This page is an archive. Its content may no longer be accurate and was last updated on the original publication date. It is intended for reference and as a historical record only. For hep C questions, call Help4Hep BC at 1-888-411-7578.
May is Hepatitis Awareness month and this year’s campaign is focusing on Hepatitis C. It’s also National Aboriginal Hepatitis C Awareness month and Positive Living North is offering free testing at the Fire Pit Drop-In Centre downtown.
“We’re specifically focusing on Hep C awareness where we’re trying to educate the public about Hep C and getting tested,” says Orlando Mcleish, HIV and Hep C Educator with Positive Living North. “You may have it and not know it – that’s typical with Hep C. You can have it for up to 30 years and have no signs or symptoms.”
It’s estimated that more than 460,000 Canadians have a history of Hepatitis C and somewhere between 220,000 and 246,000 have chronic Hep C. The disease often shows no symptoms until the liver has been severely damaged, which is what makes testing so important.
In BC, somewhere around 80,000 people have the disease.