Health Department Hosts National Hepatitis
Testing Day Event in Waukegan
Waukegan, Ill. – In observance of National
Hepatitis Testing Day, the Lake County Health Department and Community Health
Center will host a free community event alongside Live4Lali and other community
partners. The event will take place on Thursday, May 17, in the lobby of the Lake
County Building, 18 N. County Street in Waukegan, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
“For our 10th
annual hepatitis testing day event, we invite residents to get screened and
learn about the wealth of resources available in Lake County,” said Mark
Pfister, Executive Director of the Health Department. “The only way to know if
you are infected with hepatitis is to get tested.”
At the event,
Health Department staff will provide information about hepatitis, as well as HIV
and other sexually transmitted infections – from prevention to treatment. Information
on resources available in Lake County, such as testing, pre-exposure
prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), will be available. Participants
can also schedule a confidential appointment for free hepatitis C and HIV tests
at the Health Department’s Sexually Transmitted Infections program office, 2400
Belvidere Road in Waukegan.
In 2017, the
Health Department celebrated its first hepatitis C cure. Health Department
staff work together with community partners to help patients access
groundbreaking treatment, which involves taking medication daily. They also
provide counseling and linkage to community resources.
According to the
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than four million
Americans are living with chronic hepatitis, but most do not know they are
infected. Many people live with chronic hepatitis for decades without symptoms
or feeling sick.
Each type of hepatitis is caused by a different virus and
spread in different ways. Hepatitis A does not cause a long-term infection,
although it can make people very sick. Hepatitis B and hepatitis C can become
chronic, life-long infections and lead to serious health problems, including
serious damage to the liver. Lifesaving treatments are available for chronic
hepatitis B and new treatments are available that can cure hepatitis C.
About the
Sexually Transmitted Infections
Program: The Lake County Health
Department’s Sexually Transmitted Infections program, also known as Need2Know
Lake County, works to reduce the incidence of infectious diseases in Lake
County. Located at 2400 Belvidere Road in Waukegan, the program offers confidential
hepatitis, HIV, and other sexually transmitted infections screening; treatment
and case management; vaccines; counseling; harm reduction services; education;
educational-based support groups; and community outreach. For additional
information or to make an appointment, call: (847) 377-8450 or visit: http://health.lakecountyil.gov.
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