LiverWELL

Judith Gorst works at the Prahran Market Clinic as a Practice Nurse and Counsellor. She is in daily contact with people who have been affected by HIV and hepatitis C.

In her Stigma Story, Judith unpacks the difficulties that stigma adds to an already complex situation for many of her patients who are living with a blood borne virus.

Judith talks about the stress and uncertainty her patients often experience when it comes to disclosing to family, friends, employers, and others in the community.

She highlights the importance of considering the positives and negatives that could come from disclosing your status to someone, and to recognise that most people don’t actually have to tell anyone - if they choose not to.

This realisation is often an important first step in regaining autonomy and self-determination over a one’s condition.

Melanie Eagle spoke on JOYFM on 22 December about the recent Hepatitis A outbreak in Australia, and discusses what people can do to avoid getting hepatitis A.

A free vaccine is currently available in Victoria for men who have sex with men.

Our resident dietitian Priscilla-Hiromi Correa gives her best tips and advice for keeping your liver healthy this festive season.

"It's great to look back and feel like you have made a meaningful contribution to public health before having entered the workforce..." so says Robbie-Lee Stephen an intern at Hepatitis Victoria studying for a Master of Public Health at the University of Melbourne.

Her intern project, led by Community Engagement and Education Project Manager Aurora Tang, is a new community initiative, the Chinese Health Promotion Coalition launched on 23 September at Melbourne Town Hall.

Robbie talks about her role and its key priorities with the overall goal being the elimination of viral hepatitis B and related liver cancer within the Victorian Chinese community.

The Chinese community in Victoria is 10 times more likely to have chronic hepatitis B and 6 times more likely to develop preventable liver cancer.

Steven talks about his lived experience of acquiring hepatitis C through the healthcare system and successfully undergoing interferon treatment some years later. In the past, this was a time in his life that he preferred not to talk about and forget it happened.

Steven reflects on the stigmatisations he witnessed and felt in his professional and personal life, as well as his process of overcoming it.

His message to the community is to reserve judgement, have an open mind, demonstrate compassion, and to listen to each other’s stories.

In this month’s stigma story we hear from Kamarra Bell-Wykes, a Yagera and Butchella woman from South-East Queensland. She is the creative director at Ilbijerri Theatre Company.

Kamarra reflects on her time spent living with hepatitis C, including the difficulties of coming to terms with the virus at a young age and a bad experience accessing a health service.

Despite being involved in the production of successful plays about hepatitis C such as Chopped Liver, Kamarra still found it extremely difficult to talk about her condition and rarely disclosed to those around her.

It was only sometime after clearing the virus that Kamarra gradually began opening up about her experience, which she found strength and empowerment in doing and helped her produce VIRAL: Are you the cure?

HEP Hero Youhorn Chea believes if you have hepatitis B or hepatitis C it is absolutely vital to see a specialist and get the condition treated.

"The medicines are very good and efficacious, but you need to continue to use them, otherwise you could face big health problems, so my message is to get treatment as soon as possible," he says.

Youhorn talks about his life overcoming hepatitis C and how as a leader in the Cambodian community he can set an example of what needs to be done to regain liver health.

Actor Blayne Welsh delighted the audience at HepVics Annual General Meeting with a dazzling performance of several characters from IIbijerri’s latest production ‘Viral’ the third instalment in a trilogy of shows about Indigenous people living with hepatitis C.

Viral is about hepatitis C, but also a whole lot more, including poverty and Indigenous dispossession and fake news in the age of Trump.

After performing, Blayne graciously answered questions about the way Viral was conceived and the reaction of audiences including those inside prison, ”…they are among the most respectful and wonderful audiences I have had the chance to perform to,” he said

Our own dear Paul Gow, the Chair of Hepatitis Victoria's Liver Health Advisory Committee from Austin Health was interviewed on ABC Nightlife on October 15 talking all things liver health.

He answered an array of fascinating questions touching on nutrition, lifestyle and fatty liver disease, alcohol and the liver, and the need to be mindful of medicines and health supplements.

Emily Male and Amy Hatfield are Monash University students working as interns at Hepatitis Victoria. Emily also does volunteer work with Fitzroy Legal Service. They both have an interest in law reform.

Their research at Hepatitis Victoria explores stigma and barriers people face post-cure of hepatitis C. in particular The Australian Red Cross Blood Service Blood Donation Guidelines.