Individuals, and baby boomers in particular, who have ever taken street drugs or received a tattoo prior to the 1990s are being urged by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to speak to their health care provider about the risk of contracting the hepatitis C virus (HCV).

"It's one of those tests that patients should ask their health care providers about as part of keeping themselves healthy," said Keith Berry, a member of the Ontario Hepatitis C Task Force who is living with hepatitis C. "Getting the test means either peace of mind, or better treatment. Both options are better than not knowing your status."

While the risk of transmission through blood transfusions has been essentially eliminated, HCV continues to be spread among drug users and in some cases injection steroid users. They, along with people who have been tattooed or ever experimented with injection drugs in the past, are being encouraged by Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to ask their health care provider about a hepatitis C test.

In Ontario, between 105,000 and 132,000 people are infected with hepatitis C. Of this number, it is estimated that approximately 30,000 of them have no idea they are infected because they haven't been tested. That means a population about the size of North Bay could be infected with HCV and don't know it.

"The results for early treatment of hepatitis C are excellent, especially if people get tested early," said Dr. Sheela Basrur, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health. "Early detection is also the best way to prevent the spread of HCV to others."

"In many cases, people have no symptoms so by the time they discover they’re infected with HCV, they may have decreased their chance at responding to treatment," said Dr. Morris Sherman, Hepatologist at University Health Network. "That’s why people are being encouraged to get tested."

April 2006

© Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2003  |  Privacy Policy  |  Disclaimers  |   Last Modified :