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More Students Learn How to Stay Hep Free

High School Liver Education program begins at Farrington High School

The Hawai'i Chapter officially kicked off "Get Hip. Stay Hep Free," a liver wellness and hepatitis B prevention high school education program at Farrington High School, reaching approximately 75 students in three health classes, on October 19. The program was introduced to high school teachers on Oahu and piloted at Farrington High School last Spring 2007.

The recent sessions were led by Janice Nillias, executive director, and Heather Lusk, the Hawaii State Department of Health's hepatitis C coordinator and volunteer chair of the Hawai'i Chapter's Community Education Advisory Committee. The program, developed in collaboration with the Hawaii State Department of Education and Department of Health, also featured testimonials from Liver Buddies mentors Aaron Okubo and Kirk Uechi.

The program is targeting public schools that have a high concentration of immigrants from Asian-Pacific countries where the hepatitis B virus is prevalent. According to the Department of Education's 2005-2006 student report, nearly 60 percent of Farrington High School's student population is of Filipino ancestry. Medical facilities outside of the U.S., particularly in countries where there is a high prevalence of hepatitis B virus, thus mothers could have unknowingly passed it on to their children at birth. The most common way the hepatitis B virus is transmitted is through mother to child at birth.

Students living in the same household with an infected family member are also at increased risk for contact with infected blood from personal care items," Heather said, explaining why Farrington High School makes an excellent choice for this program. High school students may also be more exposed to peer pressure and challenged to participate in unhealthy behaviors. Consuming more alcohol than the liver can process in a given amount of time can damage your liver and the hepatitis B virus can be spread through the sharing of unclean needles to inject drugs or to get body piercing or tattoos.

Pre and post-quiz results showed the students gained up to 33% more knowledge about liver health and disease prevention after the Get Hip. Stay Hep Free! education program. The chapter plans to go to 5 schools this 2007-2008 school year, reaching 300 to 400 students. Click to read comments from the students and to view photos. The next program will be conducted at Konawaena High School on the Big Island on November 16 and we are now finalizing arrangements for sessions at Waianae High School.

For "Get Hip. Stay Hep Free!" media coverage, please click here: http://starbulletin.com/2007/10/30/news/story10.html

Page updated: November 6th, 2007