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Community News #110 • August 2026

IN THIS ISSUE 1

New Free Hep C Telehealth Service

Results on New Hep B Drug: How good is it?

Use of this publication or any of its contents for the training of AI is strictly forbidden.

World Hepatitis Day 2026 Round-Up

Hoax, Hype or Hope

Hep B Targets

Hepatitis C & Overactive Bladder

In Our Library

Contacts

About the Cover: World Hepatitis Day 2026 free liver checks (see p6)

Correspondence: Please send all correspondence to The Editor at PO Box 782, Kent Town, SA 5071, or email editor@hepatitissa.asn.au. Editor: James Morrison Regular Contributors: Cecilia Lim, Rose Magdalene Some photos in this publication may have been altered to disguise identifying details of members of the public. This resource was prepared and printed on Kaurna Country.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of Hepatitis SA. Information contained in this newsletter is not intended to take the place of medical advice given by your doctor or specialist. We welcome contributions from Hepatitis SA members and the general public. SA Health has contributed funds towards this program. ISSN 2651-9011 (Online)

New Free Hep C Telehealth Service A new national hepatitis C telehealth service is making it easier for people to get assessed, tested and treated for hepatitis C in Australia. Launched in June by Hepatitis Australia, as part of its HepLink information and support service, the Hep C Telehealth Service is fully bulk-billed and free to any adult with a Medicare card anywhere in Australia, with or without a referral! Anyone in Australia can call 1800 437 222 or visit heplink.au to speak confidentially with the HepLink Nurse Navigator who can help you with with treatment pathways, referrals, and practical advice. The Service can also provide clinicians with expert guidance on clinical decision-making, navigating complex client needs, and improving patient outcomes. In South Australia, calling this number will connect you with Hepatitis SA, who, with your consent, will send your number to the nurse navigator, who will ring you back and help you through the same process as with callers from other states and territories.

Your Pathway The telehealth service provides: • Clear information about hepatitis C testing • Support to arrange blood tests

• Virtual clinical consultations where needed • Rapid access to prescriptions for curative treatment, which can be sent to your phone

The Cure The landmark PBS listing of new-generation hepatitis C medicines on 1 March 2016 transformed hepatitis C treatment, introducing a highly effective cure with minimal side-effects. This has delivered extraordinary public health results—over 110,000 Australians have commenced PBSsubsidised hepatitis C treatment, with around 100,000 cured. Since the listing of the new generation of hepatitis C treatments in 2016: • The number of people living with chronic hepatitis C in Australia fell by 61% since 2015 • Deaths among Australians living with hepatitis C have fallen by around 22% since 2016 • Prevalence of hepatitis C among people who inject drugs has dropped dramatically Critically, treatment has also shifted into primary care settings, with almost half of first treatments prescribed by GPs, making hepatitis C cures much more accessible in local communities across Australia.

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But an estimated 63,000 Australians are still living with chronic hepatitis C, and many are unaware that they have it. This means that we always need new and innovative ideas for getting hepatitis C care to the people in Australia who still need it, something that the national telehealth service aims to achieve.

very ill and wouldn’t necessarily work.

With only four years until 2030, the year in which Australia has pledged to eliminate viral hepatitis, there is a need to find the people who remain undiagnosed or disconnected from care.

“You do not always realise how much the virus is affecting you until it’s gone. Once I was cured, I felt healthier, clearer and relieved that I no longer had to carry that worry… Not having to worry about explaining it to people and feeling like you are different, diseased even.

Life-Changing Gracie, who has lived experience of hepatitis C and now a peer worker, spoke about the challenges of living with the virus and the life-changing impact of the cure. “When I was first diagnosed, I was very worried. I thought hepatitis C would take ten years off my life, and I was nervous about telling people because of the stigma around it. At the time, I had heard about the old hepatitis C treatments—that they made you

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“But I read about a new hepatitis C treatment that was coming out, and I was keen to try that. It was simply a course of tablets for 12 weeks, and I started feeling clearer and more energetic even before I finished. The current treatment is a cure.

“A lot of people live with hepatitis C for years without knowing it because it often does not make you feel sick straight away. It can take a very long time, 20+ years, before the symptoms begin. “I want people to know how easy the hepatitis C cure is now, that there is support available and that getting treated has minimal side effects. I am living proof that the cure works.”

