WHAT IS HEP C?
Could you be one of the thousands of
HEPATITIS MEANS INFLAMMATION OF THE LIVER
When the liver is inflamed or damaged, its function can be affected. The liver performs many vital functions, including removal of waste products, controlling bleeding, digesting food and storing energy.
Hepatitis C (hep C) is inflammation of the liver that results from infection with the hep C virus.
Hep C can be spread through blood-to-blood contact. This is when blood from a person with hep C comes into contact with another person’s blood.
THE LONGER YOU LIVE WITH HEP C, THE MORE LIKELY YOU WILL HAVE SOME SORT OF LIVER DAMAGE.
If left untreated, chronic hep C is a serious disease that can result in long-term health problems, including liver damage, liver failure and liver cancer.
WHO IS AT RISK OF HEPATITIS C?
Infection can occur if you’ve been tattooed or had a body piercing with equipment that has not been sterilised, if you had a blood transfusion in New Zealand before 1992 or, if you’ve shared needles for injecting drugs – even once. However, hep C can be transmitted in many other ways too and it’s common for people not to notice any symptoms.
Many people with hep C do not have symptoms and therefore don’t know they are infected. If symptoms occur, they may be non-specific and can include feeling tired, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, not wanting to eat, joint pain, fever, jaundice (yellow colour in the skin or eyes) and depression. Because most people who live with hep C have no symptoms and are not aware that they are infected, over many years the virus can cause damage to the liver which can lead to serious health problems.
The only way to know if you have hep C is to get tested.
YOU CAN GET A FREE HEPATITIS C TEST
- There are many places you can get tested including GPs, pharmacies, kaupapa Māori health providers, needle exchanges, mobile services and pop-up clinics. Visit the Stick it to hep C website to find testing locations in your area.
- It usually involves a finger prick antibody test that gives results in minutes. If this test is positive, a second blood test (hep C virus RNA test) will determine if you have a current infection requiring treatment.
A hep C test can be arranged during a regular visit with a healthcare professional or at a specialized clinic. The initial test only shows if you've been exposed to the virus at some point, not necessarily if you currently have hep C. It's important to follow up with your healthcare professional about these tests.
For more information about testing options, and a risk and symptom checklist visit AbbVie's hep C information website.
THE GOOD NEWS
HEPATITIS C IS CURABLE*
98% of people who take MAVIRET† as directed and who are new to treatment can expect to be cured* of their hepatitis C (hep C), meaning that the hep C virus has been cleared from the body.
†MAVIRET is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and adolescents 12 years and older with chronic (long-lasting) hepatitis C virus.
*Cure means the hep C virus is not found in the blood 3 months after treatment ends.
USEFUL RESOURCES
AbbVie’s sponsored hepatitis C information site
» hepCinfo.co.nz
Hepatitis Foundation
of New Zealand
» hepatitisfoundation.org.nz
Health NZ
Te Whatu Ora
» stickittohepc.co.nz
Community Alcohol and Drug Services Auckland
» cads.org.nz
New Zealand Needle Exchange Programme
» nznep.org.nz
If you have any questions about MAVIRET or hep C, talk to your healthcare professional.
NZ-MAVI-180025. TAPS BG5140. June 2025.