Dallas Voice (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 20, No. 20, Ed. 1 Friday, September 12, 2003 Page: 27 of 68
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referred to hepatitis C as the "new scare" in the
medical profession.
Health care workers are at risk due to the
danger of accidental punctures with needles.
Dormier said that hepatitis C appears to be
infecting members of the gay community at
significant rates, but few people appear to be
aware of the risk.
"We see it somewhat less in the gay com-
munity because we tend to focus so much on
the threat of HIV that a lot of people are just
not as aware to be tested for hepatitis C,"
Dormier said. "HIV testing is kind of
ingrained in us from the time we are sexually
active on versus hepatitis C, which does not
get near the attention or publicity."
Marks said that he is hoping to change that
and inform all Americans of the danger. He
said two of his gay friends are infected.
"A lot of us don't know," Marks said.
"There are no symptoms to speak of [in the
early stages], except for fatigue, and most of us
have that anyway so you are not going to
equate it with anything. "In most cases it is too
late when people find out."
Dormier said that hepatitis C is particularly
harmful to HIV-positive patients because the
drugs used for treatment of HIV are also a bur-
den on the liver.
"The liver is not able to filter out all of the
toxins that it needs to, so hepatitis C becomes
just almost a fatal blow," Dormier said. "It's a
huge threat to anyone who is HIV-positive."
Marks advocates everyone getting tested
for hepatitis C.
"Many of the people walking around with
hepatitis C do not know they have a disease
simply because there are no symptoms,"
Marks said. "It's imperative that everyone
knows their lifestyle and looks back and exam-
ines whether they have ever come into contact
with blood. It only takes one time to get hepa-
titis C."
Four million Americans are estimated to be
infected with hepatitis C, but only 30 percent
are aware of their infections, according to the
American Gastroenterological Association.
Marks said he is fortunate — because he
found out about the infection and because the
treatment appears to be working. The current
treatment works about 50 percent of tire time,
a much better ratio than previous treatments
offered.
The latest treatment involves the use of
time-released interferon injections and oral
doses of ribavirin. Interferon is injected once
weekly and multiple capsules of ribavirin,
which is also used in the treatment of cancer,
are taken daily.
Many suffer debilitating side effects from
the treatments, although that discomfort has
eased somewhat from previous years.
Previously, a less advanced form of inter-
feron required three injections weekly. Side
effects include a flu-like feeling, headaches,
nausea and depression.
"Depression is involved, which I seem to
manage," Marks said. "I get a little low some-
times, but who wouldn't finding out you have
a life threatening disease."
Roche Laboratories, the manufacturer of
the drugs used to treat hepatitis C, is under-
writing part of Marks' expenses for the infor-
mational campaign. The company saw a Web
site he produced in connection with the cam-
paign and contacted him, he said.
Marks said that he is also lucky to be virus-
free because he had the strain of hepatitis C
virus that is the least receptive to treatment.
There are six strains of the virus.
"I'm 1-A," Marks said. "I'm told that is the
granddaddy of them all."
Less drug-resistant forms of the virus
require only six months of treatment.
Marks said he would continue the treat-
ment for another six months "as a good meas-
ure to make sure the virus is cleaned out." He
will continue being tested for the rest of his life
"just to be sure."
Marks said learning that he had the disease
transformed his life for the better.
"I wouldn't be taking care of myself proba-
bly," Marks said. "If you drink alcohol and
smoke cigarettes then your system suffers.
Most likely I would have died within a few
months or years.
"I will never drink again," Marks said. "I
happen to be one of those who cares enough
about his life just to cool it because it was very
scar}' and shocking. I wasn't ready to lay down
my life so I just cleaned up my act and started
taking care of myself."
His experiences with illness have affected
his musical expression, said Marks, who con-
tributed to 1960s hits such as Surfin USA and
Surfer Girl.
"If anything, I think it has made it better,"
said Marks, who continues to write songs.
For more information on Marks' campaign see
www.artistsagainsthepatitis.com.
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DALLAS VOICE
SEPTEMBER 1 2, 2003
27
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Vercher, Dennis. Dallas Voice (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 20, No. 20, Ed. 1 Friday, September 12, 2003, newspaper, September 12, 2003; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth616336/m1/27/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.