Hepatitis B Awareness Effort Hits Philadelphia's Love Park
By John McDevitt
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A local effort took place in "Love Park" (JFK Plaza) today, where participants were flexing their muscles in recognition of National Hepatitis Awareness Month.
Wearing blue t-shirts with a red-and-yellow "B" on the chest to mimic Superman's "S," about 50 people took part in the event, showing photos of the Hepatitis B Foundation's work in its "B A Hero" campaign.
The campaign stresses the importance of getting screened and tested for hepatitis B.
"Hepatitis B is a liver infection, and it can cause chronic infection that leads to liver cancer or cirrhosis or liver failure," says Chari Cohen, associate director for public health at the Hepatitis B Foundation.
"Anyone is at risk," she notes. "It's transmitted through contact with blood or infectious bodily fluids, through sexual contact, and most commonly from mother to child during childbirth. At higher risk would include people who are born in countries where it's endemic, like in Asia and Africa."
Free testing will be conducted on Saturday at the sixth annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Festival, in Franklin Square.