Testing, the Most Powerful Tool Chris Wallis, a nurse practitioner with more than 18 years’ experience now working with HepLink, said the new service is focused on making treatment even easier to access.

long way from specialist services and assume treatment will be complicated to access. “If there is even a small chance you could have been exposed years ago through injecting drug use, a tattoo, or a medical procedure overseas, my message is simple: get tested. Testing is the most powerful tool we have to eliminate hepatitis C. “I have had patients tell me they had absolutely no idea how unwell they felt until the virus was gone. Once cured, they could not believe how healthy and clear they actually felt.”

Chris Wallace [Image: Hep Australia]

“Many Australians are simply unaware that they have contracted hepatitis C or that a straightforward cure now exists. Others live a

Book an Appointment To book an appointment, visit heplink.au/ book_telehealth or call 1800 437 222 (1800 HEP ABC).

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Results on New Hep B Drug: How good is it? Pharmaceutical giant, GSK, who seem to be leading the field in developing a hepatitis B functional cure, has finally presented the results on their new drug, bepirovirsen. The 254 million people living with hepatitis B globally is a huge potential market for drug companies, and the race to find a cure has become more intense as treatments that deliver a functional cure appear within grasp. Since the start of the year, the HepSA Community News’s online version (hepatitissa. asn.au/communitynews) has been reporting on the details slowly emerging about bepirovirsen, a new drug being touted by GSK as a functional cure for hepatitis B. It was not until the end of May, however, that they were finally willing to present the results of the studies on which these claims have been made. Chronic hepatitis B affects around a quarter of a billion people worldwide, and until now there has been no especially effective

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treatment for it, meaning that preventative vaccination (provided free to all newborns in Australia) is the main protection available. But if you already have hepatitis B, a vaccine will not help you, so the idea of a functional cure is a very important one. The current standard of care typically requires lifelong therapy, with less than one per cent of patients being cured. A functional cure for hepatitis B is defined as one where levels of the virus in a patient’s blood remain undetectable for at least six months after all treatment finishes. Now we have the results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, and they are mixed. GSK’s studies showed a 19% rate of functional cure for the overall population of patients in their study, meaning that one in five people will get better if treated properly with bepirovirsen. For people in the study with lower viral activity, 26% achieved a functional cure i.e. one in four patients. Both of these

Hep B in SA An estimated 11,682 people were living with hepatitis B in South Australia in 2024, or 0.62% of the population.

19 out of each 100 people achieved a functional cure after 6 months of treatment [base image by iStock/yalcinadali] results are based on a six-month course of treatment. Significantly, 49% of those treated with bepirovirsen for six months had achieved a surface antigen level of ≤100 IU/mL one year after the end of their treatment. This means that even for those who don’t achieve a cure, many will receive some health benefits from having less of a strain on their livers and immune systems. So how does the treatment work? Health journalist Ed Cara explains it well: “Bepirovirsen, also called bepi, […] is a type of drug known as an antisense oligonucleotide, and it’s designed to bind to the messenger RNA of the virus, limiting its ability to make more of itself and produce key proteins. It also stimulates the immune system to better recognize and target the virus for destruction. “Though bepi may not eradicate every single trace of hepatitis B, it might allow the body to fully control the infection without further medication, essentially providing a cure for some.” Side effects from bepirovirsen were also generally mild and well tolerated, including symptoms like injection-site redness and pain. However, some people on the drug did experience an brief increase in enzyme levels that can be a sign of liver damage, but these soon dropped back to normal levels. A twenty-fold increase in cure rate is obviously a dramatic improvement, but on the other hand it still leaves 81 per cent of those living with hepatitis B facing a lifelong chronic disease. Also, only time will tell if these

The most common countries of birth for those affected are China, Vietnam, Philippines, Italy, and Greece. The most common languages spoken by those affected are Mandarin, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Greek, and Tagalog/Filipino. Infant immunisation coverage in SA is close to the 95% target level, at 94.2% of children. Diagnosis, treatment and care uptake were well below target levels in Australia and in SA specfifically in 2024. SA rates for all three were very similar to the national rates. •

Hepatitis B diagnostic testing has declined in many priority populations in SA.

•

Most people in SA have had hepatitis B care in the past, but many have been lost to follow-up and require re-engagement.

•

It is estimated that 203 lives have been saved in SA due to hepatitis B treatment since 2000. Further scale-up would avert additional deaths.

