This STD Is Surprisingly Common Among Baby Boomers, According To Data
Hirurg | Canva When was the last time you had an STD test? If you need a few seconds to count the years, well, you're not alone.
It's important to screen for STDs routinely, and there's one infection that should be on every Baby Boomer's lab panel, and most have never been screened for it.
Hepatitis C is surprisingly common among Baby Boomers, according to data
CDC / Unsplash
A paper in the Annals of Emergency Medicine suggests you add one specific test: hepatitis C. After testing more than 500 Boomers, researchers from the emergency department at the University of Alabama at Birmingham discovered the rate of hepatitis C among patients born between 1945 and 1965 was 13.5%, more than double the 3-5% they expected.
A lot of it can be traced back to the state of medical care in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. At the time, blood transfusions and organ transplants weren't being screened for the virus yet. During these decades, people could have been exposed without ever realizing it.
STDs seem like something that only happens in brochures at your doctor's office or to a friend from a friend, and you never think it can happen to you until it does. All it takes is one person to give you an STD, and some can last for life. It's important to get regularly checked for STDs, so you don't accidentally give one to your own partner, no matter your age.
The good news: Hepatitis C is highly curable
The bad news? Most people who have it have no idea, which is why the Boomer generation is overdue for a screening. The rates were so high that researchers figured their initial results were a fluke. But the numbers were right, which is why the department plans on screening 15,000 more people in the coming years.
It's serious stuff, too: hepatitis C can remain dormant in the body for decades, only to show itself later on in the form of cirrhosis, liver disease, or liver cancer. According to the CDC, for every 100 positive patients, between 5 and 20 will develop cirrhosis over several decades, and between one and five will die.
Hepatitis C used to be regularly screened for in drug users, HIV-positive patients, and anyone who had a blood transfusion before 1992. Hep-C rates dropped sharply after blood-supply screening began in 1992.
So why the sudden uptick in the Boomer demographic? Since that major decrease, paper author Ryan L. Nave believes many of the infected Boomers used to be high-risk and have since changed their behavior — but never got tested.
Many people still aren't aware of Hepatitis C, and a lack of health insurance can make testing less likely
The cure rate for Hep-C now sits above 95% with just 8 to 12 weeks of oral medication. No injections, no brutal side effects, just a course of oral medication. That cure only helps people who actually get tested.
If you're a Boomer who has never been screened, the one-time blood test is long overdue. Hep-C isn't the only STD on the rise among older Americans; check out Your Guide to STDs Over 40 to learn more about your risk.
Nina Elias is an experienced copywriter, editor, content strategist, brand strategist, and journalist.
