HCV Care

The STAR Health Center has provided specialized hepatitis C virus (HCV) care from doctors, counselors, and peer educators for nearly 15 years. HCV is one of the biggest health problems in Brooklyn, and left untreated, HCV can cause serious liver damage, including liver cancer. If you have or think you may have HCV we can help. For an appointment, call 718.270.3745. Onsite HCV services include:

HCV screening
Comprehensive HCV medical care by physician with specific expertise in HCV post-treatment evaluation and management
Mental health services
Substance use treatment and referrals

Who Is at Risk for Hepatitis C?

Some people are at increased risk for Hepatitis C, including

Anyone born between 1945 and 1965
Current injection drug users (currently the most common way Hepatitis C virus is spread in the United States)
Past injection drug users, including those who injected only one time or many years ago
Recipients of donated blood, blood products, and organs (once a common means of transmission but now rare in the United States since blood screening became available in 1992)
People who received a blood product for clotting problems made before 1987
Hemodialysis patients or persons who spent many years on dialysis for kidney failure
People who received body piercing or tattoos done with non-sterile instruments
People with known exposures to the Hepatitis C virus, such as
- Health care workers injured by needlesticks
- Recipients of blood or organs from a donor who tested positive for the Hepatitis C virus
HIV-infected persons
Children born to mothers infected with the Hepatitis C virus

New Treatments for HCV

Treatment is a joint decision between you and your doctor. In 2011 new therapies with fewer side effects were FDA approved, so even if you received treatment before and had problems with the medication your were given, you should see an HCV specialist and see if there are new medications you can take. A thorough evaluation is necessary to determine what treatment is best for you.