Prevention
Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent hepatitis C infection, but people can take precautions to protect themselves against becoming infected with hepatitis C virus and to prevent passing on the virus to others. The CDC recommends these steps:
- Not sharing personal care items that might have blood on them, such as razors or toothbrushes
- Avoiding injected drugs or, for drug users, entering a treatment program
- For drug users, never sharing needles, syringes, water, or "works" (equipment for intravenous drug use) and getting vaccinated against hepatitis A and hepatitis B
- Considering the risks of getting tattoos or body piercings
- Infection is possible if the tools have someone else's blood on them or if the artist or piercer does not follow good health practices.
- For those with hepatitis C, refraining from donating blood, organs, or tissue