What We Believe

Over the years, several myths and beliefs about hep C have persisted, and who has it. This has been true in the science and the clinical nearly as much as in the public arena.

Like so much else, science is not static, and as I am fond of saying, “what we believe to be true today will surely be proven wrong in the future.”

This is the nature of the scientific endeavor, in that each discovery has the potential to disprove the last. Yes, some things will not change and be proven over time, and this is an essential facet of science. The constants we cling to because they are evidence-based.

The interpretation of that knowledge, and the application of that work, are crucial in leading to how the knowledge supports developments in medicine. It becomes an action, as we now see with hep C treatments, that are so effective at stopping its mission to make more viruses, destroying our health along the way.

Being cured of hep C

There is now sufficient real-world study and data to support the idea and reality that we can destroy the hep C virus in people who have developed chronic hep C.

Any genotype, at any point, regardless of our condition, can be treated successfully at rates that less than a decade ago were impossible. This covers the science and clinical area, but what about us, the people affected? What do we believe, and why?

Generally, we accept and trust in the science, and we trust our treating care provider knows how to help us reach a cure/SVR.

A few do not, and the why is complex, and it is difficult to even speculate on the reasons. How we interpret science is not universally the same, but most non-academics get the basics right.

I like to use the hep C 101 label to describe the basics of hep C and treatment. Most of us diagnosed do not want to be experts; we just want a rudimentary grasp on what we must deal with.

This is not unique to hep C; you can get it if you have other health issues.

Until not so many years ago, the best understanding of hep C was not easy to find, and myths were more abundant. We still see them from time to time, but people are far better informed now.

No, it is not perfect, but what is?

Why treatment is so important

How we acquire understanding and knowledge varies. How we develop trust varies just as much. Still, some things have been proven now: untreated hep C will, over time, cause worsening health, and the outcome will affect us seriously and can cause death if left untreated.

It will probably not happen in 5 or 10 years, but we know that hepatitis can’t wait. Hep C is curable. Get tested and cured; you will never regret that vital act. You can do this for yourself and all those around you who care about you. I care.