Get A Blood Test For Hepatitis C

For some of us, especially baby boomers, the government wants you to get a blood test. That blood test would look for Hepatitis C.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just put out a recommendation for those of us born between 1945 and 1965. The recommendation is to get a blood test checking for Hepatitis C, and for a few very good reasons. Those born in that age group account for more than 60% of Americans infected with Hepatitis C. And Deaths from diseases related to this virus have continued to rise, doubling in the last decade alone. According to the CDC, more than 15,000 Americans die each year from illnesses caused by Hepatitis C, mainly liver cancer of cirrhosis.

And since two new drugs have been developed that can treat Hepatitis C more successfully than before, the CDC is hoping to find more baby boomers that don't know they have this oftentimes silent infection.

They think hundreds of thousands of new infections occurred yearly during the 70s and 80s. Some got infected by drug use or blood transfusions. Other risk factors include tattoos, sharing razor blades and toothbrushes.

So to try and find more of the baby boomer generation with this infection before it becomes deadly, they are recommending those born between 1945 and 1965 get a one-time blood test to make sure they don't have Hepatitis C. And if it turns out they do, then starting treatment now can go a long way towards making sure that virus doesn't cause even more issues.