If you’re a part of the baby boomer generation and haven’t already had a test done, the answer is very likely yes.

You might be thinking: “wait a second, are you assuming I had some wild teenage years where I injected drugs into my system?”. There’s a stereotype about who gets hepatitis C because injecting drugs so greatly increases your risk, but there are actually a number of other ways you can get hepatitis C.

Hepatitis C is a virus that gets transmitted through blood.

If you received a transfusion of blood, blood components, or an organ transplant before July 1992, if you were ever on long-term hemodialysis, or if you received clotting factor concentrates produced before 1987, the virus could have gotten into your system without you knowing it.

If a close friend or family member contracted the virus, you could also have gotten hepatitis C from sharing a toothbrush or razor blade.

Many people don’t know the virus is in their system until they begin to develop serious, life-threatening liver disease.

The CDC actually recommends all adults born from 1945 through 1965 be tested once – even if they have no other risk factors for hepatitis C.

If you go in tomorrow and test positive for the virus, treatments are available that can cure Hepatitis C and prevent liver damage, cirrhosis, and even liver cancer down the line.

So why wait? Your Health Advisor can answer any questions you may have, and help you schedule this appointment at a free clinic or with your usual clinician.