Hepatitis C - NYC Health

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Hepatitis C

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Hepatitis C is caused by a virus that can permanently damage the liver, leading to cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer. It is passed from one person to another through blood.

Most people who have hepatitis C do not show symptoms, but it can still cause harm if left untreated. The most common reasons people have hepatitis C is because they received a blood transfusion before 1992, or because they have shared drug-use equipment. If you have ever injected drugs, even once, you should get tested for hepatitis C as soon as possible. Hepatitis C can be cured.

To connect with other people searching for help, check out the Hep Free NYC network of patients and providers.

Free and Low-cost Testing and Treatment

These locations offer free and low-cost hepatitis C testing and treatment, as well as patient navigators who can provide support for you throughout the process.

The free walk-in testing sites listed below do not provide clinical care or treatment. The other facilities offer care and treatment. Call before visiting to confirm hours of operation.

The Hepatitis C Patient Assistance Program ensures all hepatitis C-infected New York State residents have access to certain medical services. The program serves uninsured New Yorkers who meet eligibility criteria. It covers services related to the initial hepatitis C medical and treatment evaluation, as well as treatment monitoring.

For more locations in the city offering hepatitis C testing and treatment, search the NYC Health Map.

NYC Health Map

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Bronx

Acacia Network*†
718-960-7532
Multiple locations

Albert Einstein College of Medicine Wellness Center†
718-409-9450
Multiple locations

Brightpoint Health*†
855-681-8700 x3474 or 3476
hepc@brightpointhealth.org
Multiple locations

Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center Family Wellness Center
347-326-2075
1281 Franklin Avenue

Harlem East Life Plan (HELP)†
212-876-2300
2367-69 Second Avenue

Montefiore Medical Center*†
844-CURE-HCV (844-287-3428)
Multiple locations

Promesa†
718-299-1100 x3046
1776 Clay Avenue

* Offers free services for uninsured patients.

✝ Offers enrollment into the Hepatitis C Patient Assistance Program.

Free Walk-In Testing Sites

BOOM! Health
718-292-7718
226 East 144th Street

Dominican Sisters Family Health Services — Bronx
718-665-6557
279 Alexander Avenue

New York Harm Reduction Educators (NYHRE) — Bronx
718-842-6050
953 Southern Boulevard, Suite 302

Planned Parenthood — Project Street Beat
212-965-7000
349 East 149th Street, Third Floor

Brooklyn

Bedford-Stuyvesant Family Health Center
718-636-4500
1456 Fulton Street

Brightpoint Health — Sterling Health Center*†
855-681-8700 x3474/x3476
hepc@brightpointhealth.org
803 Sterling Place

SUNY Downstate Medical Center*†
718-270-1715
450 Clarkson Avenue

* Offers free services for uninsured patients.

✝ Offers enrollment into the Hepatitis C Patient Assistance Program.

Free Walk-In Testing Sites

After Hours Project
718-249-0755
1204 Broadway

VOCAL New York Users Union
718-802-9540 x12
80A Fourth Avenue

Manhattan

Harlem United
646-762-4950
290 Lenox Avenue

Mount Sinai Medical Center*†
212-824-7729
Multiple locations

New York-Presbyterian Hospital*†
917-923-9558
180 Fort Washington Avenue

* Offers free services for uninsured patients.

✝ Offers enrollment into the Hepatitis C Patient Assistance Program.

Free Walk-In Testing Sites

African Services Committee
212-222-3882
429 West 127th Street, Second Floor

AIDS Service Center of NYC
212-645-0875
64 West 35th Street, Third Floor

FROSTD at Harlem United
212-924-3733
290 Lenox Avenue, Lower Level

Latino Commission on AIDS — Oasis Office
212-675-3288
330 Seventh Avenue, Suite 2002

Lower East Side Harm Reduction Center (LESHRC)
212-226-6333
25 Allen Street

New York Harm Reduction Educators (NYHRE) — Harlem
212-828-8464
104-106 East 126th Street, Suite 1A

Positive Health Project
212-465-8304
301 West 37th Street, #3

Safe Horizon — Streetwork Harlem
212-695-2220
209 West 125th Street

Washington Heights Corner Project†
212-923-7600
566 West 181st Street, Second Floor (ring bell)

Queens

Queens

Addabbo Family Health Center
718-945-7150
Multiple locations

Brightpoint Health — Sutphin Health Center*
855-681-8700 x3474 or 3476
hepc@brightpointhealth.org
105-04 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica

Damien Family Care Centers
718-298-5100
Multiple locations

* Offers free services for uninsured patients.

