Hepatitis Testing Day
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Millions of Americans have chronic viral hepatitis; most of them do not know they have it. The goal of Hepatitis Testing Day is to help raise awareness of hepatitis B and hepatitis C and to encourage more individuals to learn their status. It is a day for people at risk for viral hepatitis to be tested, and for health care providers to educate patients about viral hepatitis and testing.
Hepatitis Testing Day is an important opportunity for stakeholders across all sectors of society to educate their constituents and communities about viral hepatitis and encourage those at risk to be tested. First observed in 2012, Hepatitis Testing Day was designated as a national observance in 2013, to help raise awareness of the silent epidemic of viral hepatitis in the United States.
An estimated 862,000 people are living with hepatitis B and 2.4 million are people living with hepatitis C. Most people with chronic hepatitis B virus or hepatitis C virus don’t have symptoms until the later stages of the infection. As a result, many Americans living with viral hepatitis do not know they are infected and are at risk for severe, even fatal, complications from the disease and can spread the virus to others. Untreated chronic viral hepatitis represents a leading cause of liver cancer and the most common reason for liver transplantation in the United States. Treatment for hepatitis B is available and can prevent the development of liver disease and liver cancer. Hepatitis C kills more Americans than any other reportable infectious disease, yet safe and effective oral treatments are available that cure hepatitis C in one 8 to 12 week course in greater than 95% of infected people, preventing liver disease and liver cancer. Testing individuals at risk for hepatitis B and hepatitis C and linking those chronically infected to medical care and treatment can reduce related illness and death.
Learn about the CDC’s Universal Hepatitis C Testing Recommendations
CDC recommends universal hepatitis C screening for:
all adults aged 18 years and older, once in a lifetime, except in settings where the prevalence of HCV infection (HCV RNA‑positivity) is less than 0.1%
all pregnant women during each pregnancy, except in settings where the prevalence of HCV infection (HCV RNA‑positivity) is less than 0.1%
CDC recommends one‑time hepatitis C testing regardless of age or setting prevalence among people with recognized conditions or exposures
CDC recommends routine periodic testing for people with ongoing risk factors
CDC recommends hepatitis C testing for any person who requests hepatitis C testing
Health and Wellness Screenings offers Hepatitis testing with no doctor’s order, at a low-cost, and with quick results. Schedule your test today: https://squareup.com/appointments/book/yzcnlpoxy5llqk/LG2WCQS53HFW8/start
