Hep C Discussion Forum

This is a VA announcement sent to me from my area Veterans Administration hospital. If you are a Veteran, please contact your VA representative and get tested. A Veteran can call this number or any VA office for more information. It's a smart thing to do!

Veterans have unusually high rates of hepatitis C, especially Veterans born between 1945 and 1965. Hepatitis C is a disease of the liver caused by a virus; it is generally spread through blood-to-blood contact. The disease begins with the swelling of the liver and can progress to liver damage such as cirrhosis and liver cancer if untreated.

Hepatitis C can persist for 10 to 30 years before there are any clear symptoms, which is why most people with chronic hepatitis C are unaware they are infected. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C, but effective treatments are now available. A blood test is the only way to diagnose a hepatitis C infection.

Veterans with any of the following risks should be tested for hepatitis C:

•  Anyone born during 1945-1965,
•  Anyone with liver disease or who has had abnormal liver tests,
•  Anyone who has ever injected illegal drugs,
•  Anyone who had a blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1992,
•  Anyone who received a tattoo or body piercing in a non-regulated setting, and
•  Anyone with HIV or a weakened immune system.

Talk to your VA health care provider about testing and treatment or call 727-398-6661, extension 17119 today. VA is the largest single provider of hepatitis care in the United States.

To read a Bay Pines Veteran's success story with hepatitis treatment, visit: https://www.baypines.va.gov/BAYPINES/features/20161012.asp

For more information about hepatitis, please visit www.hepatitis.va.gov.