Transmission Magazine ED03

edition

3

oct 2009

* see page 31

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check us out on

EDITOR Scott West

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Tim Baxter Kay Bazley Sallie Cairnduff Jenny Douglas Conor Durkin Paul Harvey Rebecca Miers Sonam Paljor Ronald Prince Gideon Warhaft

do a facebook search for TRANSMISSION MAGAZINE find our page and ‘become a fan’

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jennifer Mills www.jenjen.com.au

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Marty Schneider www.martyschneider.com.au

AND follow us on

The Hepatitis C Council of NSW is an independent, community-based, non-profit, membership organisation.

We are funded by the NSW Health Department ph: (02) 9332 1853 fax: (02) 9332 1730 Hep C Helpline ph: 1800 803 990 postal address: PO Box 432

DARLINGHURST NSW 1300 AUSTRALIA

www.hepc.org.au

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contents

page 5

Where in the world is TRANSMISSION MAGAZINE?

page 6

Aunty Kayla

page 14

Who else needs to know?

page 18

A dummies guide to

page 22

In the Kitchen

page 30

Question & Answer

what could happen to you ...

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TELL US WHAT YOU spare THINK OF 1. WHAT YOU LIKE 2. WHAT YOU DON’T LIKE 3. WHAT YOU WANT TO READ ABOUT SMS - 0404 440 103 PH - 1800 803 990

transmission@hepatitisc.org.au

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send us your pictures of you and your mates reading our mag in weird & wonderful places and we might put your photo in the next edition

Cy & Nikki from Ilbijerri Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Theatre Co-operative and stars of the theatre production

(Left to Right) Althea, Cy, Nikki & Stuart

with Althea & Stuart from the Hepatitis C Council NSW reading TRANSMISSION MAGAZINE

you can send your photos to us through your phone, email or post to our facebook page TRANSMISSION

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2/10/2009 4:52:22 PM

the women’s drop in centre. . .

I Wanna get my hep c checked out.

Is there somewhere I can go where i won’t know anyone at the clinic? what about the AMS? *

Nah my cousin works there

*AMS = Aboriginal Medical Service

go check out the youth clinic they have doctors there too. hmmm ... reckon you could make an appointment for me?

later at the youth clinic...

‘Aunty Kayla!’

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2/10/2009 4:52:26 PM

Hey cuz, what’s up you crook?

Nah i was just leaving

what’s up ?

poor little ziggy’s got a cold ...

hey you still right to babysit on saturday?

yeah sure thing ... bye

geez, can’t I go anywhere without running into someone?

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back at the drop in centre how was the appointment?

i ran into shania and the kids at the clinic

you know it’s really unlikely you would give it to the kids

i didnt stay for itI don’t want everyone to find out I have Hep C!

late saturday night.

thanks for looking after them for us, you want a beer?

the

i reckon if shania finds out she won’t want me looking after the kids

i know that... but Shania doesn’t !

hey cuz, we’re back

no thanks, i’m trying to give it away

hi guys, kids are in bed

since when?

i don’t know. i just dont wanna drink anymore ok?

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the drop in centre a few weeks later

i don’t know... she trusts me, i feel like i should say something

I was thinking maybe i should tell Shania about my hep C?

how do you think she will take it?

i’m just worried how she will react. i love looking after the kids ...plus the money comes in handy

hmmm its tricky hey. its hard to know how people will react

even though its against the law to discriminate someone who has hep C, i guess it would be hard to take your family to the anti discrimination board huh

No way! i could never do that

it’s shame to have hep C, even though it’s just a virus

you are right, people can treat people with hep c differently just cause they have hep C but usually its out of ignorance TRANSMISSION

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its a big decision and once you say it you can’t take it back yeah i know, its just i’m sick of feeling shame about it

th if you do decide to tell her it might be good to give her some info so she has the facts

you can give her these and you know you can always call me if you need to talk about any of it

Thanks heaps, its good you are there for me

hey cuz! you arent babysitting this week... i know, i just wanted to have a talk with you

oh ok sure, come in

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there no easy way for me to tell you know how you this... i stopped drinking yeah well its actually for my health

your health, what do ya mean?

a couple of months ago i found out i have hep C

WHAT!?

Why didn’t you say something?

and i’ve been letting you near my kids!?

i would have said something sooner but i didnt know how you would take it.

its pretty hard to tell you - its not the type of thing i want everyone to know

i’ll read it later

I wanted to find out more about it myself before i said anything to you.

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back at the drop in centre maybe she just needs time to process it all.

how did she take it? pretty bad.

She freaked out about the kids and stuff.

i hope so ... i left her some of the info you gave me

i guess it would have been a surprise for her.

do you think you made the right choice?

Yeah, I feel better.

