Free Hepatitis Testing At SF City Hall Friday

SAN FRANCISCO, CA —Current and former San Francisco city officials are joining with community advocates on Friday for a rally to raise awareness of hepatitis and to encourage testing for it.

The noon rally outside City Hall is calling attention to the number of hepatitis B and C liver infection cases in the community. According to organizers of the rally, more than 22,000 chronic hepatitis B cases have been reported to the San Francisco Department of Public Health since 2000, including more than 80 percent of the city's cases being from people in the Asian and Pacific Islander community.

Thousands more have been reported with hepatitis C, which has increased numbers of chronic infections among those who inject drugs and share needles.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, hepatitis B and C symptoms can include dark urine, jaundice, abdominal pain, fever and fatigue, but many people may not know they are infected because they are not
clinically ill.

San Francisco Supervisor Katy Tang, former supervisor and state Assemblyman Tom Ammiano and SFDPH director Barbara Garcia are among the expected attendees at Friday's rally.

Free hepatitis B and C testing will then be available from 1-2 p.m. in a mobile testing van at City Hall.

The event is being organized by the city's Public Health Department, San Francisco Hep B Free-Bay Area, the San Francisco Hepatitis C Task Force and End Hep C SF.

— Bay City News; Image via Shutterstock