Finding out about hep C will help you plan for the future. Our Hep C Action Newsletter Program can help guide you through testing and treatment.
What You Need to Know
Hepatitis C has been referred to as a “silent epidemic.” Millions have the condition, but many of them are not aware of it because they may not experience symptoms for decades after they are infected. That’s a big reason why hepatitis testing and treatment are so important.
According to the National Institutes of Health:
- Approximately 1.8% of the U.S. population, or 3.9 million Americans, have been infected with the hep C virus
- About 35,000 new cases of hep C are estimated to occur in the United States each year
- Chronic hep C is now the most common reason for liver transplantation and the leading cause in the U.S. for developing liver cancer.
“Hepatitis” is a Latin word meaning “inflamed liver.” Liver inflammation is often caused by a virus. While many viruses can affect the liver as they spread throughout the body (for example, the infectious mononucleosis virus), the hepatitis viruses infect the liver as their primary target. There are 5 well-characterized types of viral hepatitis, but only 3 are common: A, B, and C. Hepatitis C is the most common chronic blood-borne infection in the United States.
All viral forms of hepatitis can be spread from one person to another, although the ways it is transmitted may differ for each. Hepatitis A can be spread by contaminated food and water, and hepatitis B and C can be transmitted through blood-to-blood contact. A single person may be infected with more than one type of hepatitis. Because of the risk of additional liver damage, people with hep C should talk to their doctor about getting a vaccination against hepatitis A and hepatitis B. Unlike A and B, there is no vaccine against hepatitis C.
Find out more about hep C:
What Are the Symptoms of Hep C?
