Everything you need to know about hepatitis is here.
Both hepatitis B and hepatitis C are a blood borne virus but there are some big differences between the two.
Here is a table, which shows the difference between hepatitis B and hepatitis C:
Hepatitis B | Hepatitis C | |
Is it a blood borne virus? | Yes | Yes |
What other names does it have? | HBV | HCV |
Are there symptoms? | Sometimes | Sometimes |
Is a Sexually Transmissible Infection (STI)? | Yes, hepatitis B is spread through sexual fluids | No, hepatitis C is not spread through sexual fluids. However, it may be spread through sex if there is blood to blood contact |
Is there a vaccine? | Yes, there is a vaccine for hepatitis B to give immunity to most people | No, there is no vaccine available for hepatitis C |
What is the progression of liver damage like? | The progression of liver damage can happen very quickly | The progression of liver damage is usually over decades |
Is there a cure? | There is no cure for hepatitis B but there is a treatment for hepatitis B that will prevent liver damage | Hepatitis C drugs/medicines will cure most people |
Can it be transmitted from mother to baby? | Yes, transmission from mother to baby is very common. | Unlikely |
Can you get it more than once? | No | Re-infection of hepatitis C can occur after cure if an individual is exposed to the hepatitis C virus again |