CHECK Berlin #4

HEALTH
HOW CAN YOU TREAT HEPATITIS C?
Drug treatment is difficult and not always
successful, even with the latest generation
of drugs. Healing a hepatitis C disease is a
difficult thing due to the high versatility of
the virus. A vaccination is therefore hardly
possible, similar to HIV.
Nevertheless, going to the doctor is immensely
important, because without treatment,
hepatitis C disease can heal on its own in
individual cases, but then flares up again and
again. And long-term damage to the liver
can be fatal. Not to mention, the virus can be
passed on to other people around you. So the
focus is on avoiding infection, although this is
easier said than done.
HYGIENE IS THE TOP PRIORITY
The hepatitis C virus is highly infectious and
can survive on surfaces for up to 72 hours.
The infection can take place anytime and
anywhere. Likewise, a successfully treated
infection does not protect against reinfection
and the infected person can still pass the
virus on during drug therapy.
Even after successfully treating Hepatitis C,
you shouldn‘t feel a false sense of security.
As we are just experiencing in our everyday
life due to the COVID-19 recommendations,
the magic word here is also: hygiene.
Until about 30 years ago, almost all hepatitis
C patients got infected by contaminated
blood transfusions, because blood is the
preferred medium for the virus. Today, there
are reliable tests that must be carried out
before any blood transfusion. As a result, the
infection process has shifted. Today the risk
of transmission through blood transfusion is
less than 1:100,000.
B
HEPATITIS C AND DRUG USE
Most new infections have occurred as a
result of intravenous drug use. Multiple use
or sharing of needles or syringes might save
the user a small amount of money, but it also
increases the risk of infection. In laboratory
tests, both needles (outside and inside) and
container chambers (inside) were still contaminated
with the resistant virus after weeks,
C
depending on the outside temperature and
the type of syringe. The danger does not only
exist when using it directly in a group, but
also when reusing supplies that have already
been used.
Drug consumption through the nose can also
involve risks. Constant irritation of the nasal
mucous membrane, such as sniffing cocaine
or speed, can lead to micro-injuries, which
serve as a gateway for the virus. When doing
coke, the straw should not be shared.
TATTOOS, PIERCING AND SEX WITH
FREQUENTLY CHANGING PARTNERS
As a customer in tattoo and piercing studios,
you should pay close attention to whether
the hygiene regulations are adhered to and
all tools are adequately disinfected. The
second most common mode of transmission
is unprotected sex. Statistically, homosexual
men with frequently changing partners make
up the risk group. Due to the long survival
time of the virus on surfaces, sufficient hygiene
must also be ensured in clubs or when
sharing sex toys.
Pre-existing illnesses such as cancer or an
HIV infection increase the likelihood of longterm
effects such as the development of
cirrhosis or carcinoma.
DIAGNOSIS AND REPORTING TO THE
HEALTH DEPARTMENT
An infection with hepatitis C can be detected
by a blood test, which you can do anonymously
carried out by a doctor you trust or in most
contact points (AIDS help centers, checkpoints,
drug emergency service). However, the
test is only reliable six weeks after a possible
infection. Anyone who belongs to a risk group
should therefore get tested regularly.
If the test is positive, the result must be reported
to the responsible health department
in accordance with the Infection Protection
Act. If the patient has examinations or treatments
carried out during this time that have
nothing to do with the hepatitis, but in which
the practitioner comes into contact with
the patient‘s body fluids, the patient should
inform him about his illness.
CHECK | AUSGABE 4
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