Pamela Anderson has just announced that she is hepatitis-C free after going through treatment. She first contracted the disease in 2002, after sharing a tattoo needle with then husband Tommy Lee.
The actress is counting her blessings and hoping to spread them to other patients. There are around 150-200 million people around the globe that have the disease, and treatment is not always easy to come by or affordable, and Pamela Anderson expresses her concern for this in her announcement. This disease causes cirrhosis of the liver that can sometimes require a transplant, as well as fatigue and nausea. It even comes with the risk of liver cancer, liver failure or esophageal and gastric varices. It’s usually contracted through contaminated needles, though it has also been associated with sexual intercourse and vertical transmission.
Pamela Anderson made the announcement through social media, posting a picture of herself posing naked on a speed boat, which garnered countless comments in minutes as well as support from fans. She was first diagnosed almost sixteen years ago, and while fearing the illness would be a death sentence, she has been seeking treatment ever since. This year, through a new course of drugs, she was able to have a positive prognosis, and with a 98% chance of being cured, she is now hepatitis-C free.
