Since the onset of the HIV epidemic, the medical community has worked diligently to understand how the virus is transmitted and develop innovative treatments to help HIV-positive people live full, healthy lives. A factor that often complicates the health of those living with HIV is being co-infected with Hepatitis C (HCV). And it’s more common than you think.
This Hepatitis Awareness Month, Amida Care is raising awareness about the relationship between the two viruses. Here are the top three things you should know about HCV and HIV co-infection:
- 25-30% percent of people with HIV are co-infected with Hepatitis C.
People co-infected with HCV typically experience poorer outcomes, including liver-related diseases and death, as a result of HCV than those who aren’t co-infected. They also often have a weaker immune response to HCV compared to those who aren’t co-infected. - HIV coinfection more than triples a person’s risk for liver disease, liver failure, and liver-related death from HCV.
In the early years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, people with HIV usually died from AIDS-related causes. However, now that anti-retroviral medications are helping people live longer, many HIV-positive people survive long enough for HCV to affect their liver function. - Chronic HCV is often silent.
Many people can have the infection for decades without having symptoms or feeling sick. Compared with other age groups, people aged 46-64 are 4-5 times more likely to be infected with HCV. All people born from 1945-65 should be tested for Hepatitis C.
If you have HIV, it’s important that you are tested for Hepatitis C. If you do not have HCV infection, you should take precautions in order to prevent contracting HCV. You can lower your risk of contracting HCV and other blood borne viruses by not sharing toothbrushes, razors, or other personal items that may come into contact with an infected person’s blood. It’s also recommended to abstain from intravenous drug use, as this is one of the most common ways of contracting HCV. If you are at risk for Hepatitis C, it is important to get tested so that the virus may be detected early and you may be linked to care and treatment.
Beyond just preventing the spread of HCV, expanded access to treatment is critical to helping those with HCV maintain control of their health and prevent liver-related illnesses. Through proper use of antiretroviral medication, many HIV-positive individuals can become virally suppressed and live longer, healthier lives. HIV treatment may also slow the progression of damage from Hepatitis C by boosting the immune system; likewise, through the latest advances in HCV treatment, those with Hepatitis C can also become virally suppressed and cured if treated soon enough, before liver disease has progressed too far.
At Amida Care – New York’s largest Medicaid special needs health plan (SNP) for people living with chronic health conditions such as HIV/AIDS – we have a 98 percent cure rate for HCV. We understand the importance of providing access to HCV medications and prioritizing early treatment. We have the resources and treatments to cure HCV – it’s time to make sure it’s accessible to all.
For more information, please visit www.amidacareny.org.
