CDC Launches Online Risk Assessment for Hepatitis

CDC Launches Online Risk Assessment for Hepatitis

CDC is leading a national education campaign initiative called “Know More Hepatitis.”  The campaign aims to decrease the burden of chronic viral hepatitis by increasing awareness about this hidden epidemic and encouraging people who may be chronically infected to get tested.

Take CDC’s new online Hepatitis Risk Assessment.  Answer a few questions and then you will receive personalized viral hepatitis testing and vaccination recommendations.

“Know More Hepatitis” is being featured in May as part of Hepatitis Awareness Month.  This year, May 19th will serve as the first ever Hepatitis Testing Day in the United States. Since chronic hepatitis often does not cause any symptoms until serious liver damage has been done, testing for hepatitis is crucial. Find out if you should be tested by taking a 5 minute online Hepatitis Risk Assessment.

This online assessment is designed to determine an individual’s risk for viral hepatitis by asking questions based on CDC’s guidelines for testing and vaccination.  The Assessment allows individuals to answer questions privately and print their recommendations to discuss with their doctor.

The word “hepatitis” means inflammation of the liver.  Hepatitis is most often caused by one of several viruses, which is why it is often called viral hepatitis. In the United States, the most common types of viral hepatitis are Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.

Unlike Hepatitis A, which does not cause a long-term infection, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C can become chronic, life-long infections. Chronic viral hepatitis can lead to serious liver problems including liver cancer. More than 4 million Americans are living with chronic Hepatitis B or chronic Hepatitis C in the United States, but most do not know they are infected.

Both Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C can cause liver cancer and have contributed to the increase in rates of liver cancer in recent decades. At least half of new cases of liver cancer are from chronic Hepatitis C.

Posted by George Daniels on Wednesday May 16 2012, 4:30 AM EST. Ref: CDC. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0