Data generated by The Doherty Institute using modelling and routinely collected data, funded by the Australian Government.

infections remain cured over longer periods of time. But this is the first significant advance in hepatitis B treatment in quite some time, and a promising result for those living with the virus. Bepirovirsen is being considered by the food and drug safety authorities of a number of countries, though not yet Australia. We await developments with great interest. READ MORE: nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2515131 gizmodo.com/experimental-drug-mayoffer-a-functional-cure-for-some-peoplewith-chronic-hepatitis-b-2000765066

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28 JULY HEPATITIS : TAKE THE NEXT STEP A day after Australians received their first national AusAlert test on 27 July, hepatitis organisations throughout the country were putting out a warning of their own on 28 July World Hepatitis Day: do something about hepatitis, the leading cause of liver cancer. Hepatitis SA, along with sister organisations interstate, stepped up engagement activities with community and partner organisations using the opportunities to drive the message home. The 2026 World Hepatitis Day national theme, Take the Next Step, calls on Australians to do something to make sure they are not susceptible. The highlight was, once again, free liver scan clinics at suburban shopping centres in Arndale and Munno Para. Run in partnership with PEACE Multicultural Services, Relationships Australia SA and SA Health, these liver scan events had been held over the past few years and are becoming recognised as an annual activity. Sixty-four people received scans at Arndale and about 80 at Munno Para. Staff spoke

with over 100 members of the public at those events. Other activities in SA included: • Liver health information session with a Seniors Group from the Chinese Welfare Services. • Paint and Learn hepatitis education session at Diamond House for Clubhouse members. • Testing clinic at DASSA Central with refreshments and quiz activities. • Free online education on the ABCs of hepatitis which attracted 21 participants. • A clinic at Murray Bridge where 10 people were tested. • A tattoo design competition at the Adelaide Remand Centre with entry packs handed out to 46 prisoners. De-identified entries will be displayed on the Hepatitis SA website throughout September. • Quiz Wheels at Hepatitis SA’s six peer-run needle exchange services where clients

Relationships Australia and Hepatitis SA workers all ready for the first World Hepatitis Day fibroscan clinic.

Testing clinic at DASSA Central

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were encouraged to spin a wheel, answer a question and get a prize. • A hepatitis B Q&A with a communitybased gambling support group which included in-language videos and lots of lively discussions. Hepatitis SA also provided resources and support to other services holding WHD events such as the hepatitis education and awareness day at Uniting Communities Aboriginal Community Connect, Mt Gambier which included T-shirt painting for a support group. Our workers were on the ground supporting Community Access and Services SA’s WHD Barbecue which also featured a prize wheel, a novelty which proved very popular. The event attracted about 20 participants with conversations about hepatitis B and hepatitis C transmission risks and new hepatitis C treatments. It was an international affair with placement students from Nepal, China, Bhutan and Japan plus community

and staff members from culturally-diverse backgrounds. As part of the Burnet-Hep B Voices campaign, Live Well with Hepatitis B, Hepatitis SA engaged with Vietnamese and Chinese community ambassadors to raise awareness and break down myths about hepatitis B. About 10 to 12 community members signed up to help spread the word with social media posts going out on and around World Hepatitis Day. Adelaide Oval lit up green again this year on 28 July. World Hepatitis Day is a WHO-designated day to focus on accelerating work towards the elimination of hepatitis B and hepatitis C by 2030, a goal to which Australia has signed up. An estimated 300,000 Australians are at risk of liver cancer from hepatitis B and hepatitis C and many don’t even know it. Of these, an estimated 63,000 are living with hepatitis C and 230,000 with hepatitis B. [continues on p9]

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Hoax, Hype or Hope

TITIS : T STEP

28 JULY This Hepatitis B Voices Australia (HBVA) event for World Hepatitis Day 2026 proved to be an evening of insights and thoughtful discussions. The forum was held in partnership with the WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis (WHOCCVH) with the conversation led by HBVA Co-Founders, Associate Professor Thomas Tu and Nafisa Yussf, together with Professor Ben Cowie from WHOCCVH.

He also warned of promises of a cure by some traditional herbalists, many, if not all, of which are very likely hoaxes.

Participants included people who provide hepatitis B care, those who carry out research in the field, and people who live with hepatitis B and who receive care.

Prof Cowie said healthcare providers currently don’t have crucial information on hospital waiting lists and availability of services, which are needed to make the most appropriate referrals. This has resulted in an imbalance between demand and availability, and people falling through the cracks.

The sense of hope was there, as expressed by the organisation’s Co-Founder, Nafisa Yussf, who spoke of the huge shift brought to the community by the hepatitis C cure, and the hope that the hepatitis B community hold for the same. Nonetheless, that hope is on a leash. Assoc. Professor Tu spoke of the need to temper expectations. While treatment has been developed that could achieve functional cure, there remains a need to beware of hype, as trial results showed success for only 25% of participants. He pointed out, however, that there appeared to be no adverse effects for the remaining 75% who did not achieve functional cure.

