May is Hepatitis Awareness Month and CWWCHC encourages everyone to join hands to raise awareness and prevent the spread of hepatitis. The most common types of viral hepatitis are Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C. Rarer forms of hepatitis include Hepatitis D, Hepatitis E, and autoimmune hepatitis. Many forms of hepatitis are preventable through vaccines and can be treated if detected early.
What is Hepatitis?
The word “Hepatitis” means inflammation of the liver, while Viral hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver caused by a virus. Heavy alcohol use, unprotected sex, drug abuse, and infections can all cause hepatitis. Many infected people are unaware that they are even infected, this is why Hepatitis Awareness Month is essential for raising awareness.
Hepatitis A is typically transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated water and food or contact with someone carrying the infection.
Hepatitis B and C are transmitted primarily through the use of contaminated needles, unsafe sex with infected persons, and during childbirth, if the mother is infected.
Prevention
Most people living with hepatitis are unaware of their infection. What’s more, chronic viral hepatitis is the most common risk factor for liver cancer. By increasing awareness, many deaths can be prevented.
Although hepatitis is more common in some parts of the world than others, everyone is susceptible to it. Identifying who is at risk and encouraging screening is critical in reducing risk.
Care and treatment
Visit your health care professional to get vaccinated, diagnosed, and treated for hepatitis.
Follow @cdchep on Twitter to receive information from the CDC about hepatitis. Be #hepaware
To find out if you should get tested or vaccinated for viral hepatitis, visit https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/abc/index.htm
