NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
May 1, 2008
Contact: Teresa Lamore (215-731-2174 or tlamore@phmc.org)

P-HOP Recognizes May as Hepatitis Awareness Month

PHILADELPHIA –
Philadelphia Hepatitis Outreach Project (P-HOP), in partnership with the New
Pathways for Women Project, is conducting a community health fair on May 31,
2008 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the New Pathways for Women Project office at 2539 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia.

In recognition of May as Hepatitis Awareness Month, P-HOP
will offer free Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) screening, HIV counseling and rapid
testing, as well as information about an array of other health and social
services available to the community. Refreshments and entertainment will be
provided.

P-HOP, a program of Philadelphia Health Management
Corporation (PHMC), provides community-based viral hepatitis education,
screening and outreach services. The New Pathways for Women Project, a
collaboration between PHMC and the Black Women’s Health Alliance (BWHA),
provides community outreach services to substance-involved African American
women who are at high risk for HIV infection.

The majority of P-HOP’s services are provided in city-funded
substance abuse treatment facilities, given the very high rate of HCV infection
among individuals with histories of drug use.
Data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated
that 60% of those infected with HCV contracted the virus through injection drug
use. “Currently, HCV positive rates for consumers of city-funded methadone
clinics approach 85%,” explains program coordinator, Teresa Lamore. “This
program helps treatment providers integrate client-centered hepatitis support
services into their routine of HIV early intervention and substance abuse
recovery operations.”

HCV is spread through blood to blood contact and causes infection of
the liver. Lamore said, “According to
the CDC, it is estimated that 4.1 million Americans have been infected with
HCV, and that each year an additional 19,000 people become infected.”

There is currently no vaccine to combat HCV; therefore prevention is
crucial. P-HOP has found that free screenings, where issues such as HCV prevention
and treatment can be openly discussed, best educate individuals most at risk. Community
health fairs are specifically designed to support treatment, reduce disease
transmission through education, ensure clients are linked to available
insurance, and provide information on medical and community support. Lamore
adds, “Most importantly, the role of an HCV Outreach Support Specialist is to
provide one-on-one personal encouragement and advocacy for consumers and to
work with them to counter the fear, stigma, and misinformation associated with
HCV.”

For more information on HCV or P-HOP events, please contact Teresa
Lamore at 215-731-2174 or tlamore@phmc.org. If you would like to learn more about
volunteer or community service opportunities at this event, please contact
Sameerah Shabazz-Powell, outreach specialist at 215-985-2522 or sshabazz@phmc.org. The rain
date is set for June 7, 2008 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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About P-HOP

Philadelphia Hepatitis Outreach Project (P-HOP) conducts
basic viral hepatitis education presentations and screening events for
Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) consumers, as well as specialized seminars on treatment
issues and challenges for those consumers living with HCV. The primary goals of P-HOP are to increase
the number of individuals who know their HCV status through onsite HCV
screening; the promotion of positive and healthy outcomes of individuals living
with HCV through education, advocacy, outreach, and linkage to care; and to
reduce the transmission of viral hepatitis to others.

About New Pathways for Women Project

The New Pathways for
Women Project, a collaboration between PHMC and the Black Women’s Health Alliance (BWHA), provides
community outreach services to substance-involved African American women who
are at high risk for HIV infection.
Through enrollment in the program, the women receive individual pre-treatment counseling, case
management, support services, on-site rapid HIV testing, and, as needed,
referral and accompaniment to confirmatory HIV testing, HIV primary care and
case management services, substance abuse treatment, and other support
services.