Hepatitis Awareness Month: Promoting Screening and Vaccination

May is Hepatitis Awareness Month, where the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collaborates with public health partners to raise awareness about viral hepatitis. The focus is on promoting testing and vaccination efforts to curb the spread of this prevalent liver disease.

Hepatitis Awareness Month aims to educate the community about viral hepatitis, which is liver inflammation caused by viral infections. The awareness campaign sheds light on how the disease spreads and the severe consequences that can result if left untreated. Additionally, it aims to reduce the social stigma associated with hepatitis, which may deter individuals from seeking testing and treatment.

Marking an important date in May, May 19 is recognized as Hepatitis Testing Day. This national initiative, in place since 2012, advocates for screening for hepatitis B and C. These two types of viral hepatitis affect an estimated 862,000 and 2.4 million individuals in the U.S., respectively.

The collective efforts during Hepatitis Awareness Month contribute towards the strategic goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat in the U.S. by 2030. This aligns with the global objective set by the World Health Organization.

This year’s Hepatitis Awareness Month will focus on three key themes, with the CDC providing social media content to raise awareness:

• May 6-10: Reaching key populations and high-impact settings to enhance access to vaccines, testing, and treatment.
• May 13-17: Protecting young families and pregnant women by advocating for hepatitis B and C screening during pregnancy.
• May 20-24: Accelerating hepatitis C point-of-care testing to facilitate better linkage to life-saving treatments.

Individuals are urged to participate in spreading awareness about Hepatitis Awareness Month and Hepatitis Testing Day by sharing social media content available on the CDC’s platform using hashtags such as #HepAware2024, #HepatitisAwarenessMonth, and #Hepatitis.

Furthermore, individuals can engage with @cdchep on social media platforms to access hepatitis resources and stay updated on campaign developments.

Hepatitis B and C primarily spread through contact with infected blood or bodily fluids, often through activities like unprotected sex or needle-sharing. Additionally, transmission can occur from infected mothers to their babies during childbirth. Although many individuals with these forms of hepatitis may not exhibit symptoms,