Hepatitis is a treatment and is part of specialism hiv care

What is hepatitis?

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis can be caused by medicines, drugs and alcohol or a virus. Hepatitis A, B and C are the most familiar forms, but new viruses are still being discovered that can cause inflammation of the liver.


  • Hepatitis A: There is no treatment for hepatitis A, you just have to let it run its natural course. Once you have had hepatitis A, you are protected from it for the rest of your life. You can prevent the infection with two vaccinations.
  • Hepatitis B: Once you have had hepatitis B and recovered from it (cleared it from your system), you are protected from it for the rest of your life. If you do not clear the hepatitis B from your system, then you have a chronic hepatitis B infection. This will have to be treated your whole life long. You can be vaccinated and thus protected in that way.
  • Hepatitis C: A hepatitis C infection can sometimes be cleared spontaneously from your system. If that does not happen, then the acute inflammation turns into a chronic inflammation. This has to be treated during a period lasting 8 to 20 weeks. After the treatment and cure, you can be infected again. There is no vaccine to protect you.


Catching hepatitis

The hepatitis virus is extremely contagious. Hepatitis A can be transmitted by:


  • unsafe sex
  • bad hygiene (food or water contaminated with faeces)


Both hepatitis B and C can be transmitted by:


  • unsafe sex (oral sex, anal sex, vaginal sex)
  • sharing injection needles and straws
  • shared use of toothbrushes and razors
  • mucous membranes, sperm and blood

Treatment

Hepatitis A

You just have to let this disease run its natural course, there is no treatment for it.

Hepatitis B

Only a chronic infection has to be treated. Depending on the test outcomes and results of examination, a treatment plan is prepared. The treatment mostly involves tablets.

Acute hepatitis C

We strive to start medication quickly in case of an acute hepatitis C infection. The treatment team waits several weeks to see if the body can clear the infection itself; if not, then treatment is started in consultation with the patient.

The treatment lasts eight to twelve weeks and consists of tablets. Blood testing is done twelve weeks after the treatment to determine whether the virus is no longer evident. Only then are you officially ‘cured’.

Chronic hepatitis C

The duration of the treatment depends partly on the extent of fibrosis (scars in the liver) and ranges from 8 to 20 weeks of medication use. The chance of a cure is almost 100%.