Warning: The Embarrassing Bodies website contains images of an explicit medical nature and nudity in a medical context.

Click Continue to proceed or Back to go to Channel 4 Health

Conditions

Hepatitis

Chronic and persistent Hepatitis

Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver, of which there are three main types: A, B and C. But if you feel like you’re about to embark on a Sesame Street-style alphabetical journey into the world of hepatitis, think again. Because Hepatitis B, which can be spread through the exchange of blood and body fluids during unprotected sex, or through dirty needles and contaminated blood products, is 100 times more infectious than HIV! However, many people may not even realise they have been infected with the virus, as symptoms may not develop immediately, or at all. Hepatitis C is also spread through the exchange of blood or blood products, or through sharing needles and needlestick accidents. And Hepatitis A can be caught through the faecal contamination of food and water or through poor personal hygiene or sanitation. There is often no specific treatment for acute hepatitis B. However, with pain relief for symptoms, rest, a healthy diet, and abstention from alcohol, most people tend to be symptom free, or recover completely within a couple of months. Chronic hepatitis (caused only by B and C) may be treated with intravenous antiviral medication.

What the Men in White Coats Say

Comments

Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out the Channel 4 Health site or NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.

What are the symptoms??

I personally would advise you to see your GP for your own peace of mind. This will be a valuable lesson to learn. I have HepC which was passed onto me by having a tattoo. You can never be to careful with your health.

i had hepB, when i was 16 and i got 3 kids, they all negative and what will i do for mines.

Hepatitis c is only spread by blood to blood contact or by sharing contaminated needles. Hepatitis c is rarely spread by unprotected sex unless it included blood. If I was you I would go see a doctor.

I had (hep a) when i was 11, caught it from school, dirty toilet or kitchen?? lost loads of weight. And was on a special diet when discharged from hospital. I now have an underactive thyroid and water retention and have struggled with my weight since. im a 34 yr old woman weighing 12 stone with a big struggle to lose the excess weight. and am wondering if this problem i have now is due to what i went through as a child? help. x

all i can say is go to your local hospital and get checked out dont bother going to your gp it will take too much time and he can falsely reasure you that everything is fine while the damage to your liver is getting worse. im not saying you have hep c but just to put your mind at rest this is the best ooption. good luck ! god bless you !

A friend of mine has contracted the hep c virus (on top of a nasty nail infection) supposedly from 'dirty' equipment at a nail salon where she went regularly for false nails to be applied.

The salon has now been closed down amid much publicity about other customers who have also been infected.

You would think that these places would have to conform to some type of legislation and be required to serilise their tools after each use, but apparently there is currently no law that governs these establishments and anybody qualified or not can set up a business in this industry!

i recently slept with a man (one night stand) and somebody else who knows him has said he has hep C…...what do i do now?
thanks.




This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published - it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 were to need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don't swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines


Important Notice

The information provided on this website (including any NHS Choices medical information) is for use as information or for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical care by a qualified doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. We do not warrant that any information included within this site will meet your health or medical requirements. This Embarrassing Bodies site does not provide any medical or diagnostic services so you should always check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.


If you want to embed our videos in your site, read our embedding T&Cs here


Videos

  1. Christian Jessen

    Dr Christian Jessen

    Find out more about Dr Christian Jessen

  2. Dr Dawn Harper

    Dr Dawn Harper

    Find out more about Dr Dawn Harper

  3. Anal warts examination

    Consultation: Anal Warts

    Dr Dawn Harper diagnoses a patient with anal warts

  4. Am I Normal - After Sex

    Am I Normal After Sex

    Dr Dawn Harper discusses what is and isn't normal after sex, including discussions with the cast of Hollyoaks.


Advertisement