If you have more than ten sex partners a year and/or are into rough sex, get tested for hepatitis C once a year.

When fisting

• Use gloves when fisting - use a new glove for each new partner. Use a separate pot of lubricant for each fisting partner.

Substance use

• If you inject anabolic steroids or other substances, do not share the needle with others. This also applies to razor blades and toothbrushes. Make sure that hygiene standards are observed for tattoos and piercings.

You can find more information about substance use and how you can minimise the risks here on our knowledge centre page Drugs.