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Hepatitis C in Baby Boomers

Hepatitis C is a form of liver inflammation that is caused by the hepatitis C virus. It
spreads when a person who is not infected with the virus receives blood from an infected
person. Based on its transmission mechanism, anyone can get hepatitis C. However, in the US,
the condition is most common among people born between 1940 and 1965, often referred to as
“baby boomers”. In the US, four out of every five individuals with the virus are baby boomers
(Barocas et al., 2017). Thus, to reduce the spread of the disease it is important to control it
among baby boomers.

Why Hepatitis C is Common Among Baby Boomers

The period between 1940 and 1980 saw the highest levels of transmission of hepatitis
C virus (Moosavy et al., 2017). Various reasons have been provided to explain why this was
the case and, as a result, why baby boomers are more likely to have hepatitis C than other
groups. One of these reasons is that sterilization techniques for many surgical procedures of
that period did not adhere to the standards of today which are more stringent. For instance, it
was a common practice during that time to reuse syringes (Moosavy et al., 2017). As a result,
many people got hepatitis C from hospitals through common surgical procedures. Another
reason is that prior to 1992 there was no widespread screening of blood supply (Moosavy et
al., 2017). Thus, prior to this period, many people could get the virus through procedures, such
as organ transplant and blood transfusions. Lastly, the widespread recreational drug use that
began in the 1960s and continued all the way to 1980s could also have contributed to the fast
spread of the virus during that period (Moosavy et al., 2017). It is worth noting that this unsafe
use of needles for injection of drugs is currently the main form of hepatitis C transmission.
Why Baby Boomers are Recommended to Take Hepatitis C Test

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For some people Hepatitis C is just a short-term condition. However, for others, the
condition can take a very long time, sometimes decades, before symptoms begin to appear.
That is why the condition is considered a “silent disease”. The danger of the disease, however,
is that by the time symptoms begin appearing the disease would have led to the development
of other serious conditions, such as liver cancer and cirrhosis (Manns et al., 2017). Thus,
rather than waiting until symptoms appear, it is important that individuals that are at risk of
having the condition test for it so that they receive timely treatment before they develop life-
threatening liver problems. That is why in 2012 the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention recommended that baby boomers routinely test for the disease (Barocas, 2012).
The same recommendation was given by Preventive Services Task Force in 2013 (Barocas et
al., 2012). With such tests, at-risk individuals can identify their condition early enough and
treat it. Even though hepatitis C has no vaccine, it can be effectively treated (Moosavy et al.,
2017). When treated on time, individuals with the condition will protect themselves from
developing more serious liver conditions that may require liver transplant.

Conclusion

As a major cause of serious liver problems, it is important to take Hepatitis C
seriously. As recommended by CDC and Preventive Services Task Force, baby boomers
should take hepatitis C tests so that the condition may be detected early and treated. Without
early detection and treatment, individuals with the condition risk developing life-threatening
liver conditions.

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References

Barocas, J. A., Wang, J., White, L. F., Tasillo, A., Salomon, J. A., Freedberg, K. A., & Linas, B.
P. (2017). Hepatitis C testing increased among baby boomers following the 2012 change
to CDC testing recommendations. Health Affairs, 36(12), 2142-2150.
Manns, M. P., Buti, M., Gane, E., Pawlotsky, J. M., Razavi, H., Terrault, N., & Younossi, Z.
(2017). Hepatitis C virus infection. Nature reviews Disease primers, 3(1), 1-19.
Moosavy, S. H., Davoodian, P., Nazarnezhad, M. A., Nejatizaheh, A., Eftekhar, E., & Mahboobi,
H. (2017). Epidemiology, transmission, diagnosis, and outcome of Hepatitis C virus
infection. Electronic physician, 9(10), 5646.