Hepatitis C is an infection caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). There are several types of hepatitis viruses, including hepatitis A, B, D, and E. Of the hepatitis viruses, hepatitis C is the most serious. Hepatitis C can be chronic and cause severe liver damage.
Hepatitis C spreads through contact with infected blood. Specific individuals may have a higher risk of infection. Healthcare workers exposed to blood and drug users may have a higher risk of infection. Getting a tattoo or piercing with unsterilized equipment also increases disease risk.
Hepatitis C affects both men and women. The symptoms and complications of hepatitis C are the same for men and women, but the virus can affect women differently.
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What Are the Symptoms of Hepatitis C in Women?
Many women don’t have symptoms until the disease is in a later stage. In the earliest stage, women who have signs of the disease may brush off symptoms or attribute them to other factors, such as depression or menopause.
Early symptoms of hepatitis C in women can include:
- fatigue
- abdominal pain
- muscle and joint pain
- decreased appetite
Some hepatitis C infections clear or improve on their own without treatment within a few months.
Hepatitis C can also be chronic, meaning the infection doesn’t clear on its own but instead progresses and damages the liver. Symptoms of chronic hepatitis and liver damage include:
- Bruising or bleeding
- Itchy skin
- Swollen legs
- Unexplained weight loss
- Spider veins
- Confusion
Hepatitis C can progress more slowly in women. Some women experience rapid progression of the disease and liver damage after menopause.
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How Do Women Get Hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C spreads from person to person through contact with infected blood. If you work in an industry where you might come in contact with blood, there’s an increased risk of exposure. These personal care industries include:
- Manicurists
- Facialists
- Housekeepers
- Nurses
To protect yourself:
- Avoid contact with cuts or open sores on patients and clients.
- Wear disposable latex or non-latex gloves and sterilize equipment after each use
- Wear gloves to avoid contact with blood
Hepatitis C can also be spread to a sexual partner.
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Many women with the virus can have a healthy baby. However, there is a small risk of the virus being transmitted to a baby during pregnancy. If you have hepatitis C and give birth, your baby will be tested for the virus at around 18 months.
How is Hepatitis C Diagnosed?
Some women are unaware of the infection until a doctor discovers high liver enzymes on a liver function blood test. A high number of liver enzymes can suggest liver inflammation.
Enzymes help the liver function, but they can leak into the bloodstream and damage liver cells.
If testing confirms hepatitis C, your doctor may also test your viral load, which shows the amount of the virus in your blood. You may have a liver biopsy to determine the severity of the disease.
Your doctor may not suspect hepatitis C if your liver enzymes are within a normal range, and as a result, may never recommend further testing.
If your liver function test is standard, but your enzyme levels are close to the cut-off number, ask your doctor to check for hepatitis C.
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What Are the Complications of Hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C can be a long-term, progressive disease. It can eventually lead to cirrhosis or scarring of the liver tissue. Some people with hepatitis C also develop liver cancer.
A liver transplant may be necessary if the virus damages your liver. Even with a new liver, you’ll have to take antiviral medication to avoid infecting the new organ.
