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Being diagnosed with hepatitis C can be overwhelming for both patients and their loved ones. As with any diagnosis of a serious health condition, there are a lot of questions—about how you acquired hepatitis C, about damage to the liver, about the ways that the disease will impact your life, about what treatments are available and the cost of these treatments.
If you or a loved one is diagnosed with hepatitis C, it is important to work with a healthcare provider to discuss treatment options.
In addition to working with your healthcare provider, it can also help to educate yourself about hepatitis C. The following websites offer information to help you better understand hepatitis C, helplines that can connect you with peer counselors who can answer questions, and organizations that provide financial assistance to help with the cost of treatment.
Help4Hep.org
This non-profit organization connects hepatitis C patients and caregivers with peer counselors who have firsthand experience with the disease. Peer counselors can answer questions, and help you find everything from financial assistance and low-cost clinics, to support groups and healthcare providers who have experience treating hepatitis C. The website features bios of some of the peer counselors and a helpline number to call to get in touch.
American Liver Foundation
The American Liver Foundation is a great starting point for learning more about hepatitis C, with pages on diagnosis, treatment, transmission, testing and many other topics. The website also features a support section with tips on talking to friends and loved ones about the diagnosis, advice for caregivers and a guide to financial assistance for patients who need help paying for treatment. You’ll also find information about support groups that meet both in-person and online.
Hep
An award-winning magazine that is available in print and online, Hep is a good site to visit to find the latest news about all forms of hepatitis. The Basics section features overview information about hepatitis A, B and C, including information on testing, treatment and financial assistance programs. There are also forums for questions and discussion, and a stories section where people from all over the world share their personal accounts of life with hepatitis.
Know More Hepatitis™
This public health awareness campaign by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is dedicated to raising awareness about hepatitis C and encouraging screening for the disease in one of the most at-risk groups in the United States—Baby Boomers, the generation of people born between 1945 and 1965. Three out of four people with hepatitis C in the U.S. belong to this demographic. The webpage for Know More Hepatitis features information about hepatitis C and an online risk assessment for hepatitis A, B and C.