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It was also pointed out by speakers and participants that there is a need for peer support to help community members navigate the health system, and also for peers to be at the table participating in decision-making. Some believe that was the key which contributed to the success of HIV health strategies, and perhaps for hepatitis C too, and the same approach is needed for hepatitis B. Another HBVA Co-Founder, Lien Tran, stressed the need to recognise the difference between the diverse hepatitis B community and the

Images: HBVA/Doherty Institute/HBVA

Professor Thomas Tu, Professor Ben Cowie & Nafisa Yussf all presented at the HBVA forum

There was extensive discussion on whether the current system will be able to support demand if or when a hepatitis B cure happens. It was pointed out that waiting lists for regular hepatitis B monitoring can be up to three years.

[continued from p7]

predominantly Anglo-Australian HIV community. Building peer leadership in the hepatitis B community requires more work and more time. The same timeframes cannot be applied, yet that is often what funders and policy-makers expect. Speaking along the same lines, Kelly Hosking, a public health researcher who worked with the highly successful Hep B PAST program in the Northern Territory (see Hepatitis SA Community News issue 108), pointed out that their impressive results were achieved through 17 years of work, slowly building relations with the community. Both primary care givers and specialists at the forum spoke of the advantages of offering telehealth as an option for regular monitoring. It is an answer for those with busy lives who need simple reviews as it could save them hours of travel and sitting in the GP waiting room. It is also an answer for people living in regional or remote communities where access to healthcare is limited. Other participants who live with hepatitis B raised issues around cost which can be prohibitive, especially for those not on Medicare, and whose health insurance cover may be limited in relation to hepatitis B testing and treatment. A primary healthcare provider said there are some free services available, such as a pathology service which offers free hepatitis B testing, and it was important to make such information available and provide support to people to access these services. The general feeling was that a hepatitis B cure may be on the horizon—at least a functional cure—but much has to be done to improve the system: help people stay healthy so that they can benefit from the cure when it happens, and have efficient, adequate structures to deliver the new treatment to those who need it.

In 2024, 432 people in Australia died as a result of hepatitis B complications, and 570 from hepatitis C related causes. Both nationally and within SA, hepatitis B diagnosis, care uptake and treatment uptake lag behind targets required to eliminate hepatitis B by 2030. Based on estimates, meeting the hepatitis B and hepatitis C elimination targets will not only save lives but can save Australia more than $2.6 billion in healthcare costs. Hepatitis SA CEO, Kerry Paterson, said “Most people with hepatitis feel completely well, right up until they don’t. A test takes minutes and tells you something no symptom ever will. “There is a cure for hepatitis C, and hepatitis B can be managed with regular care. What we can’t do is reach the thousands of South Australians who don’t yet know they’re living with it.” Hepatitis Australia CEO, Lucy Clynes, said Australia could eliminate hepatitis if we kept up the momentum. “Eliminating hepatitis means people keeping their health and their future. Serious liver disease and early deaths from viral hepatitis are now largely avoidable, and every one we fail to prevent is a loss that never needed to happen. “A decade ago, Australia led the world by making hepatitis C cures available to everyone. That ambition can’t stop halfway. The work that community hepatitis organisations like Hepatitis SA are doing to find, test and treat people with hepatitis B and hepatitis C is saving lives.” Ms Paterson said the message for World Hepatitis Day was simple. “Taking the Next Step doesn’t need to be dramatic. Book a test, ring the Helpline, or just read up. Do one small thing on 28 July and your liver will thank you for years.” HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS 110

4474 Lives Saved, But Targets Will Not Be Met Powerful new data from the 2024 annual report for Measuring the progress towards the targets of the National Hepatitis B Strategy (launched by The Peter Doherty Institute at the end of May) shows the urgent need to address the rising numbers of people living hepatitis B and the persistent gaps in detection, care and treatment. Only one out of the eleven targets set out in the national hepatitis B strategy, were met. Six were not met and four could not be measured. Furthermore, none of the measurable unmet targets were measurable were on track to their 2030 goals.

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The report shows very strong evidence that treatment for hepatitis B saves lives. Modelling estimates suggest that 406 lives were saved across Australia in 2024 due to antiviral treatment. The same modelling indicates that a total of 4,474 lives have been saved since the year 2000 following the introduction of antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in Australia. Despite this excellent news, there are some significant negatives in the report. An estimated 153,286 people living with CHB in 2024 had ever been diagnosed, believed to be just over 67% of the true number, and this is well below the National Strategy 2030 diagnosis target of 90%. Over 52,000 more people living with CHB need to be diagnosed in 2030 to reach this target, whereas current diagnosis projections actually estimate Australia will not reach the diagnosis target until after 2050!

