(619) 515-2300

HCV Overview

Hepatitis C is a liver infection that can cause serious illness when left untreated, such as cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer. However, it is curable and early treatment could save your life. Hepatitis C is spread through contact with infected blood, which can happen through:

Sharing needles
From parent to child at birth
Health care exposures
Sexual activity
Tattoos or body piercings in unsanitary conditions

When you have hepatitis C, you might not feel sick until it’s serious, so it’s important to get tested. The CDC recommends hepatitis C tests for all adults at least once and during every pregnancy. Some people, like those who inject drugs, should get tested every six months.

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HCV Testing & Treatment

Because new hepatitis C infections usually have no symptoms, few people are diagnosed when the infection is recent. Some people will later develop chronic hepatitis C, which can cause serious liver damage.

However, early diagnosis can prevent serious illness and save lives, so it’s important to get tested even if you don’t have symptoms. More than 90% of people hepatitis C can be cured with eight to 12 weeks of an oral antiviral pill. This treatment will help keep you and your liver healthy.

For testing and treatment:

Central San Diego: (619) 906-4660

South Bay: (619) 662-4161

North County: (760) 631-5000 ext. 7000

Harm Reduction

Although drug use can have negative consequences, you may not have the resources or desire to stop using. However, you can still help reduce the negative consequences through harm reduction techniques. Some techniques include:

Syringe Services

Safer Drug Use Kits

Medication Assisted Treatment

Fentanyl Testing

Syringe Services

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In San Diego, Safepoint San Diego offers one-for-one needle exchange and provides comprehensive services to help people who inject drugs reduce their risk of HIV and hepatitis transmission through a mobile unit. This program not only helps improve the health and well-being of people who inject drugs, it helps keep used syringes off the streets. If a client decides they would like to seek treatment, the program is also able to offer referrals to treatment and detoxification services.

In addition to providing new, sterile syringes, the syringe service program delivers safer drug use and wound care education.

The syringe services mobile unit can be found at:

Downtown
Imperial Avenue & 16th Street
Tuesdays & Thursdays
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

North Park
North Park Way & 31st Street
Fridays
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

For more information, call or text
(619) 380-0678.

Harm reduction services, including mobile delivery services, are also available through HRCSD On Point.

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For testing and treatment, call (619) 906-4660.

Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)

For people who want to stop using, there are many treatment options. However, the most effective combine prescription medication with counseling and behavioral therapies. Medication assisted treatment (MAT) helps to reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings. The MAT program includes:

Buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone) or naltrexone (Vivitrol)
Primary care services
Individual substance use disorder counseling
Mental and behavioral health therapies
Support groups

Many people starting MAT are familiar with Methadone clinics and may expect a similar process, but there are a number of differences between the two treatment options. In a Methadone clinic, patients may wait in line daily to receive medication in the clinic, and there is a greater risk of misuse.

With MAT, the medication is typically prescribed weekly. Patients do not need to take the medication in the clinic, and when they come to the clinic for the prescription, they can either join an evening support group or visit the clinic during normal hours with the same privacy and confidentiality as other primary care patients. In addition to the medication, patients receive regular counseling.

Fentanyl

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin, and it is a major contributor to overdoses. Fentanyl is frequently added to other drugs to make them cheaper, more powerful, more addictive and more dangerous. Powdered fentanyl looks just like many other drugs, so many people are not aware when other drugs contain fentanyl.

Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. You can help prevent overdose by testing drugs for fentanyl with inexpensive test strips. Results are available within five minutes and could save a life.

For testing and treatment,
call (619) 906-4660.

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Overdose Prevention

You can help prevent overdose deaths by knowing the signs of overdose, which include:

Extremely small pupils
Falling asleep or losing consciousness after taking opioids
Slow, weak or no breathing
Choking or gurgling sounds
Limp body
Cold or clammy skin
Discolored skin

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If you think someone is overdosing, you should:

Call 911 immediately. In California, if you call 911 for someone experiencing an overdose, neither you nor the person overdosing can be charged with a crime for possessing a controlled substance or for being under the influence.
Administer naloxone, if available.
Try to keep the person awake and breathing.
Lay the person on their side to prevent choking.
Stay with the person until emergency assistance arrives.

Click here to find free naloxone.

Naloxone

Naloxone, also called Narcan, is a lifesaving medication that can reverse an overdose from opioids, including heroin, fentanyl and prescription medications. Naloxone blocks the effects of opioids and can restore normal breathing within three minutes, even in people who have recently stopped breathing due to overdose. Anyone can carry and administer naloxone, even without medical training, and it can be purchased over-the-counter at most major pharmacies.

Another person was present at nearly 40% of all overdose deaths. Death could have been avoided if the other person present had administered naloxone. Naloxone can be administered two ways:

Nasal Spray

Many naloxone nasal sprays require no assembly. You only need to insert the nozzle into the persona’s nostril then press the plunger.

For nasal sprays with assembly, there are 6 steps:

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Auto-Injector

The naloxone auto-injector needs no assembly and is similar to an epi-pen. With the auto-injector, you can inject the naloxone into the outer thigh, even through clothing.