The Evening Times ran an article about figures in a new report showing that women from Lanarkshire experience higher-than-average rates of stillbirth and neonatal deaths than other parts of Scotland. The region recorded the second-highest rate in Scotland with 6.42 deaths per 1,000 births. However it is worth noting that the figure of 7,096 Lanarkshire resident […]
Ever injected? Get tested
Around 2000 people in Lanarkshire could be unaware they have a disease that is perfectly treatable.
That’s the message Lanarkshire’s Blood Borne Virus (BBV) team aimed to get across on World Hepatitis Day, which fell on Tuesday 28 July, by encouraging people to get a simple test which will detect the presence of hepatitis.
Hepatitis is a condition found in the blood that carriers can be oblivious to as it can have no obvious symptoms, but if undetected can lead to severe liver damage including liver failure.
However, if caught early, a very high percentage of people who are carriers can be completely cured.
NHS Lanarkshire is supporting the ‘Ever injected? Get Tested’ campaign which is targeting those deemed most at risk.
This includes people who are currently injecting drugs or have a history of injecting drugs and people who are or have injected steroids or other body image or performance enhancing drugs, including tanning products.
The campaign is also targeting those who received a blood transfusion or blood products prior to 1991, who have not already been tested for hepatitis C.
Trish Tougher, NHS Lanarkshire BBV networks manager said: “There’s a lot of stigma around hepatitis but it’s a very treatable disease.
“The sooner someone finds out they have the condition, the better chance we have of eradicating it completely.
“It’s important that those who think they may have been at risk in the past, get in touch as people can be carrying it long before symptoms have developed.
“It’s never been easier to get tested, get treated and get the support needed.”
In Scotland there are around 37,500 people currently living with chronic hepatitis, around 2,500 in Lanarkshire. But Health Protection Scotland estimates that around 18,000 nationally may be unaware they have the illness.
Dr John Logan, NHS Lanarkshire consultant in public health medicine, added: “We can only give the best possible care if we know someone has the virus.
“Therefore it’s vitally important people who have been at risk at any time in their life, get tested.
“It’s also really easy to get tested, just a fingerprick, and we now have access to a range of treatments that can cure nearly everyone who has the virus.”
For more information on hepatitis and to view the video, visit: www.LanarkshireHIVandHepatitis.org
Comments are closed.