Hepatitis

Hepatitis is a medical term that means "inflamed liver". The hepatitis viruses live in blood and other cells. All the hepatitis viruses can cause damage and swelling of the liver.
Many members of the hepatitis family have been identified and named with letters of the alphabet.

The two main types transmitted by injecting drugs are hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Both can be carried (and passed on) for years without the person being aware that they have the virus.

In the UK about 4 in 10 injectors have hepatitis C.

The symptoms of liver disease caused by hepatitis include:

• Depression
• Exhaustion
• Loss of appetite

There is a vaccination that can stop you catching hepatitis B. It is a free course of 3 or more injections over 3 or 6 months and your GP, drug service or GUM (genito-urinary medicine) service should be able to give it to you.

If you are an injecting drug user you should get vaccinated against hepatitis B: it is worth it because hepatitis B is a highly infectious, serious disease.

There is no vaccination that can protect you against hepatitis C or HIV, so even if you are immune to hepatitis B you still have to protect yourself from hepatitis C and HIV.

There is more than one kind of hepatitis C so even if you have the virus you should avoid sharing in case you catch another strain.

The source of the above information is the Exchange Supplies. This information has been summarized by and for FARS services. For the direct link to this source, click on: www.exchangesupplies.org/drug_information/the_handbooks/the_safer_injecting_handbook