Posted 5/22/2012 11:20 AM (GMT 0)
Hi San...we are glad to have you here in Hepatitis. Hope your GERD is under control, I have not personally tracked your journey, but hope your symptoms are under control at this time.
Re Hep C (HCV):
I think that the situation re baby boomers is that these adults came of age in an era before Hep C was identified as a separate disease causing virus. That is aside from the fact that the Boomers came of age in the peace and love generation and drug use had just become mainstream...not stuck in opium dens in scarey inner city neighborhoods.
Prior to identifying Hep C, the blood supply was not tested for this disease and donated blood might contain Hep C and was used for surgeries, battled field emergencies, hemopheliac treatments, etc. This means that blood to blood transfer was wide spread, not confinded to the IV drug community.
The IV drug community may have become more widespread during this time before clean needle programs were advertised and users could be more careful.
I have even heard that the Viet Nam war cause more spread of the disease, as it was being spread to solders via transfusion or drug use and wounded soldiers were being treated often in battlefield settings without mask and gloves...pretty gruesome injuries were treated and those in the medical units were exposed too.
Even the tatoo industry has had some changed in recent times, using fresh equipment and fresh paint each time, and thus less blood to blood transferance in that industry.
AND, since the disease can sit quietly in the background for 30 or 40 years, the boomers are the latest generation to GET SICK from HCV. The medical world is now trying to stem an epidemic that started before folks knew to be careful.