Hepatitis

What does the liver do? – Emma Bryce

This video describes the liver as a “factory” that works as a storehouse, a manufacturing hub, and a processing plant and the importance of keeping it healthy.

Hepatitis – All 5 Forms of Viral Hepatitis

This video is a quick review of the five forms of hepatitis, which is an inflammation of the liver and causes very. This educational animation is a great starting point for learning about hepatitis and other liver diseases.

Hepatitis C: The Silent Epidemic

American Liver Foundation. Often called the “silent epidemic”, people can live for decades without knowing that they have hepatitis C.  Symptoms of HCV are often hidden for decades, and more than 50% of the people with Hepatitis C have no idea that they’re living with the virus. This informative video balances patient stories with facts on hepatitis C, such as means of transmission, symptoms, and treatment methods.

CDC to Baby Boomers: Test for Hepatitis C

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC looks at statistics and is targeting baby boomers (people born between 1945 and 1965) to get a one-time test to see if they have the liver-destroying virus.

Gloria Searson – Faces of Hepatitis

While in rehab, Gloria Searson tested positive for HIV which she had contracted via injection drug use.  Although she initially struggled with her diagnosis, she threw herself into learning more about HIV and HIV treatment. She discovered that most people who contract HIV due to IV drug use also usually have hepatitis C.  Then, six years after her HIV diagnosis, Gloria learned that she too was co-infected with hep C.  As an HIV activist, Gloria speaks articulately about the necessity of education to remove the stigma people may feel about getting tested for hepatitis C.

Why More Asians Die of Viral Hepatitis

Viral hepatitis, particularly strains B and C, is especially prevalent in Asia Pacific where one person dies of the disease every 30 seconds. In fact, this region accounts for 70% of viral hepatitis deaths world-wide and three times more than those from HIV/AIDS. As discussed in this short Wall Street Journal video interview with Dr. Ding-Shinn Chen, founding member of Coalition to Eradicate Viral Hepatitis in Asia Pacific, Dr. Chen explains why viral hepatitis rates are so high in Asia Pacific and suggests ways towards eradicating it.

Su Wang – Faces of Hepatitis

Dr. Su Wang is the assistant director of medical affairs for a community health center where she coordinates hepatitis B programs and works with community organizations on hepatitis-B-related activities.  She is also living with hepatitis B herself.  While her story may be told from a more clinical approach, she makes the key point that hepatitis does not get the same attention as other diseases because there is a public perception that “it can’t happen to me” and that it only affects minorities, drug users and prisoners.  She notes that this is a dangerous misconception as hepatitis can affect people from all walks of life and is more easily transmissible than “high-profile” diseases such as HIV.