This virus is the most common blood-borne illness in the United States. It is the most common cause of liver transplants and it kills up to 10,000 Americans each year. This virus is not HIV. Rather, it is the hepatitis C virus, also called HCV. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that about four million Americans are infected with HCV. That's less than 2 percent of the country's population. But among people who start injecting illegal drugs, 50 to 80 percent get infected with HCV within one year. Injection drug use accounts for at least 60 percent of the HCV infection in the United States. Most of the injection drug users will not know they are infected, because symptoms can go undetected for 10 to 20 years. Among people who contract HCV, about 15 percent are able to rid the virus naturally from the bloodstream, according to NIDA. The rest live with hepatitis C as a chronic illness--one that increases their risk of liver damage, including cirrhosis and liver cancer. Other viruses, including hepatitis A and B, can also damage the liver. Yet these viruses rarely lead to long-term infection. While we have vaccines to prevent hepatitis A and B, no vaccine exists for HCV and none is expected soon. Current treatments for HCV include the drugs interferon and ribavirin. But these drugs can have serious side effects, including fatigue, and not everyone is a candidate for treatment. The only way that people can prevent HCV infection is through their behavior. Most importantly, they need to:
People who've injected illegal drugs at any time should get a blood test for hepatitis C. Others who should be screened include people who got blood transfusions or organ transplants before 1992 (when blood supplies began being tested for HCV), people born to an HCV-positive mother, and those with HIV. HCV is not spread by casual contact, including coughing and sneezing. Yet the infection triggers fears. People living with HCV may find that friends stop hugging them and that spouses stop sleeping with them. "Some individuals experience grief and loss, not only related to HCV diagnosis but to the physical limitations of the illness," said Sue Hoisington, executive director of Hazelden Mental Health Centers. Many with HCV suffer loss of energy and have to make lifestyle changes that require curtailing physical activities that they truly enjoy. Another common response is anger, especially among people in recovery from addiction who've abstained from drugs for years and are diagnosed with HCV, yet another chronic illness. Even so, people who entered recovery via the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous have tools for living well with this virus. One is the Serenity Prayer that is often quoted at AA meetings, "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference." "What works well with addiction and alcoholism certainly works with this chronic illness too in terms of powerlessness and acceptance," said Bob, who lives with HCV. "I try to focus on the glass being half full instead of half empty. At the same time, I can take action steps, including carrying the message that having hepatitis C is not a death sentence and that you can achieve quality life with the illness." To learn more about hepatitis C, contact:
Hazelden offers published materials about HCV, including Hepatitis C: Practical, Medical & Spiritual Guidelines for Daily Living with HCV by Mark Jenkins. --Published June 18, 2001 |
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