Hepatitis C is not transmitted through kissing.
The Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is spread strictly through blood-to-blood contact. It is not present in saliva in amounts capable of causing infection, and it cannot be spread through casual contact.
How HCV Is (and Isn’t) Transmitted
- Not transmitted by: Kissing, hugging, holding hands, coughing, sneezing, or sharing food, water, and eating utensils.
- Primary transmission routes: Sharing needles or drug paraphernalia, unsterilized tattooing/piercing equipment, accidental needle sticks in healthcare, or birth from an infected mother.
- Sexual transmission: Rare, but risk increases with exposure to blood during sex or having an untreated STI that causes open sores.