Introduction. Knowledge about hepatitis plays a vital role in preventing HCV infections and advancing complications of hepatitis C. Lack of that knowledge and data about becoming ill, results in multiple incidents of infecting, which in turn presents a serious epidemic issue. Aim. The aim of this research was to establish the knowledge of students from Warsaw University (UW) and Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW) about hepatitis C. Material and methods. 200 randomly selected students took part in the study (100 from UW and 100 from SGGW). Their knowledge was tested with the aid of the author’s own questionnaire. The following grading criteria were set to evaluate their knowledge: 25% or less of correct answers – unsatisfactory knowledge, 26% to 50% – satisfactory, 51% to 75% – good, 76% or more – very good. Results. More women (74%) than men (26%) took part in the study in both groups. Students from SGGW achieved a higher average value of correct answers regarding hepatitis C (average = 49.19) in comparison to UW students (average = 45.00). The best personal result of correct answers at SGGW was 87.5%, whereas at UW it was 81.25%. Conclusions. Students’ knowledge across both universities classifies as satisfactory with a small prevalence of SGGW students. Students evaluate their own knowledge about hepatitis C as unsatisfactory. However, they show willingness to improve their knowledge.

Key words: hepatitis, HCV infection, prevention, knowledge.