Road photo: Diego Jimenez/Unsplash

There are 200,380 Australians living with hepatitis B, including 10,512 in South Australia. Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus. Left unmanaged, hepatitis B can lead to serious liver disease such as liver failure and liver cancer, which is one of the fastest rising causes of cancer-related deaths despite being largely preventable. Worryingly, three out of ten Australians with hepatitis B don’t know they have it.

The Hepatitis B virus is carried in the blood and in body fluids. Most people with chronic hepatitis B got it during birth from mothers who had hepatitis B, with people from regions of high prevalence at greater risk.

Progress to the various targets (from the report)

An estimated 63,444 (27.9%) people were engaged in clinical care for their CHB in 2024, receiving either antiviral treatment or the recommended annual hepatitis B viral load test. Again, Australia is not on track to reach the National Strategy 2030 target of 80% in care, with more than 119,000 more people required to be in care in 2030 to reach this target. At the current rate of progress, Australia will also not reach this care target until after 2050. An estimated 28,805 (12.7%) people were dispensed drugs for the treatment of hepatitis B through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Australia is not on track to reach the National Strategy 2030 target of 27% on treatment, with 27,012 more people required to be receiving treatment in 2030 to reach this target. At the current rate of progress, Australia will not reach the treatment target until 2043– better than 2050, but hardly good. Nationally, between 2015 and 2024, there has been a 14.9% increase in estimated deaths due to chronic hepatitis B. Again, Australia is not on track to reach the National Strategy target of a 30% reduction in attributable deaths by 2030 (when compared to 2015), which would require deaths to fall to 263 by 2030, compared to the current projection of 476 deaths in 2030. As to how SA is faring against the national backdrop, the results are also mixed. SA remains one of the best jurisdictions regarding the proportion of people living with HBV who are in care (receiving either

viral load testing or treatment) at 28.6%, but those receiving actual treatment is, at 10.9%, actually below the national average. On the other hand, estimated attributable chronic hepatitis B mortality rate is the second lowest in that nation (after Tasmania), at 1.1 people per 100,000 head of population. So we find ourselves again in a situation where valuable advances are being made, but where the targets we have set seem destined to fail without much more government and community support and investment in viral hepatitis elimination. HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS 110

Hepatitis C & Overactive Bladder There is a significant association between living with the hepatitis C virus and suffering from overactive bladder syndrome (OAB), according to a study published in the journal BMC Urology. The bladder has a muscle which contracts to empty the bladder when it is full. An overactive bladder means the bladder contracts before it is full. Someone with OAB usually finds that it sometimes contracts when they are not ready. They might have go to the toilet very often, and can also find it hard to hold on until they get there. At times they may also leak urine on the way to the toilet. Understandably, people with an overactive bladder might feel self-conscious. That can cause them to keep away from others or to limit their work and social life. OAB has

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clinically significant impacts on quality of life, sleep quality, and mental health. Recent research has also shown that OAB in women is independently associated with increased all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality.

Consistent Link Yiming Ding, from the Urology Department of China’s Southeast University, led a research team which analysed data from the CDC’s U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey over a six-year period (unfortunately, this program has been affected by recent US CDC funding cuts) to examine the association between HCV and OAB in adults. Data were included for 14,012 patients aged between 20 and 80. A significant correlation

was observed between HCV and OAB. Furthermore, results from subgroup analyses and interaction tests further demonstrated that this association remained consistently stable across various demographic characteristics, including age, gender, race, PIR, smoking, alcohol consumption, and the presence of hypertension or diabetes. To mitigate confounding effects, propensity score matching was employed in this study. Results from the propensity scorematched analysis also confirmed the positive correlation between HCV and OAB.

Possible Causes Though the study clearly establishes the predictive value of HCV infection for OAB and identifies high-risk populations, providing concrete evidence for clinical screening, it does not show how the two illnesses are connected. The researchers do have a number of theories, however: HCV can cause systemic inflammation, which other research has shown to be a contributing factor in the development of OAB. The liver is closely linked to the immune system, and HCV infection causes chronic hepatic dysfunction, thereby compromising the body’s immune barrier function and

creating a favourable environment for bacterial infection around the bladder. Studies indicate that hepatitis viruses can invade the nervous system. By compromising spinal nerves, they may disrupt bladder sphincter function, leading to urinary incontinence symptoms. Studies have confirmed an association between HCV infection and insulin resistance, while substantial evidence indicates a correlation between OAB and something called metabolic syndrome (METS), which induces damage to the bladder wall and bladder neck, thereby precipitating OAB.

