All Articles

Newborn Resistance

Unlike other blood-borne viruses such as HIV and hepatitis B, the risk of a baby being infected with hepatitis C during the mother’s pregnancy or during birth is very low. …

2 July 2020

Hep C: the virus that can be cured – making ‘not ok’ a bit more ‘ok’

By Lisa Carter If you haven’t achieved some great new thing while in isolation, there is something wrong with you. At least that’s what some social media influencers would have us believe.  Motivational posts urging you to learn a new language, start a …

1 June 2020

Five Years of CNP Peers: Part 3

In this final instalment of conversations with Hepatitis SA peer educators, Margie, Penni, Justin and Sue reflect on the rewards they find in the job. Read previous instalments: Part 1 …

15 May 2020

Five Years of CNP Peers: Part 2

Second instalment of conversations with Hepatitis SA CNP peer educators — Bernadette and Justin talk about what motivated them to become educators to their peers. Read Part 1 here. Background: …

11 May 2020

Five Years of CNP Peers: Part 1

Among its other services, Hepatitis SA runs four Clean Needle Program (CNP) sites in Adelaide, at Hackney, Noarlunga, Port Adelaide, and Salisbury. Our CNP peer educators also attend rostered sessions …

29 April 2020

M-m-m-my Corona

Coronavirus has revived old anxieties for Elle. Anxieties she had lived with for decades and of which she was relieved when her hepatitis C was cured in 2016. She shares …

13 April 2020

Coronavirus and Hepatitis

People with weakened immune systems (e.g. people on immune suppressing medications, people receiving cancer treatments), older people especially those aged over 70 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and …

23 March 2020

Keep Calm and Carry Naloxone

Most accidental overdoses in Australia—especially South Australia—are from prescription drugs, mainly painkillers and sleeping tablets. Many of these deaths can be prevented with a drug that reverses the effects of …

5 March 2020

“I’ll have hep C treatment eventually.”

Opioid substitution treatment (OST) clinics are considered ideal locations for providing treatment for people with chronic hepatitis C virus infection who inject drugs, a vital priority group for achieving the …

14 November 2019

Talk to a Nurse

South Australia’s Viral Hepatitis Nurses are clinical practice consultants who work with patients in the community, general practice or hospital setting. They provide a link between public hospital specialist services …

6 August 2019

Hepatitis B Screening for People Receiving Cancer Therapy

An Australian expert panel of medical specialists have recommended that all people receiving immunosuppression cancer therapy be screened for hepatitis B. If you have ever been infected by hepatitis B, …

10 June 2019

Hepatitis B – the neglected epidemic

Close to 234,000 Australians live with chronic hepatitis B—one of the leading causes of liver cancer—and almost four out of ten don’t know they have the condition. It is even …

1 May 2019

Why are a small group of people born immune to hepatitis C?

Virologist Connor Bamford and Professor John McLauchlan, both of the University of Glasgow, explain to the Hepatitis SA Community News how their research shows that not all people are equally …

20 February 2019

New guidelines mean more freedom for healthcare workers living with BBVs

New national guidelines endorsed by the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council have been released in January 2019 for healthcare workers who perform exposure-prone procedures, and for healthcare workers living with …

11 February 2019

The scene in the street outside Dr Solomon’s Chennai clinic during the floods which disrupted the study

Treating Hepatitis C Under Nearly Impossible Conditions

The challenge of eliminating hepatitis in India...

4 February 2019

Forget “Detox” – Tips on how to really help yourself feel better

Feeling run down after the Christmas season and thinking about doing a detox to start 2019 right? It’s the time of year when articles about the magical benefits of detoxing …

17 January 2019

Having a Hard Time? – Try a little kindness

Living with viral hepatitis can be really tough and for  some, it might seem even tougher when the holiday season rolls around. Some of the negative aspects or experiences that …

24 December 2018

My Health Record – Only days left to decide

Australians have but a few days left to choose for themselves whether or not they want to have an electronic health record created for them. The opt-out deadline approaches amidst …

11 November 2018

New Liver Cancer Marker Promises Earlier Diagnosis and Better Outcomes

Australian researchers have found a way to predict the risk of liver cancer in people with chronic hepatitis B, promising earlier diagnosis, better management and potentially better prevention of hepatitis …

4 October 2018

Cured the hep C? Next up, quit smoking

You may have read recently that health experts in the US are concerned that the health gains made by treating people with hep C will be lost because this group …

8 August 2018

Don’t Miss Out – Get Life-Saving Treatments Now

Thousands of South Australians are missing out on life-saving treatment that can stop serious liver disease, simply because they don’t know about new treatments or are too afraid to ask. …

20 July 2018

My Health Record – Should I Opt Out?

My Health Record is an online database, operated by the Australian Government, designed to keep all your medical records in one place. The following information – taken from a paper …

12 July 2018

Eating Low Sodium Part Three – When You Don’t Cook

In the final installment of our series on low salt eating for people with liver disease we look at the challenge of managing your sodium intake when you don’t prepare …

23 April 2018

Curing Your Hep C – Tips For Remembering to Take Every Dose

Taking every dose of your direct-acting antiviral gives you the best chance of a cure. Because many of these drugs are new, it’s not yet clear how missed doses may …

2 March 2018