<P> Those who have experienced a needle stick injury from someone who was HCV positive have about a 1.8% chance of subsequently contracting the disease themselves . The risk is greater if the needle in question is hollow and the puncture wound is deep . There is a risk from mucosal exposures to blood, but this risk is low, and there is no risk if blood exposure occurs on intact skin . </P> <P> Hospital equipment has also been documented as a method of transmission of hepatitis C, including reuse of needles and syringes; multiple - use medication vials; infusion bags; and improperly sterilized surgical equipment, among others . Limitations in the implementation and enforcement of stringent standard precautions in public and private medical and dental facilities are known to be the primary cause of the spread of HCV in Egypt, the country with highest rate of infection in the world . </P> <P> Sexual transmission of hepatitis C is uncommon . Studies examining the risk of HCV transmission between heterosexual partners, when one is infected and the other is not, have found very low risks . Sexual practices that involve higher levels of trauma to the anogenital mucosa, such as anal penetrative sex, or that occur when there is a concurrent sexually transmitted infection, including HIV or genital ulceration, present greater risks . The United States Department of Veterans Affairs recommends condom use to prevent hepatitis C transmission in those with multiple partners, but not those in relationships that involve only a single partner . </P> <P> Tattooing is associated with two to threefold increased risk of hepatitis C . This can be due to either improperly sterilized equipment or contamination of the dyes being used . Tattoos or piercings performed either before the mid-1980s, "underground," or nonprofessionally are of particular concern, since sterile techniques in such settings may be lacking . The risk also appears to be greater for larger tattoos . It is estimated that nearly half of prison inmates share unsterilized tattooing equipment . It is rare for tattoos in a licensed facility to be directly associated with HCV infection . </P>

When was the cure for hep c found