From the archives
post by GK

Posted - 01/27/2004 : 12:11:24 PM
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You should be tested for hepatitis C if you...

* have received blood or blood products prior to 1990
* HAVE EVER USED INTRAVENOUS FRUGS EVEN JUST ONCE.
* are a hospital or other health care facility worker
* have acquired a tattoo or body piercing
* have had multiple sex partners
* hemodialysis patients
* are a hemophiliac
* were born to a mother infected with HCV
* received an organ transplant
* had other blood exposure, especially outside of the country

STATISTICS ON HEPATITIS C
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* A person can have HCV for 10-20 years without having signs of serious complications, but HCV can still SILENTLY cause serious liver damage

* Hepatitis C is the number one cause of liver transplants in U.S.

* Hepatitis C is 4 times more common than HIV in the United States

* Estimated 2% of U.S. population are infected with HCV

* Approximately 8,000-12,000 deaths attributed to HCV each year

* IN ONE STUDY HCV WAS FOUND IN 85 TO 100% OF I.V. DRUG USERS.

* In some studies 40% of cases of chronic HCV have no identifiable risk

* It is estimated that only 25-30% of new infections are tested and identified

* 85% of those infected with HCV will be chronic carriers

* only 15% of those infected will overcome the infection

* 4% of hepatitis C infections are from men who have sex with men

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