GynoFiles

Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C can cause liver cancer, and prevention is the absolute best strategy Hepatitis B that has become a chronic infection can cause non-Hodgkin lymphoma The main way to prevent Hepatitis B is through vaccination which is given at Birth to children We screen women in pregnancy for Hepatitis B, and in many places women are also screened for Hepatitis C in pregnancy There is no vaccination for Hepatitis C If you find out a sexual partner has Hepatitis of any kind you should also be screened Those who have used injection drugs should be screened If you have been found on blood work to have elevated liver tests, you should be screened If you have not been vaccinated against Hepatitis B and you are traveling to a country with high rates of Hepatitis B you should be tested If you have been established to have Hepatitis B you can get treated by an anti-viral agent so that you don't contract chronic disease which is the type of Hepatitis infecti...

At Women's Health Practice we are finding more of our patients asking about their risk of Hepatitis. We welcome questions, can arrange for testing and can help infected women find treatment This awareness has extended mostly to questions about Hepatitis A, B, and C. We do suggest coming for a lab visit if you need Hepatitis C testing.  But now there is new attention to the Hepatitis E virus. Hepatitis E virus is through some of the similar ways other infections get transmitted contaminated food and water (undercooked meats), blood transfusions, animal contact, and through mother-to-child transmission in pregnancy. Hepatitis E is of importance to some travelers as there are high rates in some parts of  Asia and Africa.. The disease can be similar to other viral and viral liver infections with jaundice, feeling poorly, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and fever. Joint pains, itching or rashes can also occur. Blood testing can help determine what you have. A vac...

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 he...

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has agreed that all baby boomers should be offered a hepatitis C (HCV) test. The new recommendation brings the USPSTF into line with the CDC, which in May 2012 urged one-time screening for all people born between 1945 and 1965 . Previously it has been suggested that testing would be beneficial, but we are actually trying to increase screening which has fallen short of goals. It is a blood born disease: you have to be exposed to blood. So hospital workers and those who share needles are at the greatest risk. About half of all those who have taken drugs through needles will have Hepatitis C.  But it is known that the disease can be transmitted sexually. For those who have Hepatitis C, protection by condoms can help prevent transmission. Like other viruses people can self clear their infection, but also like other viruses, some people are not aware that they harbor Hepatitis C in their system. Hepatitis C can remain without symptoms ...

We have to be more vigilant about testing for Hepatitis C as over 3 million in the US have it, and the majority of those with the condition do not know they have it. Hepatitis C is one of those conditions that can go unnoticed in the early asymptomatic stages. According to the CDC if you are a Baby Boomer, born between 1945 and 1965 you need Hepatitis C testing. Even many people with the potentially fatal, but mostly curable, disease Hepatitis C in pregnancy, do not know they have it. In the new CDC guidelines they mention, that just being tested before may still mean you need special blood tests to see if you have cleared the virus . So ask your gyno which blood tests you need, and how often you should be retested.

Hepatitis C is a serious disease, it can cause liver failure as well as cancers, but many will just think they have the flu or are just plain tired. Women with active Hepatitis C under therapy are not recommended to become pregnant as the treatments are harmful to the developing baby. Treatments have not been effective in all patients, although there is hope that newer treatments will be helpful. Not every Hepatitis C infection is the same. There are many subtypes of this disease. Actually each virus has it's own set of genes, and there seem to be at least 6 different many varieties or genotypes. Knowing which type will direct the therapy your physician will give you. The important thing is to be tested, and probably if you have a new partner be retested. Gynos or primary care docs can do this testing and help you get on the path to treatment if you test positive. After therapy in a stable patient pregnancy can be considered and the safest course recommened. There are reports st...