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<div class="HwContainer HwElement" id="HwContainer"><a class="HwMainSkipNavigation" href="#HwContentTitle"><span class="HwAccessibilityText">Skip Navigation</span></a><div class="HwBlock" id="HwMain" role="main"><div class="HwRow"><div class="HwColumn" id="HwColumnSidebar1"><div class="HwCustom" id="HwCustomSidebar"> </div></div><div class="HwColumn" id="HwColumnContent"><div id="HwContentTop"> </div><div class="HwTypeFocus HwContentWrapper HwElement" role="article" id="HwContentWrapper"><div class="HwCustom" id="HwCustomContentTop"> </div><div class="HwContentHeader"><p><a name="top" id="Hwtop"><span class="HwAccessibilityText">Top of the page</span></a> </p></div><div class="HwContentTitle"><h1 id="HwContentTitle" tabindex="-1">Hepatitis C: Your Risk for Cirrhosis</h1></div><div class="HwContentTopNavigation"> </div><div class="HwContent"><div class="HwNavigationSection HwSectionSpecialSection" id="sec-aa134593-sec"><h2 class="HwSectionTitle" fingerprint="b4cb0a40" fingerprint-exact="e7c3d1bb">Overview</h2> <p fingerprint="27103288" fingerprint-exact="41b71f0d">Many people who are infected with the <a class="HwLinkDefinition" data-hw-type="Definition" data-hw-document-href="sth149770" data-hw-section="sth149770-sec" rel="Definition" hw:document-type="Definition" hw:document-href="sth149770" data-hwid="sth149770" hw:section-href="sth149770-sec" href="?id=sth149770#sth149770-sec"><span class="HwLinkText">hepatitis C</span></a> virus will develop long-term (chronic) infection. Some people who have chronic hepatitis C will go on to develop <a class="HwLinkDefinition" data-hw-type="Definition" data-hw-document-href="stc123718" data-hw-section="stc123718-sec" rel="Definition" hw:document-type="Definition" hw:document-href="stc123718" data-hwid="stc123718" hw:section-href="stc123718-sec" href="?id=stc123718#stc123718-sec"><span class="HwLinkText">cirrhosis</span></a>—severe liver damage and scarring—after a period of about 20 years or more. </p> <p fingerprint="00017e16" fingerprint-exact="a21820d3">Certain factors may affect how quickly problems such as cirrhosis or liver cancer develop. </p> <p fingerprint="c00065c4" fingerprint-exact="74c2467e">The way cirrhosis develops depends on: </p> <ul fingerprint="8e419a5e" fingerprint-exact="108251a6"> <li>How much liver damage you had when you were diagnosed.</li> <li>How long you've had the infection. </li> <li>Your age when you were infected. </li> <li>How much alcohol you drink. </li> <li>Your gender. </li> <li>If you are <a class="HwLinkDefinition" data-hw-type="Definition" data-hw-document-href="sto167418" data-hw-section="sto167418-sec" rel="Definition" hw:document-type="Definition" hw:document-href="sto167418" data-hwid="sto167418" hw:section-href="sto167418-sec" href="?id=sto167418#sto167418-sec"><span class="HwLinkText">obese</span></a> and/or have <a class="HwLinkDefinition" data-hw-type="Definition" data-hw-document-href="std120744" data-hw-section="std120744-sec" rel="Definition" hw:document-type="Definition" hw:document-href="std120744" data-hwid="std120744" hw:section-href="std120744-sec" href="?id=std120744#std120744-sec"><span class="HwLinkText">diabetes</span></a>. </li> <li>If you have <a class="HwLinkDefinition" data-hw-type="Definition" data-hw-document-href="sth149894" data-hw-section="sth149894-sec" rel="Definition" hw:document-type="Definition" hw:document-href="sth149894" data-hwid="sth149894" hw:section-href="sth149894-sec" href="?id=sth149894#sth149894-sec"><span 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