For Pamela Anderson, being diagnosed with hepatitis C once felt like a 'death sentence'. The actor and former Baywatch star has previously spoken about how the infection affected her life before she was eventually cured in 2015.

Her experience also highlights how dramatically hepatitis C treatment has changed. Once associated with lengthy and difficult treatment, the infection can now often be cured with a short course of oral medicines.

What Is Hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C is a blood-borne viral infection that primarily affects the liver. It can cause an acute infection initially, but many people develop chronic hepatitis C, which can persist for years without obvious symptoms.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), an estimated 47 million people worldwide are living with chronic hepatitis C, with about 0.9 million new infections occurring each year. The virus was also responsible for approximately 239,000 deaths in 2024, mainly from cirrhosis and liver cancer.

How Does Hepatitis C Spread?

Hepatitis C is transmitted primarily through contact with infected blood. This can happen through sharing needles or syringes, unsafe medical injections or procedures, and transfusions involving unscreened blood.

The virus can also be transmitted through certain sexual practices involving blood exposure, as well as through contaminated equipment used for tattooing or piercing.

Unlike hepatitis B, there is currently no effective vaccine against hepatitis C.

Many People Have No Symptoms

One reason hepatitis C can remain undetected is that symptoms are often absent, particularly during the early stages of infection.

When symptoms do occur, they can include fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, and jaundice, which causes the skin or whites of the eyes to turn yellow.

Without treatment, chronic hepatitis C can gradually damage the liver. WHO estimates that 15% to 30% of people with chronic infection may develop cirrhosis within 20 years.

Hepatitis C Can Now Be Cured

The biggest change in hepatitis C care has been the development of direct-acting antiviral medicines, commonly known as DAAs.

These medicines target the virus itself and can clear hepatitis C from the body in more than 95% of people. Modern treatment is generally taken orally and can last as little as eight to 12 weeks, depending on the treatment regimen and the person's health.

WHO says that the introduction of interferon-free treatments in 2013 and 2014 marked a major breakthrough, making it possible to cure a potentially life-threatening chronic infection with a relatively short course of treatment.

Yet the existence of an effective cure does not mean hepatitis C has disappeared. WHO estimates that only about 20% of people eligible for hepatitis C treatment have received it since 2015, leaving millions without potentially curative care.

Why Testing Matters

Because hepatitis C can remain silent for years, people may not know they are infected until liver damage has developed. Testing can identify the infection before serious complications occur.

Anyone who believes they may have been exposed to infected blood should speak with a healthcare professional about testing. If hepatitis C is detected, effective treatment can prevent further liver damage and, in most cases, eliminate the virus.

Pamela Anderson's experience reflects an important shift in medicine: hepatitis C may once have seemed like a life sentence, but for most people today, it is a curable infection when diagnosed and treated appropriately.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is hepatitis C?
    Hepatitis C is a blood-borne viral infection that primarily affects the liver and can cause both acute and chronic infections.
  • How is hepatitis C transmitted?
    Hepatitis C is primarily transmitted through contact with infected blood, such as sharing needles, unsafe medical procedures, and unscreened blood transfusions.
  • Can hepatitis C be cured?
    Yes, hepatitis C can now be cured with direct-acting antiviral medicines, which can clear the virus from the body in more than 95% of cases.
  • Why is testing for hepatitis C important?
    Testing is important because hepatitis C can remain undetected for years, and early detection can prevent serious liver damage and allow for effective treatment.
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