Sexual Health
In 2018, there were 3,621 cases of acute hepatitis C in the United States reported to the CDC.1
An estimated 50,300 acute hepatitis C cases occurred in 2018
An estimated 2.4 million people in the US were living with hepatitis C from 2013–2016
Approximately 5–25% of people with chronic hepatitis C will develop cirrhosis over the next ten to twenty years
People with hepatitis C and cirrhosis have a 1–4% annual risk for hepatocellular carcinoma
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend that primary care providers test all adult patients for hepatitis C.2
Screening your patients for chronic illnesses like hepatitis C, we know, is of utmost importance. According to the CDC, the following is recommended:
Universal hepatitis C screening (new recommendations):
One-time hepatitis C testing regardless of age or setting prevalence among persons with recognized conditions or exposures (existing recommendations):
Routine periodic testing for persons with ongoing risk factors, while risk factors persist:
Any person who requests hepatitis C testing should receive it, regardless of disclosure of risk, because many persons might be reluctant to disclose stigmatizing risks.
Based on your patients’ screening results, the CDC recommends the following:
The patient’s level of alcohol and drug use may need to be evaluated in case a brief alcohol or drug use intervention is clinically indicated.