Treatment
Who should have the HCV test?
People who have had blood transfusions or blood products before February 1990 People who have ever injected drugs (including steroids) People who have tattoos People with body piercing People who have ever had a needle-stick injury People with abnormal liver function tests or who are experiencing hepatitis C like symptoms but have no apparent cause Health care workers who perform exposure prone procedures.
What therapies exist for treating hepatitis C?
The best course of treatment currently available involves a combination of two drugs: pegylated interferon and ribavirin.
Using combination therapy involves injecting interferon subcutaneously (under the skin) once a week for either six or 12 months, and taking ribavirin capsules/tablets daily. The course of treatment must be continuous and the length of treatment depends on your genotype (or strain of the virus) and early response to the treatment.
To receive pegylated interferon and ribavirin combination therapy under the government subsidised scheme (S100) you need to meet the following criteria:
- a positive hepatitis C antibody test;
- active hepatitis C (tested with PCR);
- not be pregnant or breastfeeding, or for men-your partner must not become pregnant while you are on treatment and 6 months after treatment has ceased;
- and use contraception, with both partners taking precautions to prevent pregnancy
People who inject drugs and/or use methadone, and people co-infected with HIV are eligible for S100 combination therapy. You cannot be refused treatment because you continue to inject drugs.
If you have any questions that you would like to discuss don't hesitate to contact NTAHC and speak to one of our workers.