Taking care with blood at home
If you have Hep C or share space with someone who does, you can follow some basic rules to be careful around blood. These basic rules are called “universal precautions” and are based in common sense—the idea being to make sure your blood doesn’t come in contact with someone else’s blood (or vice versa). This will keep you and others around you healthy.
- Wear gloves when you clean up blood spills.
- Keep cuts and sores bandaged while they heal.
- Have your own grooming supplies (razors, toothbrushes and nail clippers) and don’t use other people’s tools.
Remember, sharing dishes, cups and glasses is not a risk for Hep C.
Taking care with blood in healthcare settings
Healthcare workers have to follow some general rules about being careful with people’s blood or body fluids too. These rules are called “routine practices”, “infection control procedures”, or “universal precautions” and they serve to protect the healthcare worker and the patient. This means that healthcare workers will wear a new pair of gloves whenever there could be blood present from anyone, not just people they know have Hep C. For example, whenever a nurse takes someone’s blood they’ll wear gloves, regardless of whether or not the person has Hep C. This keeps any germs on their hands away from the patient and keeps the patient’s blood away from their hands. Some patients might think this means their healthcare worker is afraid to touch them, but it’s really for everyone’s protection.
Back to top
