For over 20 years, NCAP has been the community-based organization that has led the response to HIV and AIDS in Northern Colorado. The agency has evolved according to the needs of people living with HIV and AIDS, along with adapting to public policy and attitudes towards the disease.

NCAP is the only AIDS service organization in 16,000 square miles that provides comprehensive medical case management and prevention education/outreach services, including confidential HIV testing. We have developed an extensive network of collaborative and cooperative service providers throughout our vast geographic rural/frontier service area to ensure HIV/AIDS care and prevention remain in our local communities.

The liver is the largest solid organ in the human body, and is vital to overall health. The liver does many things to keep the body functioning properly, including filtering toxins and detoxifying chemicals, producing bile to help digestion, and producing proteins that perform many bodily functions (e.g. blood clotting)¹². When the liver becomes inflamed, it grows in size and has trouble working properly. Many things can cause liver inflammation, including the Hepatitis viruses and excessive alcohol consumption.

 

Hepatitis virus comes in five different forms, labeled A through E. Hepatitis C infection is classified under two headings: acute and chronic. Hepatitis C infection is considered acute when an infected individual has been infected for six months or less¹³. After an infection has lasted longer than six months, the infection is considered chronic¹³. In both cases, while some people experience specific symptoms that would suggest a problem with the liver (such as jaundice, which turns the skin and the whites of the eyes yellow), some people experience no symptoms that would immediately indicate a Hepatitis C infection¹³. An estimated 3.2 million Americans have chronic Hepatitis C infection, but many are unaware of it¹⁴.

 

Over time, Hepatitis C can cause serious damage to the liver. This damage can result in cirrhosis (extensive scarring of liver tissue), liver cancer, and/or liver failure¹⁵. The severe consequences of Hepatitis C infection are the most common reason for liver transplants, and approximately 8,000 to 10,000 people die every year from Hepatitis C-related liver disease¹⁴.