Veterans To Get Free Hepatitis C Test Kits

American Liver Foundation, Northern California Chapter Encourages Local Area Veterans To Get Tested

SAN FRANCISCO

PRNewswire

In response to growing evidence that U.S. veterans are at increased risk for hepatitis C, a potentially life-threatening form of liver disease, the American Liver Foundation, in collaboration with several Veterans Service Organizations, will be making free in-home hepatitis C test kits available to all U.S. veterans from Monday, July 3, through Sunday, July 9. The free test kits will be available to veterans via the Internet, as well as a toll-free help line.

"Hepatitis C is a major public health threat that we are working very hard to address," says Lisa Rabenstein, Community Events Coordinator with the American Liver Foundation. "We know that veterans are at increased risk for hepatitis C, and this free test kit program is aimed at meeting their testing needs. The Northern California Chapter encourages all veterans in Northern California to take advantage of this opportunity. If they test positive, improved treatments are now available that can benefit many people."

The American Legion, AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Vietnam Veterans of America are co-sponsoring this program with the American Liver Foundation.

VHA Study Shows Increased Incidence of Hepatitis C Among Veterans

A study conducted by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), and involving 26,000 veterans, shows that nearly 7 percent of all veterans in the VHA system tested positive for hepatitis C, which is nearly four times greater than the infection rate realized among the general population. In this study, veterans who served in Vietnam accounted for more than 60 percent of all positive test results. It also has been reported that more than half of all liver transplant patients within the VHA system are infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV).

The increased incidence of hepatitis C among veterans could be the result of exposure to blood-borne HCV through blood transfusions received during or after combat-related surgical care or in the care of others in the battlefield.

According to the Northern California Chapter, Veterans should speak to their physician about getting tested, or they can obtain a free, FDA-approved at-home hepatitis C test kit by visiting http://www.liverfoundation.org/, or by calling 1-888-888-HEPC. (People receiving a free test kit, valued at about $70.00, will be required to pay only a shipping and handling fee of $6.00.) The testing and test results are completely confidential.

When visiting the website, veterans can take a simple quiz to determine their hepatitis C risk and, if they are at risk, receive the free at-home test kit, which is easy to use and completely confidential. (Information about the Northern California Chapter of the American Liver Foundation is also available on this website). The same process occurs when veterans call the toll-free number, which is staffed by professional counselors who can provide additional information about hepatitis C and the names of local physicians who are experts in the management of the disease.

Hepatitis C: A Pressing Public Health Concern

Hepatitis C is a potentially life-threatening disease. Left unchecked, it can lead to cirrhosis (scarring of liver) and liver cancer. It is the leading cause of liver transplantation in the U.S. Each year, up to 10,000 people in this country die due to hepatitis C and the annual number of HCV-related deaths may triple in the next two decades. An estimated 4 million people in this country have been exposed to HCV.

HCV is spread by contact with infected blood. Other primary risk factors for HCV infection include blood transfusions and organ transplants received prior to July 1992 and injection drug use. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HCV may be transmitted sexually, but this does not happen very often. Snorting or inhaling cocaine with a straw or bill also used by an infected person may transmit HCV. Sharing a razor or toothbrush with an infected person, or the application of tattoos with unsterile equipment, may also pose a risk for HCV infection.

"Hepatitis C is frequently a disease without symptoms," explains Dr. Teresa Wright, Chief of Gastroenterology at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and member of the American Liver Foundation, Northern California Chapter Medical Advisory Committee. The hepatitis C virus can go undetected for 20 or even 30 years, only to be discovered after severe liver damage has occurred. We encourage veterans throughout Northern California to take advantage of this free hepatitis C testing opportunity."

The free at-home tests provided by the American Liver Foundation and the Northern California Chapter during Hepatitis Awareness Week are being supplied by Home Access Health Corporation, manufacturers of the only FDA-approved, at-home test for hepatitis C. With this easy to use test, a person collects a blood sample in the privacy of their home and then mails it to a certified blood-testing laboratory. Using a personal identification number that guarantees confidentiality, the person can then call a toll-free number to learn their test results within five to 10 days.

The American Liver Foundation is a leading voluntary health agency dedicated to the improved understanding and care of viral hepatitis and other forms of liver disease through research and education. ALF programs are supported locally by its nationwide network of chapters, including the Northern California Chapter in San Francisco.

Contact: Lisa Rabenstein of American Liver Foundation, Northern California Chapter, 415-248-1060

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This article posted July 4, 2000.