People who have chronic hepatitis C—and are aware of it—can take steps to slow disease progression and help the liver resist damage. For example, it’s well established that people who stop drinking alcohol and maintain a healthy body weight in the face of a hep C diagnosis can greatly reduce their risk of developing liver disease. Regular liver health monitoring and treatment can also help people living with the virus stay healthy.

Not sure if you should be tested? It’s probably best to at least discuss it with your doctor if any of the following apply to you:

  • You are a baby boomer born between 1946 and 1965
  • You had a blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1992
  • You used a blood clotting factor made before 1987
  • You have ever received long-term kidney dialysis
  • You have ever experimented with injected or snorted drugs, even if just once or twice
  • You have ever gotten a tattoo or piercing in a nonprofessional setting
  • You have had multiple sexual partners, or sexual contact with a person living with hep C
  • You have symptoms of hepatitis: fever, fatigue, dark urine, clay-colored stool, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, joint pain or yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice)