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#Post#: 16613--------------------------------------------------
Do they recommend having a Hepatitis C screening test in Europe?
By: SHL Date: June 6, 2019, 11:23 am
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I had to have a blood draw today, and they said my doc wanted a
hepatitis C screening test because I was born between 1945 and
1965. So I said, „fine, whatever.“
I read that in the US they recommend everyone born between 1945
and 1965 have a test for the Hepatitis C Virus. I don‘t know if
this is recommended in Europe or Asia. Is it?
I think they do this because of the US involvement in the
Vietnam War and because a lot of hospital guys were randomly
exposed to other´s blood. Also there was a lot of drug use in
the 1970s and 1980s, and unsterilized needles used during that
period by IV drug users and the popularity of tattoos, and
unclean needles. I recall them not having a name for it in the
1980s, but knew it what it was, calling it „Hepatitis non-A,
non-B“ I also thought that was weird, like the letters didn‘t
got up high enough or something.
So, why it was a higher risk infection in this age group, I have
no idea. The good news is Hep C is curable with a regime of
anti-viral therapy taken over months. There is no vaccine for
it, but it can be eliminated from the body. But, there is a
vaccination now for Hep B, which they didn‘t have when I was
growing up as well as one for HPV (human papilloma virus-the
three deadly strains of about 75 of them that cause warts that
can turn into cancer).
#Post#: 16619--------------------------------------------------
Re: Do they recommend having a Hepatitis C screening test in Eur
ope?
By: Alharacas Date: June 6, 2019, 1:46 pm
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No. As far as I know, as long as you aren't HIV-positive and/or
using drugs and/or into hard-core S/M, a German doctor wouldn't
see any need for this.
#Post#: 16622--------------------------------------------------
Re: Do they recommend having a Hepatitis C screening test in Eur
ope?
By: NealC Date: June 6, 2019, 2:38 pm
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45-65 is too early for Vietnam.
Concerns about Hep C remain because during that time frame the
hospitals were still sterilizing needles and syringes and
re-using them. The disposable stuff came after. They have
found that no matter how hard you clean up a needle, it can
still retain some Hep C that can cause an infection later in
life -- it usually shows up just when you don't want it to.
#Post#: 16623--------------------------------------------------
Re: Do they recommend having a Hepatitis C screening test in Eur
ope?
By: Nikola Date: June 6, 2019, 2:43 pm
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I've not heard of it, nor have my parents who are in their
sixties.
#Post#: 16625--------------------------------------------------
Re: Do they recommend having a Hepatitis C screening test in Eur
ope?
By: Truman Overby Date: June 6, 2019, 3:33 pm
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[quote author=Nikola link=topic=1140.msg16623#msg16623
date=1559850202]
I've not heard of it, nor have my parents who are in their
sixties.
[/quote]
The US tends to go overboard on medical things. Everyone's
afraid of everything over here these days. You stubbed your toe
when you were six? You'd better get tested for a leg fracture
that didn't heal. No matter if it's 30 years later. That's an
exaggeration, of course, but it makes my point.
#Post#: 16626--------------------------------------------------
Re: Do they recommend having a Hepatitis C screening test in Eur
ope?
By: MartinSR Date: June 6, 2019, 3:48 pm
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I haven't heard of these tests being mandatory or even
recommended here. Of course there are HepB tests and
vaccinations mandatory when you plan to undergo an invasive
medical procedure or if you work in healthcare. It's also
recommended for people travelling to other countries. But "C"?
No. Maybe we are not reach enough (as a country) to do such a
screening... Or have no means to treat HepC-positive patients
later.
#Post#: 16629--------------------------------------------------
Re: Do they recommend having a Hepatitis C screening test in Eur
ope?
By: SuKi Date: June 6, 2019, 4:11 pm
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No. Never heard of Hep C screening over here. Not an anglophone
thing, then.
#Post#: 16633--------------------------------------------------
Re: Do they recommend having a Hepatitis C screening test in Eur
ope?
By: SHL Date: June 6, 2019, 6:42 pm
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Thanks to all for all the answers.
The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) still recommends this
test be „offered“ as a screening test to anyone born between
1945 and 1965, and I could never understand why.
HTML https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hcv/guidelinesc.htm
Then there was this online:
„The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advise all
baby boomers get tested for hepatitis C. Baby boomers are people
born between 1945 and 1965. They are five times more likely to
have the virus than other adults.
It is not clear why baby boomers have higher rates of hepatitis
C infection than the rest of the population. At present,
researchers think that it could be due to the standard of
medical practice in the past, before the introduction of
screening and infection control measures.“
I think both Neal and Jerry are right. Neal, by saying the
re-use of needles was common until the early 80s, and Jerry by
saying the US just goes overboard on medical stuff. I only ask
because I had a client once who had Hep C and said he got it
from being in a medical unit during the Vietnam War and was
often covered in blood, and no one thought anything of it back
then. But, he was able to clear it from his system with drug
therapy, and he uses the same healthcare plan I do.
