Hepatitis C Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment
Published May 12, 2023
What is Hepatitis C?
Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. Alcohol use, toxins, some medications, and certain medical conditions can cause hepatitis. Hepatitis is most often caused by a virus, with the most common types being hepatitis A, B and C.
How is Hepatitis C spread?
Hepatitis C is usually spread when one comes into contact with blood from an infected person through sharing needles, birth, sex with an infected person, unregulated tattoos, body piercings, blood transfusions, organ transplants, etc.
How do I get tested? What are my treatment options?
Many people with hepatitis C have no symptoms and don’t know they are infected.
People with chronic hepatitis C can live for years without symptoms or feeling sick. When symptoms do appear, they often are usually a sign of advanced liver disease.
Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority (CNHSA) can test for hepatitis C. Although there is no vaccine to prevent hepatitis C, there are ways to treat and, in most cases, cure the disease.
Who should be tested?
The CDC now recommends one-time hepatitis C testing of all adults (18 years and older) and all pregnant women during every pregnancy.
For more information: cdc.gov/knowmorehepatitis