Free Walk-In Testing Sites

AIDS Center of Queens County (ACQC) — Jamaica
718-896-2500
161-21 Jamaica Avenue, Sixth Floor, Jamaica

Staten Island

Brightpoint Health — Bay Street Health Center
855-681-8700 x3474/x3476
hepc@brightpointhealth.org
57 Bay Street

Free Walk-In Testing Sites

Community Health Action of Staten Island (CHASI)
718-808-1840
2134 Richmond Terrace

Prevention and Care

Prevention

There is no vaccine to prevent hepatitis C. The virus can live outside of the body for weeks, so avoid contact with any item that may have been exposed to blood. The best ways to avoid getting or passing along hepatitis C are to:

Never share drug use equipment, such as needles or syringes. If you snort or inject drugs, only use new, sterile equipment, or equipment that only you have used. If you are using drugs with other people, mark your equipment so that you can keep track of it. Find syringe exchange programs in the city using our NYC Health Map. Learn more about the City’s drug use services that can help you stay safe.

Have protected sex if you don’t know if your partner has hepatitis C. Find free NYC condoms.

Do not share personal care items that could have blood on them, such as razors, clippers or toothbrushes.

Clean blood spills immediately with one part bleach and nine parts water.

It is especially important to get tested for hepatitis C if:

You have ever injected drugs, even once

You have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS

You were born between 1945 and 1965

You received a blood transfusion or organ transplant before July 1992

Learn more about how hepatitis C can spread (PDF) [Español].

Find out where to get sterile drug use equipment at a syringe service program near you (PDF).

Living with Hepatitis C

If you have hepatitis C:

Get into care with a doctor who is experienced in managing and treating hepatitis C, even if you do not feel sick.

Consult with your doctor before taking vitamins, supplements, home remedies or over-the-counter drugs. Some of those treatments can harm your liver.

Avoid alcohol.

Eat a healthy diet and maintain a healthy body weight.

Get vaccinated for hepatitis A and hepatitis B. Visit an NYC Health walk-in immunization clinic, or search the NYC Health Map for facilities near you.

Avoid passing hepatitis C to others by making sure no one else comes in contact with your blood.

Living with hepatitis C can be confusing and stressful. There are several hepatitis support groups in the city that can put you in contact with other people who have hepatitis C.

Treatment

The great news is that almost all people with hepatitis C can be treated and cured in less than three months by taking pills. After you have been cured of hepatitis C, there is no more virus in the blood and liver damage will stop and even reverse in some cases. After you have been treated and cured of hepatitis C, you can no longer infect other people.

If you have hepatitis C, talk to your doctor or find a hepatitis C treatment location near you.

Additional Resources

Hepatitis C and Your Liver (PDF)

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Reduce Your Risk of Overdose, Hep C & HIV (PDF)
Other Languages: Español | Русский |

Alcohol and Hepatitis (PDF)

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Hepatitis C: Get Checked, Get Cured Palm Card (PDF)

Hepatitis C Posters:

Hepatitis C: Get Checked (PDF)
Other Languages: Español

Hepatitis C: Get Cured (PDF)
Other Languages: Español

Watch Hepatitis C — Get Tested, Get Cured

American Liver Foundation

Plan to Eliminate Viral Hepatitis as a Major Public Health Threat in New York City by 2030 (PDF)

Hep Free NYC: A community network for preventing, managing and treating hepatitis B and C

Subscribe to Hep Free NYC's monthly e-newsletter to learn about local events, resources and news

More Information

Hepatitis Main Page

Drug Use Services

NYC Condoms