 |
|
For Immediate Release
Date: April 28, 2017
Contact: Leslie Piotrowski
(847) 377-8055
Hannah Goering
(847) 377-8099
|
Free Health Fair on National Hepatitis Testing Day, May 18
In observance of National Hepatitis
Testing Day, the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center will
host a free hepatitis health fair in conjunction with Walgreens, the Lake
County Opioid Initiative (LCOI), Live4Lali and other community partners. The
event will take place on Thursday, May 18, in the lobby of the County Building,
18 N. County Street in Waukegan, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Program staff will provide
information and education about hepatitis B and C prevention, care and treatment.
Free blood pressure screenings will be offered.
Participants can also receive general information related to overall
health and wellbeing. Free hepatitis C and HIV tests will be offered at the
Lake County Health Department Sexually Transmitted Infections program’s office
the day of the event, at 2400 Belvidere Road in Waukegan. Please call
847-377-8450 for more information.
The Health Department’s Sexually
Transmitted Infections program recently began offering treatment for hepatitis
C. It also provides counseling, resources, and a monthly support group for
people infected with hepatitis C.
CDC is recommending that everyone born between 1945 and
1965, the period known as the baby boomers generation, get a blood test for hepatitis C. This
recommendation calls for one-time testing of baby boomers.
Health
officials estimate that one in 12 people worldwide are living with either
chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C, and that one in three people have been
exposed to both viruses. Hepatitis can
be spread by:
- Sharing needles, syringes, or other
equipment to inject drugs and needle stick injuries.
- Sharing personal care items that have come
in contact with another person’s blood, such as razors or toothbrushes.
- Having sexual contact with an infected
person.
Symptoms of
hepatitis C, which include yellowing of the skin or eyes, loss of appetite,
nausea and vomiting, fever, extreme fatigue and stomach pain, can take up to 20
years to appear; many people live with the infection but are unaware of their
status. Chronic hepatitis C is a serious disease that can result in long-term
health problems, including liver damage, liver failure, liver cancer, or even
death. It is the leading cause of cirrhosis, liver cancer and the most common
reason for liver transplantation in the United States. Hepatitis C can be
successfully treated with medications and cured. Currently, there are
vaccines available for hepatitis A and hepatitis B, but not for hepatitis
C.
The Health Department’s Sexually Transmitted Infections Program, along with
several other programs, is working to reduce the incidence of infectious
diseases in alignment with the Health Department’s strategic plan goals. Located at 2400
Belvidere Road in Waukegan, it offers sexually transmitted infections
screening, treatment and hepatitis vaccines; other services including
counseling, education, free and confidential HIV testing, educational based
support/talk groups; and outreach. For additional information or to make an
appointment, call: (847) 377-8450 or visit:http://www.lakecountyil.gov/1897/Sexually-Transmitted-InfectionHIV-Preven
# # #
| 
