By Taylor Knopf
Three state prisoners sued the N.C. Department of Public Safety this month arguing that they were denied treatment for their Hepatitis C virus (HCV).
The men claim that there is no medical reason to justify denying them medical treatment for HCV, a highly contagious virus that targets the liver. It’s spread by contact with infected blood, and the most common way people get it today is through injecting drugs.
“DPS refuses to provide medically necessary treatment simply to avoid the associated costs,” reads the lawsuit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of NC and Prisoner Legal Serviceson behalf of the three prisoners.
In the past, HCV treatment wasn’t always effective. But now it’s curable thanks to newer drugs which effectively eliminate the virus. Read more.
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