Hepatitis B and C: Common Myths and What Guidelines Say
Hepatitis B and C: what people commonly get wrong, set against what published UK guidance says.
Hepatitis C is now curable in most people with a short course of tablets, and many of those infected do not know they have it.
Key takeaways
- Hepatitis C: curable in the great majority with direct-acting antivirals
- Hepatitis B: treatable and suppressible; vaccine-preventable
- Most useful single change: Get tested if you have any risk factor, however historic.
- Commonest mistake: Assuming no symptoms means no infection.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
What the guidance actually says
These are the numbers the corrections below are measured against.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Hepatitis C | curable in the great majority with direct-acting antivirals |
| Hepatitis B | treatable and suppressible; vaccine-preventable |
| Testing | a simple blood test, available free |
| Transmission | blood contact, including historic transfusions and shared equipment |
| Vaccination | available for hepatitis A and B, not C |
Where people go wrong
Each of these is popular. None of it matches the guidance.
- Assuming no symptoms means no infection
- Sharing razors, toothbrushes or injecting equipment
- Declining testing because exposure was decades ago
What to do instead
- Get tested if you have any risk factor, however historic
- Have hepatitis A and B vaccination if you have liver disease
- Complete antiviral treatment as prescribed
- Tell household and sexual contacts so they can be tested
The part that is genuinely uncertain
Guidance changes, and it changes because evidence does. The figures above reflect current UK guidance from the bodies named at the foot of this page; where those bodies revise their position, theirs is the account to follow rather than this one.
Where to go next
- Hepatitis B and C: What the Evidence Actually Says
- Understanding Hepatitis B and C: A Plain-English Explainer
- Hepatitis B and C — the reference entry
- What the Guidance Really Says About Cirrhosis
- The Evidence on Jaundice, Without the Hype
When to speak to a doctor
Seek urgent help for yellowing of the skin or eyes, vomiting blood, black tarry stools, abdominal swelling or confusion. See a GP for testing if you have ever injected drugs, had a blood transfusion before 1991 in the UK, had medical or dental care abroad, or have tattoos or piercings from an unregulated setting.
Where this comes from
- NICE — Hepatitis B and C testing
- British Liver Trust — viral hepatitis
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.
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