If you were born between 1945 and 1965, your primary care physician has most likely in recent years recommended testing for hepatitis C. The hep C virus (HCV) is one of several viruses that can cause liver inflammation which may lead to cirrhosis, or irreversible liver scarring and liver cancer.
"Baby boomers are five times more likely to have hep C than other age groups," says Allen County Commissioner of Health Dr. Deborah McMahan.
“We are zeroing in on baby boomers because the medical practices in previous years were less safe. There was no protocol of screening of blood supplies,” explains infectious disease specialist Dr. Emmanuel Okon with Lutheran Health Physicians.
HCV is transmitted through blood and body fluids. It wasn’t until 1992 that blood was screened for the virus, so anyone who had a transfusion prior to 1992 is considered at greater risk. Okon says, “If you had previous surgeries (before that time), the risk is there.”
The virus can lie low in the body for decades, with an infected person showing no symptoms, says nurse practitioner Andrew Barchus with Parkview Physicians Group Infectious Disease Services.
Baby boomers are also at risk for HCV because they were coming of age in the era when intravenous drug usage and sex with multiple partners became more common. McMahan says that scenario from the past is likely “just a snapshot” of what is to come because of increased opioid use in which people are sharing needles to inject liquefied prescription drugs.
Though the virus can be transmitted sexually, Okon and Barchus say their experience among infected patients who are asked in detail about risk behaviors has shown sexual transmission is much less likely than transmission from sharing needles in IV drug use.
“Of all the couples I’ve seen, I don’t have a single couple who both were infected, and most have been sexually active,” Barchus says, noting getting a tattoo is a more common risk. Though most tattoo businesses do not reuse ink, people who get tattoos in home-based or other settings where ink is reused for multiple people are at greater risk for HCV.
Unlike for hepatitis B, there is no preventive vaccine for HCV, but the good news is treatment entails taking an oral medication, and the treatment period has shortened.
“Treatment used to take six to 12 months, and treatment now can be done in 12 weeks or less,” Okon says.
A simple blood test to check for presence of the HCV antibody is the first step to check for HCV. If that is positive, a more definitive blood test can confirm active infection. Medicare and many private insurers cover testing. Treatment drugs are costly, but they are also usually covered.
More information on HCV is available at www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hcv/index.htm.