Whatever happens at least i know i’ve been honest...

and at least i can go to the clinic without a disguise! i just hope she shows me some respect and keeps it to herself.

a few days later...

hello? hey kayla it’s me. oh hey cuz

about the other day, im really sorry about the way i acted i thought about it and i realised i was just scared

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2/10/2009 4:52:33 PM

you must be having a hard time

i read the info you left. Vince and i want you to know that we are here for you if you need us.

Apart from Vince i havent mentioned it to anybody, thats your business ...

ok thanks. yeah it isn’t easy ... i dont want everybody knowing about it, i told you cause i wanted to be honest with you thanks for understanding

speaking of vince, hes taking me out on a date on the weekend, you right to look after the kids? of course i am cuz!

the end TRANSMISSION

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The Hepatitis C Council of NSW has just released a new improved information booklet called

What you need to know

a guide to hepatitis C

out

now

has made our own version

who else needs to know...?

to help you figure out who you need to tell

if you have hepatitis C. TRANSMISSION

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disclosure =

telling someone else something about you

If you have Hepatitis C

who else needs to know...? the simple answer is...

5

the law in Australia says there are situations that you legally have to disclose that you have hepatitis C. The 5 situations are:

1 2 3 4 5

If you are donating blood If you are a member of the Australian Defence Force such as the Army, Navy or Air Force If you are applying for a life insurance policy If you are a health care worker involved in any ‘exposure prone’ surgical procedures Men when donating their sperm

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2/10/2009 4:52:36 PM

Having hep C does not mean that you should be treated differently from anybody else

BUT

...

sometimes people tell others that they have hep C and don’t get the reaction they were hoping for.

For some people the decision to tell others that you have hep C is not easy and not knowing how someone might react can make it even harder.

Hep C is an illness that is not always easy for people to understand.

Sometimes when people hear that you have hep C they can worry about what this means for them. (can they catch it? how is it passed on?)

but also what it means for you and what might happen to you. (will you die? will it make you sick?)

When you tell somebody that you have hep C, you will probably get a lot of questions. It is important that you have some basic information so you can help them understand what hep C is all about.

before you tell someone, it might help to practice what you are going to say with a friend or a person you trust

There are plenty of printed brochures available from the Hep C Helpline and you can also check out www.hepc.org.au for more info

it is illegal to t discriminate agains someone with hepatitis C but in reality ... it still happens TRANSMISSION

if our customers find out about your illness they will stop eating here then everybody will be out of a job.

im sorry, TRANSMISSION i --

yeah im sorry too kid, but what can i do? i have a business to run.

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some things to think about if you are thinking of telling someone that you have hep C

do you really need to tell them? why do you want to tell them? what do you hope to get out of telling them? how will telling someone affect your relationship with them? what is the worst thing that could happen once you tell them? are you ready to handle the issues and questions that might come up after you have told them? (how you got hep C) do you trust the person you want to tell? will sharing information like this about yourself help you or bring you more problems?

remember

before you tell anyone you have hep C, have some info so you can answer questions that come up

for a copy of What You Need To Know please call the Hep C Helpline or go to our website www.hepc.org.au for more info TRANSMISSION 17 ERM ed 3 full.indd 17

2/10/2009 4:52:38 PM

C s i t i t a p he * dummy a t o n e ’r u o y w o * we kn

a guide to

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2/10/2009 4:52:39 PM

1 in 4 people who get hep C will

clear the virus naturally within the first 12 months of getting it this means that...

3 in 4 people will have a chronic (ongoing) hep C infection

45 people

may never have any liver damage

47 people

may have mild to moderate liver damage

7 people

may get liver cirrhosis (scarring of the liver)

1 person

may have liver failure or liver cancer

45 people

may never have any liver damage

30 people

may have mild to moderate liver damage

20 people

may get liver cirrhosis (scarring of the liver)

5 people

may have liver failure or liver cancer TRANSMISSION

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scale of liver damage

may never have any liver damage means that the liver stays pretty healthy and and there is no major damage.

a

er v i l y health

The liver can do its job as normal.

mild to moderate liver damage means that there can be a small to medium amount of damage that comes from the liver being inflamed or swollen.

The amount of damage can depend on things like: how long someone has had hep C diet & lifestyle the amount of alcohol & some other drugs taken The liver will try and repair itself at this stage.

Cirrhosis

(scarring of the liver) Cirrhosis means that there is a lot of scarring of the liver.

This makes it harder for the liver to do all its important jobs.

It is much harder for the liver to repair at this stage.

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with r e v i l a

s

i s o h r cir

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Liver cancer/Liver failure Liver cancer usually happens after someone

has had cirrhosis for a long period of time and it can cause liver failure.

