What You Need to Know about Hepatitis C

If You Use Drugs, Here's What You Need to Know

The healthiest choice is to stop using. Drug use is linked to many health problems, and you need to keep your body as healthy as possible. Also, you don't always know what you are getting when you buy street drugs. They may be cut with substances that can hurt your liver. If you can't quit, reduce your drug use as much as you can.

Injecting drugs puts you at risk for hepatitis C, HIV, and other infections. If you are going to inject drugs, do it as safely as you can:

  • 1) Use a new needle and syringe every time.
    • In New York State, through ESAP (Expanded Syringe Access Demonstration Program), you can buy up to 10 new, clean syringes at many drugstores. You do not need a prescription. You can also trade used syringes for new syringes at a syringe exchange program. To find a syringe exchange program or a drugstore that sells syringes without a prescription, call:
      • 1-800-541-AIDS (English)
      • 1-800-233-SIDA (Spanish)
      • 1-800-369-AIDS (Deaf/TDD)
  • 2) Don't share needles or works - including cookers (spoons, bottlecaps), cotton, ties, and water.
    • You might think that if you don't share needles and syringes, you are not at risk. But you can also get hepatitis C, HIV, and other infections from tiny traces of blood in water, cotton, cookers (spoons, bottlecaps, etc.), or anything else you share when you shoot up.
  • 3) If you have to re-use a needle and syringe, first clean it with bleach and water.
    • These steps may help reduce your hepatitis C risk, but injecting drugs is never safe. To clean a needle and syringe:
      • Wash your hands and try to clean your works in a space that is separate from others.
      • Fill the syringe half full with clean water; pull back on the plunger. Shake the syringe and squirt the water through the needle. Repeat 2 times with new water, or until all the blood is gone.
      • Fill the syringe with full strength bleach. Shake. Squirt the bleach out through the needle. Repeat.
      • Rinse the syringe 3 more times with clean water.
      • Do not re-use water or bleach. Be sure to keep the rinse water apart from water used to prepare drugs.

Hepatitis C treatment for drug users

If you use drugs, you can still be treated for hepatitis C. However, you should think about whether your drug use will cause problems in your treatment, like missing doctor's appointments or doses of medicine. Your doctor, counselor, or case manager can help you decide whether hepatitis C treatment is a good option for you right now.

Alcohol & the liver

Alcohol is very hard on your liver. If you have hepatitis C, alcohol could make your hepatitis get worse, and get worse faster. If you drink while in treatment for hepatitis C, the treatment may not work as well for you. The less you drink, the better. Quit if you can.