May is Hepatitis Awareness Month and the Health Resources Services Administration is urging Californians to get tested for hepatitis C. HRSA Dr. Laura Cheever says the infection is easily cured, but most people who have it don't know until things get much worse.
It's estimated that 400,000 people in California live with chronic hepatitis C. The California Department of Public Health says that between 2007 and 2015, newly reported hepatitis C cases increased by 55 percent for men in their 20's and increased 37 percent for women in their 20's.
With advances in medical technology, people infected with hepatitis C can be cured with a once-a-day treatment for 12-to-24 weeks with minimal side effects. However, it can sometimes take years for symptoms to appear, which is why it's so important to be proactive by taking a simple blood test.