Hepatitis C

Modes of Transmission

Hepatitis C is found in blood, and can be spread by:

• Sharing injection drug equipment
• Blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1992
• Receiving clotting factor concentrates before 1987
• An infected mother to her infant during delivery
• Occupational exposure through needle stick
• Sexual contact (rarely)

There have been no studies that have shown an association with military service or exposure resulting from the following: medical, surgical, or dental procedures; tattooing; acupuncture; ear piercing; or foreign travel. If transmission from such exposure does occur, it is too infrequent to detect.