Photo of El Galeon by Martha Moore
(Radio) Trending Now features Josh Arnold and his guests, Kathy Boudreau, Circle Insurance, plus the city of Gloucester Health Coordinator, Kelley Ries with a health update and the president of the Newburyport Chamber of Commerce, Ann Ormand, with a look at all of the great events happening this weekend in Newburyport.
Trending Now OnDemand below:
Gloucester Health Department and the American Liver Foundation present:
Hepatitis C Initiative for Baby Boomer Population
The City of Gloucester Health Department in collaboration with the American Liver Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital areimplementing the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Hepatitis C Baby Boomer Campaign.
Did you know that those born from 1945 – 1965 are five times more likely to have Hepatitis C than any other adult? Hepatitis C is a serious liver disease that results from infection with the Hepatitis C virus.Many baby boomers are unknowingly living with an infection acquired many years ago.The longer people live with Hepatitis C, the more likely they are to develop serious liver problems including liver damage, cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer.
While some cases of Hepatitis C infection in this birth cohort are related to the lifestyle choices of the 60s and 70s, many were exposed through contaminated blood and blood products before the advent of universal precautions and widespread screening of the blood supply in 1992. Many baby boomers do not know how or when they were infected.
American Liver Foundation Community Outreach and Education Manager, Lindsay Ventura, states “By raising awareness and education, we hope to dispel some of the stigma and misunderstanding which exists around Hepatitis C. Through this effort, we seek to get people tested, so they can be treated and, ultimately, be cured.”
The Gloucester Health Department and American Liver Foundation will be holding a community event to share the facts about Hepatitis C and the high rates of infection which exist in baby boomers. The public are encouraged to attend.
A free Hepatitis C Testing Day will be held in partnership with Massachusetts General Hospital.
Date and Location of Events
Hepatitis C Educational Event
Wednesday June 8th 6:00 PM
Rose Baker Senior Center
6 Manuel F. Lewis St.
Free Hepatitis C Testing Day
Saturday July 23rd 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Rose Baker Senior Center
6 Manuel F. Lewis St.
For further information or questions, please contact Kelley Ries, Public Health Nurse, at 978-282-8023 or kries@gloucester-ma.gov
Martha Moore photo of El Galeon
