Hepatitis C versus HIV/AIDS

I subscribe to the HCV Advocate Weekly News Review and today's email had some eye-opening information comparing Hepatitis C and HIV. I didn't know that...

* About 3.2 million people in the U.S. have chronic Hepatitis C, compared to about 1.1 million with HIV.

* HCV is harder to kill than HIV and can live longer in blood outside the body.

* Thanks to greater awareness and precautions, the overall number of new HCV infections has fallen dramatically – to about 19,000 cases annually, compared to more than 50,000 for HIV...

I sometimes wonder if Hep C will achieve the level of public awareness that HIV and AIDS have. Of course, it took many years and concentrated efforts by many advocates - celebrities, royalty, elected officials and more - to garner such broad attention for HIV/AIDS. Yet since Hep C is more widespread, it's my selfish wish that people will one day be equally passionate about finding a cure for it.

If you or a loved one has Hep C, be sure to check out the HCV Advocate website. It's a one-stop site for current news on Hep C-related news. Plus, there currently is a notice on the site's home page announcing that it has re-launched the HCV Advocate Medical Writers' Circle, stating, The authors of the MWC are some of the most highly respected hepatitis doctors and researchers from around the world... From time to time, these doctors contribute their expertise to our site. The articles they write cover various topics and are designed to help educate and support our readers.

With only a quick glance over the articles, I've already found several must-reads. Check it out.