World Hepatitis Day: Early Detection Saves Lives
Key Takeaways
- A simple blood test can detect hepatitis before symptoms appear.
- Many people with hepatitis B or C do not know they have it.
- Hepatitis B can become chronic, but vaccination offers strong protection.
- Hepatitis C often causes no symptoms, but treatment can cure most people.
- Early testing helps protect the liver, prevent future complications, and reduce stigma.
- MyAlly Health offers free rapid hepatitis C testing in the Grand Forks area.
- MyAlly Health now offers hepatitis C treatment, too, and is the only agency in Grand Forks and the surrounding areas that provides it on a sliding payment scale.
A simple blood test can change the course of a life, maybe yours!
World Hepatitis Day, recognized each July 28, invites families, healthcare providers, and communities to talk openly about viral hepatitis and the lifesaving power of testing. The World Health Organization reports that 287 million people lived with chronic hepatitis B or C in 2024, and 1.3 million people died from chronic hepatitis B- and C-related illnesses that year. The 2026 campaign focuses on the barriers that keep people from receiving vaccines, accurate diagnoses, treatment, and care.
Cost is one of those barriers, and it is one MyAlly Health is working to remove locally. We now provide hepatitis C treatment on a sliding payment scale, making us the only agency in Grand Forks and the surrounding areas to do so.
Understanding Hepatitis
Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. The liver helps process food and drinks, filter toxins, store energy, and fight infection. When the liver becomes inflamed or injured, it can affect the whole body.
Different types of hepatitis affect the liver in different ways:
- Hepatitis A usually spreads through contaminated food or water, often causes short-term illness, and can be prevented with a vaccine.
- Hepatitis B spreads through blood and body fluids, can become chronic, and can be prevented with a vaccine.
- Hepatitis C spreads mainly through blood and often becomes chronic, but modern treatments can cure most people.
Without care, long-term hepatitis can raise the risk of cirrhosis, liver cancer, and other serious complications. Early testing helps people find answers sooner and protect their health.
Testing Finds Hidden Hepatitis
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that many people with viral hepatitis have no symptoms, and signs of long-term infection may not appear for decades.
Some people with hepatitis feel tired, feverish, or sick to their stomachs. Others may have belly pain, dark urine, pale or gray-colored stool, joint pain, poor appetite, or yellowing of the skin or eyes. However, many people do not feel sick at first. That delay is why testing is so important. People shouldn’t have to wait until liver damage develops to find out they have hepatitis. A simple test can give them answers earlier, when they have more options, more control, and more time to protect their health.
Hepatitis B Testing Opens the Door to Care
Hepatitis B can cause short-term illness or become a chronic infection. The CDC estimates that about 1 in 2 people with hepatitis B don’t know they have it. The virus spreads through contact with infected blood and body fluids, and vaccination offers the best protection.
Testing helps people get care sooner. Someone with hepatitis B may need regular liver monitoring, treatment, and guidance on how to protect others. It also helps protect babies, which is why the CDC recommends hepatitis B screening for all adults at least once and during each pregnancy, preferably in the first trimester.
A diagnosis can feel scary, but it can also bring answers, direction, and a clear path forward.
Hepatitis C Testing Can Lead to a Cure
Hepatitis C often causes no symptoms. Nearly 1 in 3 people with hepatitis C don’t know they have it, and 75% to 85% do not have symptoms.
Testing matters because hepatitis C can spread without someone realizing it. The good news: Treatment can cure more than 95% of patients, often within 8 to 12 weeks of oral medication. The CDC recommends hepatitis C screening for all adults 18 and older, all pregnant women during each pregnancy, and people with certain risk factors or recent exposures.
A simple test can lead to healing, prevent future liver damage, and help protect loved ones.
A positive result is only the beginning of the story, and getting from diagnosis to cure shouldn’t depend on someone’s income or insurance status. MyAlly Health now offers hepatitis C treatment in addition to testing, and we are the only agency in Grand Forks and the surrounding areas that provides this treatment on a sliding-scale payment plan. People who test positive with us can begin care right where they were tested, with a familiar team and a cost that fits their budget.
A simple test can lead to healing, prevent future liver damage, and help protect loved ones.
Early Detection Protects Families
Simple steps can help prevent, manage, or even cure hepatitis. Blood tests can find infection early, and vaccines protect against hepatitis A and B.
Safe hygiene, safer sex, avoiding shared needles, regular checkups, medical care, healthy habits, and avoiding alcohol can all help protect the liver.
For many people with hepatitis C, treatment can eliminate the virus. Testing also helps reduce stigma by giving people facts, answers, and care without judgment.
Testing and Treatment at MyAlly Health
MyAlly Health provides free rapid hepatitis C testing with a simple fingerstick. The test takes just minutes and delivers fast, reliable results without a full blood draw, with no need to fast.
We also offer confidential reproductive health services, physical and mental health screenings, education, counseling, advocacy, and comprehensive healthcare. Our nurse practitioners and resident physicians serve women and men of all ages in the Grand Forks, North Dakota, area, regardless of income.
Whether you want to learn more, support our mission, or schedule an appointment, MyAlly Health can help you take charge of your health.