Introduction
Hepatitis C is an inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus. Hepatitis C is mainly transmitted via blood. It is important that the blood of a person with hepatitis C enters the bloodstream of another person. Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to vaccinate against Hepatitis C, as no effective vaccine has been developed yet.
Which transmission paths are there?
Hepatitis C can be transmitted whenever blood from one infected person enters the bloodstream of another. In the past, those affected were often infected by blood bags. At that time, the disease had not been researched, so it was neither known nor could be tested for.
Nowadays, hepatitis C is rarely transmitted via blood bags in countries with high standards of hygiene. Other ways to get infected are tattooing or piercing, for example, if the needle used has not been cleaned sufficiently before. Drug use also increases the risk of infection.
Especially when several people use the same injection equipment, transmission is likely. Risky sexual practices that cause minor injuries can also be the cause of hepatitis C infection. In contrast, hepatitis C cannot be transmitted in normal social interaction with other people. Shaking hands or the sharing of premises such as the bathroom and kitchen do not lead to transmission. Even insects cannot transmit the disease from one person to another through a bite.
Sexual transmission path
For hepatitis C to be transmitted from one person to another, blood from the infected person(s) must enter the bloodstream of the other person. This is unlikely to happen during normal sexual intercourse, as small wounds are needed for transmission. On the other hand, practicing risky sexual preferences significantly increases the risk, as small wounds are more likely to occur.
Anal sex is also one of the more risky practices. Infection with hepatitis C usually occurs when small bleedings occur during unprotected sexual intercourse. Frequent changes of partners also increase the risk of hepatitis C infection.
This is mainly because the probability of sexual contact with an infected person increases. Statistics show that about 5% of hepatitis C infected persons have become infected through sexual intercourse. Of these, transmission occurred in 2% of those affected through heterosexual sexual intercourse.
In 3%, transmission occurred during homosexual intercourse. In the case of infection through homosexual sexual intercourse, men are mainly affected. The probability of transmission of hepatitis C during sexual intercourse is low, but should not be neglected.
In sexual contact without high-risk sexual practices, transmission does not usually occur. For infection to occur, the previously uninfected person must have blood contact with an infected person. This can happen especially during risky sexual practices.
In such cases, the use of a condom is usually sufficient as a protective measure. To be infected, an infected and a non-infected person must have blood contact. Therefore, a condom is the most suitable means of preventing sexual transmission of hepatitis C. In addition, the risk of becoming infected with hepatitis C increases with the number of partners with whom someone has sexual contact. The group most frequently affected by sexual transmission of hepatitis C are men who have homosexual intercourse with changing partners. Therefore, another preventive measure would be the careful choice of a steady sexual partner.
