There is no vaccination against HCV. Liver failure due to HCV is becoming a leading cause of death
in people with HIV. Studies have shown that HIV worsens HCV infection.
People co-infected with HIV and HCV are about twenty times as likely to
experience liver failure as individuals infected with HCV alone.
The Others
There are also hepatitis D, E, F and G strains. Hepatitis G is worth a
few words because it's a milder relative of HCV. The 'GB virus C', GBV-C,
of HGV was identified in the mid-1990s. It doesn't appear to cause liver
disease. Studies in the USA showed that people with HIV co-infected with
HGV survived longer and HIV replication was actually inhibited by the
presence of HGV, meaning that patients had a significantly slower progression
to Aids. Discoveries in this area continue.
Blood tests for hepatitis
If your doctor thinks you have hepatitis, blood will be taken to confirm
this. People newly diagnosed with HIV should be routinely screened for
hepatitis and vaccinated against Hep A and HBV (available from sexual
health clinics, specialist drug treatment agencies, as well as GP surgeries).
Damage caused by hepatitis infection causes scarring of the liver which
can then lead to cirrhosis. Cirrhosis of the liver takes years to develop.
Symptoms can last for weeks or months and may vary in their severity.
page 5 of 5
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