Viral hepatitis is most commonly spread through contact with infected blood, stool or other bodily fluids. Because of this, any activity that involves contact with these substances – such as sexual intercourse, intravenous drug use, or poor personal hygiene – increases the risk of contracting viral hepatitis. Certain groups are at a higher risk of infection, including:

• People who live in or travel to areas that are experiencing an outbreak of hepatitis
  
  
• Men who have sex with men, especially during an outbreak
  
  
• People who have close contact or sexual relations with someone who is infected
  
  
• Children who were born to infected mothers

In addition, because hepatitis C in particular has been shown to increase the risk for infection with hepatitis B and HIV, people who are in certain high-risk groups should undergo testing for hepatitis C. These groups include:

• Intravenous drug users
  
  
• Kidney patients who are on hemodialysis
  
  
• Patients who received a blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1992
  
  
• Patients who received blood clotting factors made before 1987
  
  
• People with certain types of liver problems
  
  
• Healthcare and public health safety workers with needle stick or exposure to HCV positive blood
  
  
• People with multiple sex partners
  
  
• Children aged 12 to 18 months born to a mother who is HCV positive