After some years, a small number of people with cirrhosis may develop liver cancer or failure. The hepatitis C virus is present in the blood of an infected person and is spread if infected blood enters another person's blood stream. The majority of people in Australia with hepatitis C have been infected by sharing needles and syringes and other equipment involved in injecting drug use. These are considered to be low risk. Hepatitis C is not passed on through social contact.
Sexual transmission is very rare.
There is a small chance the virus will be passed on to the baby during birth and pregnancy. Hepatitis C does not appear to be passed on by breast feeding. For information on treatments talk to your doctor. Australian laws prohibit discrimination in any area. 7517 GPO Box 1614, Sydney, NSW 2001, Australia This site has been made possible with the cooperation and support of NSW Health Dept and South Eastern Sydney Area Health Service.