WashU Medicine Jul 11 2025 As the opioid epidemic has worsened in the United States, prevalence of hepatitis C has also increased. Hepatitis C is a bloodborne virus that damages the liver. It is mainly spread through sharing needles or other injection equipment and can also be passed from a mother to baby during pregnancy or childbirth. It can be safely and effectively treated by direct-acting antiviral therapies that are approved for both adults and children. Two recent studies from