The AGA’s national survey of more than 1,000 Boomers (those born between 1945 and 1965) also found that:
*Almost 75% have never been tested or are unsure if they have been tested for hepatitis C
*Fewer than 1 in 5 Boomers know that, for many people, hepatitis C can be cured
Hepatitis C is a “silent killer” that may be present in the body for many years without showing symptoms. The disease is the leading cause of liver failure, liver cancer and liver transplant and contributes to up to 15,000 U.S. deaths a year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is taking action and planning to issue new guidelines soon recommending that everyone born from 1945 through 1965 have a one-time hepatitis C screening. Compared with current risk-based screening, age-based screening could identify more than 800,000 additional cases of chronic hepatitis C and, when followed by treatment, could reduce total deaths by 121,000.
In commemoration of National Hepatitis Testing Day (May 19), Chase Brexton Health Services, Inc. is hosting a hepatitis screening event in Baltimore on Friday, May 18 from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET. This event includes walk-in hepatitis B and C testing. For more information, visit www.chase exton.org.
