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.

The decision to get treatment for hep C is one of the most significant ones you will ever make. Use this tool to prepare a list of questions and concerns you may have and to evaluate the benefits of treatment.

Use the table below to indicate which of these benefits are most important to you:

Use the table below to indicate which of these possible concerns are most important to you:

My main concerns about treatment	Not important to me	Somewhat important to me	Very important to me	Most important to me
Self-injection/needles
Side effects
Obtaining/storing/managing medication
Treatment not working
Not being able to finish
Cost
Need for support
Questions during treatment
Impact on my life
Not a good time for me to start

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Questions

This list is based on your responses to potential benefits and concerns related to hep C treatment. It provides some questions you may want to ask your healthcare provider.

Remember, this is not meant to be a complete list. The decision to treat hep C is an important one and you should get answers to all your questions.

Facts

• You're not alone: an estimated 3.9 million Americans have been infected with HCV.
• 80% of people with hep C have no signs or symptoms of the disease. In fact, many people experience no symptoms that they are aware of until significant liver damage has occurred.
• 70% of people who have chronic hep C infection go on to have chronic liver disease.
• Combination therapy using pegylated interferon and ribavirin can get rid of the virus in up to 5 out of 10 persons with genotype 1 and in up to 8 out of 10 persons with genotype 2 and 3.
• Patients treated earlier may respond better to hep C treatment.

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