Strangely enough, I read Canada still recommends it be offered
to anyone born between 1945 and 1975, which sounds like a bit of
overkill to me.
It‘s a bit like that PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) test for
men, part of a blood test recommended for men over 45-50 to
screen for prostate cancer. But, the guy who developed the test,
whose own father died of prostate cancer, and who has never had
the test himself, said he wishes he had never developed it,
because it gives too many false positives, false negatives, and
results in too much unnecessary anxiety and unnecessary biopsies
(you can imagine how those are conducted- not a lot of fun).
They even did a study of thousands of men over like a 10 year
period once. Half were regularly tested and the other half not.
Those who were not tested with the PSA lived just as long as
those who were, without all the hassles of false positives and
unnecessary tests.
And, they never „offer“ anyone tests in the US. The doc just
types something into the computer and says „go down to the lab
and have some blood drawn.“ My doc tried that one on me once,
and I asked, „ah, tell what is going to be tested.“ He rattled
off some stuff and then said, „and a PSA.“ I told him, „No way.
I am not having that test. I don‘t believe in its accuracy and
its a lousy test. So forget it.“ He tried to argue a bit about
it and and I kept saying „no way“ and he finally just went on
the computer and deleted it. So, that’s sort of how it goes in
the US. Like Jerry said, the US goes overboard on medical
things.
#Post#: 16640--------------------------------------------------
Re: Do they recommend having a Hepatitis C screening test in Eur
ope?
By: Aliph Date: June 7, 2019, 5:51 am
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I do not think that those tests are mandatory where I live.
However vaccines against Hepatitis A and B are highly
recommended for young people BEFORE they start having a sexual
activity, they are an integrated part of family planning for
adolescents as much as information about the use of condoms.
#Post#: 16654--------------------------------------------------
Re: Do they recommend having a Hepatitis C screening test in Eur
ope?
By: SHL Date: June 7, 2019, 11:34 am
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Well yes, Sofia, no tests are mandatory in the US. That would
violate State and Federal law, not to mention the doctors‘
requirement of obtaining full and informed consent to conduct
any examination or treatment of anyone. Everyone has the right
in the US to say NO to anything, even life-saving matters. So so
one can force any medical test or pill on anyone or any
vaccination.
But, like probably everywhere in the world, if you go to a
hospital they just run tests on you and don‘t even tell you what
the tests are for. In front of every hospital they have a huge
poster that advises the patients of his or her rights and says
they have the absolute right to refuse ANY medical test or
procedure no matter how essential for ANY reason. Hence, at
least we have no mandatory vaccinations of children for school
(in California at least). They tried to make it mandatory for
kids here age 14 and above to have the Hepatitis A and B
vaccinations before entering school when they reached that age,
which is a good idea, but I think the courts stuck it down as
unconstitutional making the law invalid.
New York State has an interesting law requiring doctors to
„offer“ the Hepatitis C test to everyone born between 1945 and
1965. Emergency rooms are exempt. But, it only has to be
„offered“, not recommended, and the patient has every right to
refuse it. One of the concerns over it was that the blood supply
wasn’t screened for it until 1992, because that was when the
virus was isolated. So, some people could have gotten blood
contaminated with it.
My doctor just automatically ordered the Hepatitis C test for
me, because of the year I was born, and I didn‘t even tell me.
That’s what bothered me. I only found out it was ordered
yesterday when I went to the hospital for my blood test. At
first I was a little hesitate, but then just thought, „Go head.
Who cares? Why not?“ As it turns out, I‘m glad I had the test
because it was negative.
There is no vaccine for Hepatitis C and it can really destroy
your liver if left untreated, unusually over decades without
causing symptoms. Having Hepatitis C and not treating it does as
much damage to your liver (or can) as drinking a half bottle of
vodka a day for a decade, so it‘s a really bad thing. Plus if
you drink alcohol with Hepatitis C, it‘s a double whammy
effect. Your chances of serious liver damage increase 100-fold.
It‘s the number one reason for liver transplants in the US
today. And it kills people too. It killed Greg Allman of the
Allman brothers band who was popular in then 70s. He had to have
a transplant but died a few years later. He thinks he got it
from dirty tattoo needles in the 70s, when the virus was
unknown. This may not be a problem in Europe (I hope not) but I
guess it is in the US.
So, when I got that negative result from the Hepatitis C test I
was quite relieved and now glad I‘m glad I had the test.
By the way, that cholesterol lowering drug, Atorvastatin I take
(known as such in Europe, and also called Lipitor) really knocks
out and lowers cholesterol. It’s pretty amazing. On it for one
month and it cut my cholesterol in half and raised the good
cholesterol to from 33 to 39, with 40 being the normal HDL
range.
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