Hepatitis C is a serious liver disease that results from
infection with the Hepatitis C virus. Hepatitis C has been called a silent epidemic
because most people with Hepatitis C do not know they are infected.
While some people who get infected with Hepatitis C are able
to clear, or get rid of, the virus, most people who get infected develop a
chronic, or lifelong, infection. Over time, chronic Hepatitis C can lead to
serious liver problems including liver damage, cirrhosis, liver failure, or
liver cancer. But many people can benefit from available treatment options that
can eliminate the virus from the body and prevent further liver damage.
Why should people
born during 1945-1965 get tested for Hepatitis C?
In 2012, CDC started recommending Hepatitis C testing for
everyone born from 1945 – 1965. While anyone can get Hepatitis C, up to 75% of
adults infected with Hepatitis C were born from 1945 – 1965.
- Most people with Hepatitis C don’t know they are infected so getting tested is the only way to know.
- Baby boomers are five times more likely to have Hepatitis C than other adults.
- The longer people live with Hepatitis C undiagnosed and untreated, the more likely they are to develop serious, life-threatening liver disease.
- Liver disease, liver cancer, and deaths from Hepatitis C are on the rise.
- Getting tested can help people learn if they are infected and get them into lifesaving care and treatment.
Why do
baby boomers have such high rates of Hepatitis C?
The reason that baby boomers have high rates of Hepatitis C is not
completely understood. Most boomers are believed to have become infected in the
1970s and 1980s when rates of Hepatitis C were the highest.
How do you get
Hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is usually spread when blood from a person
infected with the Hepatitis C virus enters the body of someone who is not
infected. This can happen through multiple ways.
Before widespread screening of the blood supply began in
1992, Hepatitis C was spread through blood transfusions and organ transplants.
People with clotting problems who took blood products prior to 1987 could have
been exposed to Hepatitis C. Sharing needles or other equipment to inject drugs
was and is a very efficient way to transmit the virus. People have also become
infected with the Hepatitis C virus from body piercing or tattoos that were
done in prisons, homes, or in other unlicensed or informal facilities.
Although uncommon, outbreaks of Hepatitis C have occurred
from poor infection control in health care settings. In rare cases, Hepatitis C
may be sexually transmitted. Babies born to mothers with Hepatitis C can get
infected during childbirth. Still, many people do not know how or when they
were infected.
Hepatitis C is not spread by casual contact, kissing,
hugging, sneezing, coughing, breastfeeding or sharing food, eating utensils or
glasses.
Symptoms
Many people with chronic Hepatitis C do not have symptoms and do not
know they are infected. People with chronic Hepatitis C can live for decades
without symptoms or feeling sick.
When symptoms do appear, they often are a sign of advanced liver
disease. Symptoms of Hepatitis C can include: fever, fatigue, loss of appetite,
nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, grey-colored stools, joint pain
and/or jaundice.
Information
on Testing
The only way to know if someone has Hepatitis C is to get tested.
Doctors use a blood test, called a Hepatitis C Antibody Test, to find out if a
person has ever been infected with Hepatitis C.
A Non-reactive or a negative Hepatitis C antibody test result means
that a person does not have Hepatitis C. However, if a person has been recently
exposed to the Hepatitis C virus, he or she will need to be tested again.
A Reactive or a positive Hepatitis C antibody test result means that
Hepatitis C antibodies were found in the blood and a person has been infected
with the Hepatitis C virus at some point in time.
A reactive antibody test does not necessarily mean a person still has
Hepatitis C. Once people have been infected, they will always have antibodies
in their blood. This is true if even if they have cleared the Hepatitis C
virus. A reactive antibody test requires an additional, follow-up test to determine
if a person is currently infected with Hepatitis C.
The Health Center offers Hepatitis C testing through our Adult Blood
Draw Clinics for a fee of $20. Our next
clinic is Wednesday, January 25th from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Source: Centers for Disease Control
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