Get Cured Because OAB can cause profound, life-limiting problems for the people who are forced to live with it, its connection with hepatitis C needs to be investigated further. It also offers yet another reason for people living with hepatitis C to take that next step for your health and get cured as soon as possible. READ MORE: link.springer.com/article/10.1186/ s12894-026-02170-w bjui-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/ epdf/10.1002/bco2.70022

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In Our Library The test Hepatitis SA. An engaging comic about hepatitis B testing. Read only online, printed copies of this resource are available from Hepatitis SA. Available in Chinese, English, Indonesian and Vietnamese. bit.ly/4pyipnP

HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS 110

Hepatitis B vaccination for adults Hepatitis Australia and St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne. Brief information about transmission, benefits of vaccination and who should get vaccinated. Includes a dose tracker. bit.ly/4fxOY0J

Hepatitis B take action Hepatitis SA. Brochure. Information for community on hepatitis B, where to get more information, and GPs in South Australia. Read only online, printed copies of this resource are available from Hepatitis SA. Available in Chinese, English. bit.ly/4gKyNiW

TAKE THE NEXT STEP

Hepatitis C testing Hepatitis SA. Brochure. Who should get tested, what tests are needed, where to get tested and how to access treatment if positive. Read only online, printed copies of this resource are available from Hepatitis SA. bit.ly/4gLVDXq

This year’s theme for World Hepatitis Day was “Take the Next Step, encouraging people to take action for their health, no matter where they are in their journey. Prevention, testing and treatment are the best way for us to eliminate hepatitis

B and C and for individuals to protect their health. Here is a small sample of the resources in our library that give people the information they need about testing, treatment and hepatitis B vaccination so they can Take the Next Step.

Hep C get cured Hepatitis SA. Brochure encouraging people to get tested and treated for hepatitis C. Read only online, printed copies of this resource are available from Hepatitis SA. Available in Chinese, English, and Vietnamese. bit.ly/4vLd91R

Hepatitis D Hepatitis Australia. Hub for information on hepatitis D, developed in collaboration with hepatitis community organisations, infectious disease experts, and people with lived experience of hepatitis B and hepatitis D. bit.ly/4wT6jbk

Background Image: Freepik upklyak

hepatitissa.asn.au/library HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS 110

Hepatitis SA provides free information and education on viral hepatitis, and support to people living with viral hepatitis.

HEPATITIS SA BOARD

Postal Address: Kaurna Country PO Box 782 Kent Town 5071

Vice Chair Bill Gaston

(08) 8362 8443 • 1800 437 222

Treasurer Michael Larkin

www.hepsa.asn.au Community News: hepsa.asn.au/ communitynews Library: hepsa.asn.au/library @HepatitisSA @hepatitissa.asn.au

Chair Lindy Brinkworth

Secretary Sharon Eves

Ordinary Members Janice Scott Memoona Rafique Lucy Ralton Tamara Shipley Kerry Paterson (CEO)

@hepatitis_sa_ @HepSA Publications: issuu.com/hepccsa Email: admin@hepatitissa.asn.au How Do I Love My Liver?

Hepatitis C

Information for Family & Friends

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Ph 1800 437 222 or (08) 8362 8443 Fax (08) 8362 8559 3 Hackney Rd Hackney SA 5069 PO Box 782 Kent Town SA 5071 www.hepsa.asn.au

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Email: www. hepsa.asn.auadmin@hepsa.asn.au | www.K3myLiver.org.auwww.hepsa.asn.au | www.hepccheck.info Last update: May 2019 www. hepsa.asn.au | www.K3myLiver.org.au | www.hepccheck.info SA Health has contributed funds towards this Program.

Hepatitis C My Liver? & Dental Care

Exercise Exercise for for Healthy Healthy Livers Why Love Why Livers MyLove Liver? My Liver? All artwork by Hana Jang, used under Creative Commons license: [flickr.com/photos/from_drawing]