Sometimes surgery can remove cancer from the liver.

Liver failure is when the liver is so full of cirrhosis that it cannot do its important jobs anymore.

Getting a liver transplant is the only medical option for people who have liver failure.

A liver transplant is a very serious operation and new livers are in very short supply.

need a transplant (a new liver)

People can die from liver failure & liver cancer. less than 5 in every 100 people with hep C will need a transplant

It is important to know what all these numbers mean for you.

There are simple tests that can be done to check what’s going on in your liver.

New technology like ‘Fibroscan’ can make this process easier.

Talk to the Hep C Helpline to find out more ph: 1800 803 990 TRANSMISSION

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apart from sharing injecting stuff how else do ya get hep c?

As usi ma unt an

well some people got it from blood transfusions before 1990, some mothers pass it onto their kid’s, unsterile tattoos & piercings ...

you can’t get it from stuff like using the bathroom after someone else can you? no why do you ask? a guy at work just found out he has hep c he’s freaking out and now i am! generally passing hep C on at work is a very low risk

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2/10/2009 4:52:58 PM

hep C is only passed on through Blood to blood contact

your biggest risk is from sharing any injecting equipment than anything else

As long as i’m using its only a matter of time until i get hep C anyway right?

it seems like everybody who uses has it ...

no not at all ... that’s not true

there’s no reason you HAVE to get it

if you use clean/sterile equipment everytime, you can reduce the risks thats why we give out clean equipment here

i guess that’s true

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2/10/2009 4:52:59 PM

Oh SH*T!

Whats up?

it’s only a little cut here let me have a look at it.

nah don’t touch it ...

what do you mean?

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I’ve got hep C.

wait ... please dont tell anybody!

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2/10/2009 4:53:00 PM

Sammy has hep C.

i heard he got blood all over the floor...

Sammy can i see you in the office please mate

he shouldnt be handling food ...

we’ve been eating off those plates ...

uh - oh ... here we go!

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i heard what you said in the kitchen ... i’m going to have to let you go.

the other staff are upset & worried, i have to look after everyone Sammy.

but i need this job!

You guys don’t understand, its not dangerous.

if our customers find out about your illness they will stop eating here then everybody will be out of a job.

im sorry, i --

yeah im sorry too kid, but what can i do? i have a business to run.

that’s bullshit man.

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why did i say anything? what am i going to do now?

hey dude, what’s doing? You’re off early!

NO WAY! what for?

hey man, yeah i just got fired they all found out i have hep C

How? i didn’t tell anybody i promise.

yeah i know mate ... i did!

i didn’t mean to, it just came out -

and now everybody knows.

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2/10/2009 4:53:04 PM

thats bullshit man!

that’s exactly what i said

the boss said if customers found out they wouldnt eat there anymore ...

i was talking to the guys at the NSP and they reckon you can’t get fired from a restaurant job for having hep C... there’s laws against it

Hey theres an idea! haha

its not like i spit in their food!?

You know even if you did, you still wouldn’t give them hep C

The guys at the NSP also said you can report stuff like this to the anti discrimination people No way!

I don’t need the hassle.

I’ll just get another dishwashing job and keep my mouth shut TRANSMISSION

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c

t

i know what you mean about not needing the hassle. its not right though... yeah i know but what do i do? drag myself through more drama?

i guess you gotta be careful who you tell hey?

i better go clock on before i get the sack too mate.

good luck i’ll catch you soon ok.

yeah you’re telling me.

YEAH no worries mate.

the end TRANSMISSION

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Question & A nswer

Q“

A

I heard there were different strains of hep c, is this true?

This is true.

�

The different strains of hep C are called genotypes.

hepatitis C 1

2

3

genotypes

4

In Australia we mainly see genotypes 1, 2, 3 & 4.

Even though they are different you still get the virus exactly the same way, through blood.

The genotype you have will not make a difference as to how sick you might feel.

The only reason you would need to know what genotype you have is if you want to go on treatment to try to get rid of hep C. Treatment for genotypes 1 & 4 goes for 12 months (around 50-60% of people get cured) Treatment for genotypes 2 & 3 goes for 6 months (around 80% of people get cured)

sms: 0404 440 103

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send your questions to us ph: 1800 803 990

transmission@hepatitisc.org.au

if your question is urgent call the hep c helpline ph: 1800 803 990 (freecall) freecall from prison 2/10/2009 4:53:07 PM

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We don’t need great sketches or drawings just your story that our writer & artist can make a script from.

Your story can end up looking like these ...

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sms: 0404 440 103

transmission@hepatitisc.org.au TRANSMISSION

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sms: 0404 440 103

ph: 1800 803 990

TRANSMISSION MAGAZINE

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2/10/2009 4:53:25 PM