In conjunction with Hepatitis Awareness Month, the Hepatitis Branch introduces a new public service announcement (PSA) on Hepatitis C featuring Dr. David Satcher, Surgeon General of the United States, urging people who may have had a blood transfusion before July 1992 to be tested for Hepatitis C.

Click here to view the PSA.
(requires RealMedia)

Transcript for Dr. David Satcher's PSA:

Have you had a blood transfusion for any reason, prior to July of 1992? Did you receive blood because of surgery, a serious car accident, or a cesarean birth? If so, you may have been infected with hepatitis C virus.

Hello, I'm Dr. David Satcher, Surgeon General of the United States. Our blood supply is safer now than ever before. But anyone who received a blood transfusion before July of 1992 may have acquired hepatitis C before more accurate tests were used to screen donated blood.

And blood transfusion is just one of the many ways this disease is transmitted. Hepatitis C is a serious disease that often causes life-threatening liver problems. It may have no visible signs or symptoms for up to 30 years.

Treatments are available and there are other steps you can take to protect your liver from further harm. So, ask your doctor if you or someone you love should be tested.

For more information contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at 1-888-4HEPCDC, 1-888-443-7232, or access their website at www.cdc.gov/hepatitis.

Available from the National Center for Infectious Diseases
www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/c/psa.htm