 Get vaccinated for hepatitis A and B.  Practise safe sex.  Avoid cosmetic, body piercing, Once you’re comfortable with this, you can Staying Motivated Gum Infections tattooing and other procedures exercise more often or for longer if you want, Keeping upDo your exercise regime can sometimes be where equipment is not fully How I to Love My Liver? but remember not overdo it. If you exercise challenging. It’smight easy to end put things off, butovertired then you run sterilised. Dentures should fit well to help If your gumstoo are healthy, they will befeeling hard, you up therun-down, risk of givingwhich up altogether. or can make you more likely  won’t Do notbleed sharewhen injecting equipment. maintain oral health. pink, firm and brushed. toHow injure yourself, toget give up exercising Do I orLove My Liver? • Don’t let yourself bored—try different Remember to rinse dentures after Infected gums may bleed when brushed, or altogether and undo allto the good work you’ve Call 1300 437 222 to find out more. forms of exercise keep things interesting. each meal, and clean them daily with a soft may swell or redden. gums, loose achieved soReceding far. • Promise yourself healthy rewards (perhaps Living with brush and mild soap. Don’t use toothpaste, teeth and bad breath are also symptoms of high-quality healthy treats, or some new as this will wear the dentures away. gum infection. running gear) for achieving your goals. Advanced Dentures should be removed at night • Exercise with a partner or a group. Having and left to soak in cold water while not in other people involved makes it harder for Liver DiseaseCauses: you to drop out, you can encourage each yourare liver against 3 main Infections of the gums areand usually the mouth. If Protect the dentures developing other. caused by plaque on the teeth (see Tooth a stain, add a threats: small amount vinegar orfatty liver viral ofhepatitis, • SetMotivated a regular time for your exercise, so that it Staying Decay, above) dilute bleach and to thealcohol. water. becomes a normal part of your routine. Helpful Hints Using Keeping interferon (a treatment for up your exercise regime can becan challenging. It’s easy to put  Maintain a healthy weight with hepatitis C) sometimes or smoking lower your things off, but then you run the risk of giving regular exercise. resistance to disease Protect your liver against 3 main upgum altogether.  Eat a balanced diet with lots of threats: viral hepatitis, fatty liver Protect your liver against 3 main • Don’t let yourself get bored—try fruits and vegetables. Care: different of exercise keep threats: viral forms hepatitis, fatty to liver and alcohol.  Reduce alcohol intake - keep to 1 things Maintain good oral interesting. hygiene by using and alcohol. standard drink a day. a soft toothbrush a afluoride toothpaste, • and Promise yourself healthy with rewards  Maintain healthy weight  Avoid binge drinking - don’t drink (perhaps high-quality healthy holding the brush at 45° the gum line  regular Maintain a to healthy weight with treats, or exercise. somein new running gear) for achieving more than 4 standard drinks in www.K3MyLiver.org.au regular exercise. and moving the brush small circles Eat a balanced your goals. diet with lots of one sitting. Hepatitis C Treatment  Eat awww.hepsa.asn.au balanced diet between with lots of Use dental floss on vegetables. the gaps fruits and • fruits Exercise with a partner or a group. and vegetables. teeth and on surfaces of teeth  the Reduce alcohol keep tomakes 1 Having otherintake people--involved it  Reduce alcohol intake keep to 1 There are highly effective cures for hepatitis Use an antibacterial mouthwash, harder for you day. to drop out, and you can standard Hepatitis SA standarddrink drink a a day. C with overStreet 99% success rate and little encourage each other. preferably alcohol-free (likedrinking PerioGard) address: 3 Hackney Road, HACKNEY   Avoid don’tdrink drink Avoidbinge binge drinking -- don’t 1exercise, or no side effects. These PO drugs, known as SA 5071 Postal address Box 782, KENT TOWN Reduce ormore smoking • quit Setthan a regular time fordrinks your towards so standard drinks SA Health has44contributed funds more than standard inin Telephone: 08 8362 8443 direct acting antivirals, are available on the that it becomes a normal this Program. Make regular dental hygienist visits part of your one sitting. one sitting. Facsimile: 08 8362 8559 routine. Pharmaceutical Scheme (PBS). Email: Benefits admin@hepsa.asn.au www. hepsa.asn.au | www.K3myLiver.org.au | www.hepccheck.info Warning: People with Last cirrhosis or blood/ Hepatitis SA updated October 2012 Hepatitis SA Hepatitis SA bleedingHepatitis disorders, SA or who are taking

Denture Care

There are no adverse risks or side effects from a fibroscan.

 Get vaccinated for hepatitis A and B.  Practise safe sex.  Avoid cosmetic, body piercing,

 Get vaccinated for hepatitis A and B. tattooing and other procedures  Practise safe sex. where equipment is not fully  Avoid cosmetic, body piercing,

sterilised. tattooing and other procedures  Doequipment not shareisinjecting where not fully equipment. (Above) The ultrasound probe, and (below) how it is applied sterilised. Call 1300 437 222 to find out more.  Do not share injecting equipment. Call 1300 437 222 to find out more.

