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Like Other Medical Organizations We Recommend Hepatitis B and C Screening For Women


Liver disease is often caused by a virus, is serious if becomes chronic, and many of the viral infections are treatable if not preventable. Ask your gyno if you need this testing at your next appointment. Hepatitis B and C can cause liver disease or liver cancers although they are viruses that couple potentially be cleared spontaneously from your body. The United States Preventative Task Force estimates between 700,000 and 2.2 million people in the U.S. have chronic Hepatitis B,  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the number of new cases ofacute HCV infection in the United States is about  17,000 cases per year. Indeed, estimates are that between 15% and 25% of people with chronic Hepatitis B (HBV) eventually die of cirrhosis or liver cancer. People with chronic HBV can also transmit the infection to others, the task force noted, and screening could identify people who might benefit from treatment or other interventions. Testing for hepatitis is a blood test that can be ordered on any of our patients (or of family members by special arrangement). At your next appointment find out if you would be a candidate for testing, even if you think you may have once been vaccinatated. Most of the infections begin with no symptoms but can be detected by blood testing.

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