Hepatitis C, a liver disease that results from infection with the hepatitis C virus, is the most common blood-borne infection in the United States today. It is most prevalent in the Baby Boomer generation — those born between 1945 and 1965, many of whom are asymptomatic and don’t know they have the infection. About one in every 30 Boomers has hepatitis C.
Some people who get infected are able to clear, or get rid of, the hepatitis C virus, but most people who get infected develop a chronic, or long-term, infection. Over time, chronic hepatitis C can cause serious health problems. In fact, hepatitis C is a leading cause of liver cancer and the leading cause of liver transplants. Treatments are now available that can cure hepatitis C.
The only way to know if you have hepatitis C is to get tested. Since many people can live with hepatitis C for decades without symptoms or feeling sick, testing is critical so those who are infected can get treated and cured.
For more information about hepatitis C and testing, talk to your physician or call your local health department. The Centers for Disease Control also has information online; visit www.cdc.gov/knowmorehepatitis.