The spotlight has been on hepatitis C recently with the latest advancements in treatment options. Here are a few facts that you might not know about Hepatitis C.

1. Hepatitis C is a viral disease that can cause long-standing liver disease, cirrhosis and liver cancer.
2. Hepatitis C can be sexually transmitted but is more likely to be spread through the blood (i.e. blood transfusions, sharing needles, syringes or other equipment to inject drugs).
3. Baby boomers (those born between 1945 and 1965) are more likely to have hep C than adults in other age groups.
4. Hep C is often a silent infection with most people unaware that they have it.
5. According to the CDC, more people than ever died from hepatitis C in 2014.
6. 75% of people that have hep C, have not yet been diagnosed.
7. Screening for hep C is a simple blood test that can be requested from your general practitioner, and some labs even allow walk-ins for this screening.
8. Treatment options achieve very high cure rates (more than 90%) and are easily tolerated by patients.