Should You Get Tested?

What is Hepatitis?

"Hepatitis" means inflammation of the liver, and is most often caused by a virus. An estimated 5.3 million Americans are living with chronic hepatitis; and because the virus may not cause symptoms for 20 or 30 years, most do not know they are infected. Chronic viral hepatitis is the leading cause of liver cancer and the most common reason for liver transplantation.

Know the Risks

Take the next 5 minutes to use CDC's online interactive risk assessment tool to see if you are at risk. Your answers are confidential and will only be used to generate health recommendations that you should discuss with your doctor.

Who should be tested for Hepatitis?

Hepatitis testing is recommended for certain groups of people. For example:

  • 1 in 10 Asian-Americans is chronically infected with Hepatitis B
  • 75 percent of people with Hepatitis C were born from 1945 to 1965

Faces of Hepatitis

 

These short videos tell the stories of people affected by hepatitis - individuals living with Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C, their families and loved ones, healthcare providers and community advocates. Faces of Hepatitis helps illustrate that viral hepatitis is not just one story, or face or voice, but many.

Hepatitis B Videos

Su Wang
Dr. Su Wang is the assistant director of medical affairs at the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center in New York. She learned of her Hepatitis B infection after giving blood as a college student and later learned that her mother also has Hepatitis B.
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Arline Loh
Arline Loh was diagnosed with Hepatitis B at age 39 after feelings of fatigue prompted her to talk to her doctor.
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Michael Hagan
Dr. Hagan contracted Hepatitis B while working in the ER in 1984 and received a liver transplant in 1999. Dr. Hagan currently works with Gift of Life Michigan and oversees their quality improvement initiatives dealing with organ and tissue donation.
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Hepatitis C Videos

Antonio Gonzales
Antonio Gonzales (Comca’Ac) is an advocate for American Indians and a Vietnam combat veteran with two purple hearts. He received a liver transplant in 2005 to treat Hepatitis C and resulting liver disease.
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Pauli Gray
Pauli Gray is a musician and patient educator. He was diagnosed with Hepatitis C in 1997.
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Gloria Searson
Following a diagnosis of HIV, Gloria Searson later learned of her co-infection with Hepatitis C.
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The Viral Hepatitis Action Coalition is a public-private partnership developed by the CDC Foundation. Coalition members are committed to helping CDC advance the prevention, screening and treatment of viral hepatitis.

Learn About The Coalition >