Hepatitis C Cure - what it means for Victorians
I’m Amanda and I have 30 years lived experience with Hepatitis C. It’s been very difficult because of the stigma associated with it and the discrimination that goes with that, and because of the anxiety of not knowing if or when the virus is going to start impacting badly on my health.
It’s one of those what they call silent diseases in the community and what people don’t realise is that over two hundred thousand Australians are infected with it. Very, very rarely do we have a situation where chronic infection diseases, or a chronic disease of any kind, can be cured. We’re in a situation in Australia where we can stop people dying from Hepatitis C and if we treat early we can actually stop the ongoing transmission of this virus in the community.
A cure for Hepatitis C for me will mean freedom. It’s a simple regime, eight to twelve weeks, very few, if any side effects, and it represents a total cure. I think ultimately what it does is give us a future to look forward to for an Australia that’s free from Hepatitis.
It’s a godsend.