Hepatitis C is the infection of the liver that is more common than you can imagine. More people contact hepatitis C or any form of hepatitis if they don’t have a vaccine done. If you are just diagnosed with hep C, you will be wondering how you got it.

There are a lot of misconceptions about how people get this disease and how they can stay clear of it. In the meantime, you will also be wondering about how you can keep your loved ones safe from this infection as well. You might be taking epclusa to treat your disease, but you will still have to be extra cautious.

Here is everything you need to know about hepatitis C is spread and how you can save your family and loved ones from it.

What You Should Know?

One thing you should know is that it isn’t an easy virus to spread and catch. As long as you take precautions and the people around you take the right precautions, you can protect everyone around you. If you are not doing anything dangerous, you will be okay to stay with your family. Remember that you cannot spread the virus by kissing, hugging, coughing, sneezing or sharing utensils with the people around you. Having casual contact with your loved ones, sharing food and drinks with them or even insect or mosquito bites don’t spread this virus. Spreading the virus with the people in the same household is less than zero.

So How Does Hep C Spreads?

Here is the deal: hepatitis C is mostly spread through exposure to the blood of an infected person. So only high-risk activities will make you infected or bring danger close to your loved ones. Here are some activities through which hep c is exposed.

Piercing and Tattoo A Tools: if you recently got a tattoo and the needles weren’t sterilized, you might have contracted hep c from there. You might have come in contact with contaminated blood.

Drug Equipment: your drug equipment includes a lot of things. It should be street drugs injections, syringes, tourniquets, needles and even at-home blood sugar monitors. Anything that has even the smallest amount of blood on it can be the breeding ground for hep c virus. Even the straws and pipes you use and share can get another person infected.

Transfusions: getting blood transfusions from an unsterilized and unauthorized place can be a hep c hazard for you. Always choose to get a transfusion from a place that is clean and officially a hospital.

Other things also spread through equipment that is used in bloodletting or cutting rituals. Any medical equipment that is not cleaned properly can get you exposed to the virus. Even sharing hygiene and grooming supplies with each including toothbrushes, razors, nail clippers and or anything that can get your blood on it is a high risk.

Carefully dispose of anything that may have your blood on it. Refrain from having unprotected intercourse as it still has chances of spreading the disease.