Because it is the only one

Moreyou Information have and you can’t

health and community workers.

1300 437 222222 1300 437

pubhlth-strateg-phys-act-guidelines#guidelines_adults. The Heart Foundation has a number of helpful resources at bit.ly/heartfoundation-physact. The Heart Foundation has a number of helpful

Last updated May 2022

Last updated October 2012 Last updated August 2013

Last updated October 2012

Information Support

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or visit hepsa.asn.au. Hepatitis SA has lots of useful about Fibroscan scores are ainformation very useful tool,health but and hepatitis. the Hepatitisabout SA Helpline 1300 More generalCall information your on liver can they arek3myliver.org.au. not the whole picture. Your doctor or 437found 222 or at visit Hepatitis SA online at hepatitissa.asn. be au. Come andwill explore our library at 3 Hackney Rd, nurse take into all the information Visit our library online ataccount hepsa.asn.au/ Hackney, for the latest health research findings, or library. they have about yourat health when they make explore the catalogue online hepsa.asn.au/library. www.K3MyLiver.org.au www.K3MyLiver.org.au Formore more information on see recommendations toexercise yousee about your treatment For information on exercise, the Australian Hepatitis SA provides information, support and the Australian National PhysicalforActivity www.hepsa.asn.au www.hepsa.asn.au National Physical Activity Guidelines Adults atand www. options, justaffected the scanby results. education to not people hepatitis, Guidelines for Adults at bit.ly/oznat-x-guide. health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/health-

SA Health has contributed funds towards resources at www.heartfoundation.org.au/active-living/ SA Health has contributed funds towards this Program. Pages/default.aspx. this Program. SA Health has contributed funds towards this Program.

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Hepatitis SAlive has lots of useful information without it! about health and hepatitis.

What happens next? More Information Call the Hepatitis SA Helpline on 1800 437 222

Fibroscan

What is it, and how will it help me?

Free hepatitis A, B and C information, confidential and non-judgemental support, referrals and printed resources.

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Because it is the only one youand have you have you and can’tyou can’t live without it! live without it! Hepatitis SA Ph 1800 437 222 or (08) 8362 8443 Kaurna Country 3 Hackney Rd Hackney SA 5069 PO Box 782 Kent Town SA 5071 www.hepatitissa.asn.au

SA Health has contributed funds Hepatitis SA provides information, support towards thisand Program. SA provides information, educationHepatitis to people affected by hepatitis, and support and Last update:by April 2022 and education to people affected hepatitis, health and community workers.

health and community workers.

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Hepatitis SA has a wide range of hepatitis B and hepatitis C publications which are distributed free of charge to anyone in South Australia. Free hepatitis A, B and C information, confidential and non-judgemental support, referrals and printed resources.

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Viral Hepatitis Community Nurses Viral Hepatitis Nurses are nurse consultants who work with patients in the community, general practice or hospital setting. They provide a link between public hospital specialist services and general practice, and give specialised support to general practitioners (GPs) to assist in the management of patients with hepatitis B or hepatitis C. With advanced knowledge and skills in testing, management, and treatment of viral hepatitis, they assist with the management of patients on antiviral medications and work in shared care arrangements with GPs who are experienced in prescribing medications for hepatitis C or accredited to prescribe section 100 medications for hepatitis B. They can be contacted directly by patients or their GPs: CENTRAL ADELAIDE LOCAL HEALTH NETWORK Queen Elizabeth Hospital Phone: 0423 782 415, 0466 851 759 or 0401 717 953 Royal Adelaide Hospital Phone: 0401 125 361 or (08) 7074 2194

NORTHERN ADELAIDE LOCAL HEALTH NETWORK Phone: 0401 717 971 or 0413 285 476 SOUTHERN ADELAIDE LOCAL HEALTH NETWORK Phone: 0466 777 876 or 0466 777 873 Office: (08) 8204 6324

Specialist Treatment Clinics Subsidised treatment for hepatitis B and C are provided by specialists at the major hospitals. You will need a referral from your GP. However, you can call the hospitals and speak to the nurses to get information about treatment and what you need for your referral. • Flinders Medical Centre Gastroenterology & Hepatology Unit: call 8204 6324 • Queen Elizabeth Hospital: call 8222 6000 and ask to speak a viral hepatitis nurse • Royal Adelaide Hospital Viral Hepatitis Unit: call Anton on 0401 125 361 • Lyell McEwin Hospital: call Bin on 0401 717 971

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