1. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most common blood-borne infection and a major cause of liver damage in the U.S. True False
2. Hepatitis C is not a very serious medical problem. True False
3. Hepatitis C is not spread through contact with infected blood. True False
4. Hepatitis in its chronic form affects about 4 million Americans. True False
5. There are five currently identified hepatitis viruses- -A, B, C, D, and E --all of which can attack and damage the liver. True False
6. HCV, one of the most serious of the five, can cause cirrhosis (irreversible and potentially fatal liver scarring), liver cancer, or liver failure. True False
7. Hepatitis C is the major reason for liver transplants in the U.S.. True False
8. An over-the-counter blood collection kit for testing for antibodies to hepatitis C virus has been approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and is available to consumers. True False
9. With the kit, the user collects a sample of blood at home and mails it to a designated laboratory for analysis. True False
10. The results are available over the phone. True False
11. The results, however, are neither confidential nor private. True False
12. Test results are not available for about two months from receipt of the blood sample. True False
13. Test results will show whether a person has ever contracted the hepatitis C virus, unless he or she was exposed in the previous six months, which may be too early for the test to detect. True False
14. Individuals at high-risk for acquiring hepatitis C include those who: received blood transfusions or organ transplants prior to 1992 before the blood supply could be reliably screened for the virus. True False
15. Individuals who inject illegal drugs, who get pricked with an infected needle or who engage in high-risk sexual behavior with an HCV-infected person are at risk for acquiring hepatitis C. True False
Score = Correct answers:
Source(s): U.S. Food & Drug Administration U.S. Centers for Disease Control 04/00