Hepatitis C risk factors

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Yazan Daaboul, Serge Korjian;Javaria Anwer M.D.[2]

Overview[edit | edit source]

The most potent risk factor in the development of hepatitis C is intravenous drug use. Other risk factors include occupational exposure to blood, sexual intercourse with infected individuals, multiple bloods transfusions prior to 1992, and HIV infection.

Risk Factors[edit | edit source]

Percutaneous exposure to blood is the primary mode of HCV transmission. The following are the most important risk factors for HCV infection:^[1][2]:

• Individuals are majorly infected via percutaneous exposure to infected blood. Most persons with HCV were infected.
• Injecting drug use is the most important risk factors nowadays
• Transfusion of blood and blood products, especially before 1992
• Unsafe therapeutic injections, especially in hemophilia patients prior to 1987

Other, less important risk factors include:^[1][2]

• Hemodialysis (Higher rates of infection are observed)
• Solid organ transplantation from infected donors
• Occupational exposure to blood, such as contaminated needle sticks
• Birth to infected mother in cases of detectable maternal HCV PCR at delivery (at the rate of 4%–5%). Breastfeeding is not associated with the transmission.
• Sexual intercourse with infected partner
• Sexual intercourse with multiple partners
• HIV infection
• Tattoo or piercing with infected needle sticks (low risk for transmission after strict infection control measures)

References[edit | edit source]