• Communicable Disease HOME
• A-Z Diseases & Topics

• Surveillance & Reporting
• Laws & Rules
• About Us
• Contact Us

 

Programs & Services

National Hepatitis Awareness Month

National Hepatitis Awareness Month (NHAM) is observed annually during the month of May in the United States, and May 19^th is National Hepatitis Testing Day (NHTD). During May, NCDHHS and our public health partners work to shed light on the impact of these hidden epidemics by raising awareness of viral hepatitis while encouraging testing and vaccination. National Hepatitis Awareness Month activities help to improve everyone’s understanding of viral hepatitis transmission and risk factors and to decrease social stigma against viral hepatitis.

Viral Hepatitis Key Facts

• There are several different viruses that can cause hepatitis; the most common types of viral hepatitis are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.
• Chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C are leading causes of liver cancer in the United States.
• Both hepatitis A and hepatitis B are preventable with safe and effective vaccines, and hepatitis C is curable with prescribed treatment.
• CDC recommends all adults through age 59 and adults age 60 or older with risk factors get vaccinated against hepatitis B and that unvaccinated adults with risk factors be vaccinated against hepatitis A. If you are age 60 or older and do not have risk factors, you may choose to get vaccinated.
• About 66% of people with hepatitis B are unaware of their infection and about 51% of people living with hepatitis C do not know they are infected.
• CDC recommends all adults get tested for  hepatitis B  and  hepatitis C  at least once in their lifetime and pregnant women get tested during each pregnancy.  Getting tested is the only way to know if you have hepatitis B or hepatitis C.

Get Involved

• Share the  ABCs of Viral Hepatitis  to help others learn facts about the three most common types of viral hepatitis in the United States.
• If you offer hepatitis testing to the public, register your testing services by visiting https://gettested.cdc.gov and fill out the online form.
• Access and share materials about hepatitis B for Asian and African immigrant audiences.
• Access and share materials about hepatitis C for healthcare providers from the  Know More Hepatitis  campaign.
• Find resources about hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C for clinicians and the public.

You can raise awareness of Hepatitis, testing, vaccinations for hepatitis A and hepatitis B and treatment for hepatitis C to help address stigma and other barriers that prevent access to care and encourage friends and family to get tested and know their hepatitis status.

Learn the ABCs of Viral Hepatitis

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is a contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. People who get hepatitis A may feel sick for a few weeks to several months but usually recover completely and do not have lasting liver damage. The hepatitis A virus is found in the stool and blood of people who are infected and can be spread when someone ingests the virus, usually through eating contaminated food or drink or through close personal contact with an infected person. Hepatitis A is very contagious, and people can even spread the virus before they get symptoms. However, hepatitis A is easily prevented with a safe and effective vaccine, which is recommended for all children at one year of age and for adults who may be at risk, including travelers to certain international countries.

Since the hepatitis A vaccine was first recommended in 1996, cases of hepatitis A in the United States have declined dramatically. Unfortunately, adult vaccination rates remain low and in recent years the number of people infected has increased as a result of  multiple outbreaks of hepatitis A  across the United States. While hepatitis A can affect anyone, certain groups are at greater risk of being infected in these outbreaks. To help stop the outbreaks, CDC recommends the hepatitis A vaccine for people who use drugs (including drugs that are not injected), people experiencing homelessness, men who have sex with men, people with liver disease, and people who are or were recently in jail or prison.

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus. Some people who become infected can go on to develop a chronic or lifelong infection. Over time, chronic hepatitis B can cause serious liver damage, and even liver cancer.

CDC recommends all adults get tested for hepatitis B at least once in their life and pregnant women during each pregnancy. Although there is no cure for hepatitis B, treatments are available that can delay or reduce the risk of developing liver cancer and other complications.

Hepatitis B is spread when blood, semen, or other body fluids from a person infected with the virus enters the body of someone who is not infected or has not been vaccinated. This can happen through sexual contact; sharing needles, syringes, or other drug-injection equipment; or from mother to baby at birth.

Hepatitis B can be prevented with a safe and effective vaccine. Shortly after birth, babies should receive the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine. Three doses of the hepatitis B are recommended for children. CDC recommends all adults through age 59 and adults age 60 or older with risk factors get vaccinated, if they were not vaccinated as a child. If you are age 60 or older and do not have risk factors, you may choose to get vaccinated.

Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis C virus. For some people, hepatitis C is a short-term illness, but for more than half of people who become infected with the hepatitis C virus, it becomes a long-term, chronic infection that can lead to liver disease and liver cancer.

Rates of new infections have been on the rise , particularly among young adults, which coincides with the recent increase in injection drug use related to the United States’ opioid crisis. While more uncommon, hepatitis C can also spread through health care exposures, sex with an infected person, birth to an infected mother, and tattoos and body piercings from unlicensed facilities or informal settings.

People with hepatitis C often have no symptoms so testing is the only way to know if you are infected. CDC recommends  all adults get tested  at least once in their life and pregnant women get tested during each pregnancy. In addition,  anyone with ongoing risk and certain medical conditions  should get tested. There is currently no vaccine to prevent hepatitis C, but treatments are available that can cure hepatitis C. Most people with hepatitis C can be cured in just 8 to 12 weeks. Testing is the first step.

Promoting NHAM to Get the Word Out

Share the social media posts below to help promote Hepatitis Awareness Month and National Hepatitis Testing Day. To raise awareness of hepatitis, address stigma and other barriers to treatment and care, and encourage friends and family to get tested. Don’t forget to use the following hashtags with the sample social media messages below to spark conversations about hepatitis and highlight progress being made to reduce hepatitis in the United States.

Hashtags: Use #HepAware2023, #HepatitisAwarenessMonth, #HepatitisTestingDay, #Hepatitis, and #NHAM throughout the month of May and on May 19 and the days leading up to National Hepatitis Testing Day!

Follow and tag @NCDHHS on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Sample Social Media Messages

Sample Post to Promote Hepatitis Awareness Month (For Public)

Sample Post to Promote Hepatitis Awareness Month (For Public)

Sample Post to Promote Hepatitis Awareness Month (For Public)

Sample Post to Promote Hepatitis Awareness Month (For Public)

Sample Post to Promote National Hepatitis Testing Day (For Public)

Sample Post to Promote National Hepatitis Testing Day (For Public)

Sample Post to Promote National Hepatitis Testing Day (For Public)

Sample Post to Promote Hepatitis B Testing (For Public)

Sample Post to Promote Hepatitis B Testing (For Providers)

Sample Post to Promote Hepatitis Awareness Month (For Partners)

Sample Post to Promote National Hepatitis Testing Day (For Partners and Public)

Sample Post to Promote Hepatitis C Testing (For Public)

Sample Post to Promote Hepatitis Awareness Month (For Public)

Sample Post to Learn About Viral Hepatitis (For Public)