Getting Screened For Viral Hepatitis May Help To Save Your Life by Chana A. Rabiner, Ph.D. (NAPSA)—There’s good news for the millions of Americans at risk for a potentially fatal medical condition, viral hepatitis. The simple step of medical screening can lead to lifesaving treatment. A Collection Of Diseases Viral hepatitis is actually a collection of very serious diseases. By definition, hepatitis means “liver inflammation,” and viral hepatitis is a general name for five unrelated viruses infecting the liver. These viruses can either be acute or chronic, with the most common being hepatitis A, Band C. Whenthe condition is chronic and left untreated, it can lead to scarring or damageto theliveror, in somecases, liver cancer. In fact, viral hepatitis is not only the leading cause of liver cancer butit is also the prime reason a person mayneed a liver transplant. In the United States, nearly 4.5 million people are infected with viral hepatitis, with just over 3 million infected with hepatitis C. In addition, just over 1 million are infected with hepatitis B. Unfortunately, most people with the condition don’t know that they are infected; people can be infected for decades without ever C0 MORE Numerous resources exist to out having symptoms or feeling sick. it can live for days on the paraphernalia used to inject drugs, including syringes, cotton and cookers. Several other behavioral health injection (IDU). respectively, while between 14 percent and 36 percent of those who misuse/abuse alcohol are infected with HCV. Addressing these behavioral health disorders can also help stop the spread of viral hepatitis. Screening Can Save Lives treatments for hepatitis C that can beinfected for decades with- People who were born between 1945 and 1965 are five times more likely to be infected with hepatitis C than other age groups. This is why the Centers anyone, the most common way to infected with HCV and HBV, Many people with viral hepatitis don’t even know that they are infected. That’s because people HEPATITIS, be infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV)is through contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person. Those Most At Risk Research shows that hepatitis C disproportionately impacts two groups of people: those who were born between 1945 and 1965 and those who use drugs through While viral hepatitis can be acquired in a numberofdifferent ways, and can impact or infect approximately 20 percent and 28 percent of people with serious mental illnesses (SMI) are help you assess your risk for hepatitis. The first step is to find a place to get tested. The next step is to learn more about hepatitis and how to prevent infection. Doing so can be lifesaving, as there are effective treatments for hepatitis that can mitigate the effects of the for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Preventive Services Task Forcerecommend a one-time testing for hepatitis C for people born during that period. In addition to those in this age group, the intersection of behavioral health disorders and viral hepatitis is quite profound, with 40 to 70 percent of injection drug users chronically infected with HCV and upto 11 percent chronically infected with HBV. Moreover, those who inject drugs currently account for 60 to 70 percent of new hepatitis infections in the United States. One reason for this is that hepatitis C infects at a much greater rate than the other diseases that are transmitted through injection drug use, such as HIV. This happens because the virus can live longer outside the body than having symptomsorfeelingsick. disorders lead to increased risk for getting hepatitis. For instance, those other diseases can. In fact, Note to Editors: The month of May is Hepatitis Awareness Month. disease. In fact, there are new can, in some cases, even cureit. Another resource is a publication from the Substance Abuse and Mental Services Administration (SAMHSA) called “Take Action Against Hepatitis C: For People in Recovery From Mental Illness or Addiction”. This booklet presents basic information about hepatitis C for people with mental illness or substance use disorders. Knowing your HCV status can help to save your life. To learn more, visit www.knowmorehepa titis.org or the SAMHSA online store at http://store.samhsa.gov. Rabiner is a Senior Public Advisor for the Substance Abuse and Mental Services Administration. SAMHSA,the agencythat leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities, offers a variety of resources, including information andtreatment. To learn more, visit www. samhsa.gov. Find hepatitis testing locations near you at http://npin. cde.gov/disease/viral-hepatitis.
