Hepatitis C

Get Hep C Tested

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Hepatitis C is caused by a virus that can permanently damage the liver, leading to cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer. It is passed from one person to another through blood.

Most people who have hepatitis C do not show symptoms, but it can still cause harm if left untreated. The most common reasons people have hepatitis C is because they received a blood transfusion before 1992, or because they have shared drug-use equipment. If you have ever injected drugs, even once, you should get tested for hepatitis C as soon as possible. Hepatitis C can be cured.

To connect with other people searching for help, check out the Hep Free NYC network of patients and providers.

Free and Low-cost Testing and Treatment

These locations offer free and low-cost hepatitis C testing and treatment, as well as patient navigators who can provide support for you throughout the process.

The free walk-in testing sites listed below do not provide clinical care or treatment. The other facilities offer care and treatment. Call before visiting to confirm hours of operation.

The Hepatitis C Patient Assistance Program ensures all hepatitis C-infected New York State residents have access to certain medical services. The program serves uninsured New Yorkers who meet eligibility criteria. It covers services related to the initial hepatitis C medical and treatment evaluation, as well as treatment monitoring.

For more locations in the city offering hepatitis C testing and treatment, search the NYC Health Map. Information is also available on hours and availability affected by COVID-19.

Bronx

  • Acacia Network*
    718-960-7532
    Multiple locations
  • Albert Einstein College of Medicine Wellness Center
    718-409-9450
    Multiple locations
  • Brightpoint Health*
    855-681-8700 x3474 or 3476
    hepc@brightpointhealth.org
    Multiple locations
  • Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center Family Wellness Center
    347-326-2075
    1281 Franklin Avenue
  • Harlem East Life Plan (HELP)
    212-876-2300
    2367-69 Second Avenue
  • Montefiore Medical Center*
    844-CURE-HCV (844-287-3428)
    Multiple locations
  • Promesa
    718-299-1100 x3046
    1776 Clay Avenue

* Offers free services for uninsured patients.
Offers enrollment into the Hepatitis C Patient Assistance Program.

Free Walk-In Testing Sites

  • BOOM! Health
    718-292-7718
    226 East 144th Street
  • Dominican Sisters Family Health Services — Bronx
    718-665-6557
    279 Alexander Avenue
  • New York Harm Reduction Educators (NYHRE) — Bronx
    718-842-6050
    953 Southern Boulevard, Suite 302
  • Planned Parenthood — Project Street Beat
    212-965-7000
    349 East 149th Street, Third Floor

Brooklyn

  • Bedford-Stuyvesant Family Health Center
    718-636-4500
    1456 Fulton Street
  • Brightpoint Health — Sterling Health Center*
    855-681-8700 x3474/x3476
    hepc@brightpointhealth.org
    803 Sterling Place
  • SUNY Downstate Medical Center*
    718-270-1715
    450 Clarkson Avenue

* Offers free services for uninsured patients.
Offers enrollment into the Hepatitis C Patient Assistance Program.

Free Walk-In Testing Sites

  • After Hours Project
    718-249-0755
    1204 Broadway
  • VOCAL New York Users Union
    718-802-9540 x12
    80A Fourth Avenue

Manhattan

  • Harlem United
    646-762-4950
    290 Lenox Avenue
  • Mount Sinai Medical Center*
    212-824-7729
    Multiple locations
  • New York-Presbyterian Hospital*
    917-923-9558
    180 Fort Washington Avenue

* Offers free services for uninsured patients.
Offers enrollment into the Hepatitis C Patient Assistance Program.

Free Walk-In Testing Sites

  • African Services Committee
    212-222-3882
    429 West 127th Street, Second Floor
  • AIDS Service Center of NYC
    212-645-0875
    64 West 35th Street, Third Floor
  • FROSTD at Harlem United
    212-924-3733
    290 Lenox Avenue, Lower Level
  • Latino Commission on AIDS — Oasis Office
    212-675-3288
    330 Seventh Avenue, Suite 2002
  • Lower East Side Harm Reduction Center (LESHRC)
    212-226-6333
    25 Allen Street
  • New York Harm Reduction Educators (NYHRE) — Harlem
    212-828-8464
    104-106 East 126th Street, Suite 1A
  • Positive Health Project
    212-465-8304
    301 West 37th Street, #3
  • Safe Horizon — Streetwork Harlem
    212-695-2220
    209 West 125th Street
  • Washington Heights Corner Project
    212-923-7600
    566 West 181st Street, Second Floor (ring bell)

Queens

Queens

  • Addabbo Family Health Center
    718-945-7150
    Multiple locations
  • Brightpoint Health — Sutphin Health Center*
    855-681-8700 x3474 or 3476
    hepc@brightpointhealth.org
    105-04 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica
  • Damien Family Care Centers
    718-298-5100
    Multiple locations

* Offers free services for uninsured patients.

Free Walk-In Testing Sites

  • AIDS Center of Queens County (ACQC) — Jamaica
    718-896-2500
    161-21 Jamaica Avenue, Sixth Floor, Jamaica

Staten Island

Free Walk-In Testing Sites

  • Community Health Action of Staten Island (CHASI)
    718-808-1840
    2134 Richmond Terrace

Prevention and Care

Prevention

There is no vaccine to prevent hepatitis C. The virus can live outside of the body for weeks, so avoid contact with any item that may have been exposed to blood. The best ways to avoid getting or passing along hepatitis C are to:

  • Never share drug use equipment, such as needles or syringes. If you snort or inject drugs, only use new, sterile equipment, or equipment that only you have used. If you are using drugs with other people, mark your equipment so that you can keep track of it. Find syringe exchange programs in the city using our NYC Health Map. Learn more about the City’s drug use services that can help you stay safe.
  • Have protected sex if you don’t know if your partner has hepatitis C. Find free NYC condoms.
  • Do not share personal care items that could have blood on them, such as razors, clippers or toothbrushes.
  • Clean blood spills immediately with one part bleach and nine parts water.

It is especially important to get tested for hepatitis C if:

  • You have ever injected drugs, even once
  • You have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS
  • You were born between 1945 and 1965
  • You received a blood transfusion or organ transplant before July 1992

Learn more about how hepatitis C can spread (PDF) [Español].

Find out where to get sterile drug use equipment at a syringe service program near you (PDF).

Living with Hepatitis C

If you have hepatitis C:

  • Get into care with a doctor who is experienced in managing and treating hepatitis C, even if you do not feel sick.
  • Consult with your doctor before taking vitamins, supplements, home remedies or over-the-counter drugs. Some of those treatments can harm your liver.
  • Avoid alcohol.
  • Eat a healthy diet and maintain a healthy body weight.
  • Get vaccinated for hepatitis A and hepatitis B. Visit an NYC Health walk-in immunization clinic, or search the NYC Health Map for facilities near you.
  • Avoid passing hepatitis C to others by making sure no one else comes in contact with your blood.

Living with hepatitis C can be confusing and stressful. There are several hepatitis support groups in the city that can put you in contact with other people who have hepatitis C.

Treatment

The great news is that almost all people with hepatitis C can be treated and cured in less than three months by taking pills. After you have been cured of hepatitis C, there is no more virus in the blood and liver damage will stop and even reverse in some cases. After you have been treated and cured of hepatitis C, you can no longer infect other people.

If you have hepatitis C, talk to your doctor or find a hepatitis C treatment location near you.

Additional Resources

More Information