FACTOR

Pamela Anderson:
“I am CURED!!!”
Hepatitis C and
Waiting: Ten Tips to
Help You Stay Calm
Mental health
and hepatitis B
Neil’s hep C
treatment story
The
#TimeForAction
27 orgs sign urgent
hep C letter to
Health minister
HEP
FACTOR
www.hepqld.asn.au
HEPATITIS QUEENSLAND’S MAGAZINE
VOLUME 15, DEC 2015
1
Image © Glenn Francis, www.PacificProDigital.com

The
HEP
FACTOR
HEPATITIS QUEENSLAND
www.hepqld.asn.au
info@hepqld.asn.au
Infoline: 1800 648 491
Office: (07) 3846 0020
Suite 2, 12 Cordelia Street
SOUTH BRISBANE QLD 4101
Mail: PO Box 3490
SOUTH BRISBANE QLD 4101
BOARD
Dr Alison Stewart (President)
Mr Ken Walliss (Treasurer)
Ms Tanya Bain
Dr Paul Clark
Ms Pam Muir
Ms Yvonne Drazic
Ms Morag Goodinson
Dr Andrew Smirnov
Mr Clint Ferndale (CEO) (Secretary)
STAFF
Chief Executive Officer
Clint Ferndale
ceo@hepqld.asn.au
TM
CONTENTS
4 Neil’s Story
5 Innovation, Prime Minister? Yes Please!
6 Pamela Anderson announces she’s cured of hepatitis C
7 Government’s proud record of subsidising medicines...
8 Importing new hepatitis C medications in Australia
10 Hepatitis C and waiting: ten tips to help you stay calm
12 Charlie Sheen and $10 million worth of HIV stigma
13 World Hepatitis Day 2015
16 Think before you drink: alcohol’s calories...
18 Easier access to hepatitis B medicines
19 Look after your mind - hepatitis B and mental health
20 Hepatitis Queensland Membership Form
DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are those
of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy,
position, or opinions of Hepatitis Queensland, Queensland
Health, or any employee thereof. Hepatitis Queensland makes
no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currency,
suitability, or validity of any information herein and will not be
liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or
any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use.
Organisational Support
Nikki Kemp
info@hepqld.asn.au
Education Coordinator
Fungi Siggins
hepeducator@hepqld.asn.au
Educator
Jodie Walton
education@hepqld.asn.au
Program Support
Sam White
programsupport@hepqld.asn.au
Health Communications
Brad Colbourne
hco@hepqld.asn.au
2
WE WANT YOU
We want to hear your story. You don’t
have to write like Shakespeare. Just be
yourself. Your article can be published
anonymously if you like. Share your
story and make a difference in people’s
lives.
Contact Brad at Hepatitis Queensland
hco@hepqld.asn.au or 1800 648 491

SUPPORT
ONLINE SUPPORT AND FORUMS
Hepatitis Queensland is on Facebook!
www.facebook.com/hepqld
Hep C Australasia is a community-based internet discussion forum which aims to empower people affected by hep C and
provides a place to share ideas, opinions, support, tears and laughter.
The forum is an independent community-based initiative that was set up by the Hepatitis NSW. It is supported by ongoing
secretariat services provided free of charge by the Hepatitis NSW.
www.hepcaustralasia.org
Australian Hepatitis C Support Forum provides support and guidance for people with HCV from all over the world.
www.hepcaustralia.com.au/forums/
OTHER SUPPORT
This document is for information purposes only. Hepatitis
Queensland cannot guarantee all the services listed. Please
contact HQ on 1800 648 491 for more info or to update the
info listed.
International Hepatitis B Information and Support List
www.hblist.net
BURLEIGH HEADS
QuIHN (Qld Injectors Health Network) one-on-one support.
Call (07) 5520 7900. Unit 12/99 West Burleigh Road, Burleigh
Heads.
CAIRNS
If you would like information about hepatitis B or C or you would
like to know more about the testing, monitoring and treatment
options in our region give me a call: Rhondda Lewis, Health
Promotion Officer, Cairns Sexual Health Service ph (07) 4226
4761. Free workshops on transmission, prevention and care
pathways are available for organisations or client groups.
MACKAY
Contact Mackay Sexual Health Service on (07) 4968 3919 for
information, support and referral.
MACKAY
Mackay Liver Clinic (07) 4885 6808 or 0429 478 545.
MAROOCHYDORE SUNSHINE COAST
Meets 1st Wednesday of the month from 12.30 to 2pm. Contact
(07) 5443 9576.
MT ISA
Mount Isa Sexual Health Service at Doreen St provides
information, support, and treatment and management. Contact
(07) 4744 4805.
ROCKHAMPTON
For more information, support, referral and treatment contact
the Blood Borne Virus & Sexual Health Service on (07) 4932
5441.
TOOWOOMBA
For more information, support and referral, call Kobi House at
(07) 4616 6446.
TOWNSVILLE
Contact Townsville Liver Clinic on (07) 4433 2536 for
information, support, and referral.
This information is maintained to the best ability
of Hepatitis Queensland. However we request that
organisations and individuals involved with hepatitis C
support groups please inform Hepatitis Queensland of any
changes to this information via hco@hepqld.asn.au
CONTACT US
Hepatitis Queensland
Infoline: 1800 648 491. Administration: (07) 3846 0020
Email: info@hepqld.asn.au Website: www.hepqld.asn.au
www.facebook.com/hepqld
www.twitter.com/hepqld
Suite 2, 12 Cordelia Street, SOUTH BRISBANE QLD 4101
PO Box 3490 SOUTH BRISBANE QLD 4101
3

Neil’s Story
Hi, my name is Neil. I am 51 and I have
genotype1 hepatitis C. When I was 14 I
shared a needle with someone, then went
on to live my life completely unaware of
my condition until a blood test at age 29
changed my life. I had never shown any
symptoms and have always been healthy
other than the usual flu or cold.
Eventually I met my future wife and we had
twin girls. Everything was going well, we
were always careful, no sharing of razors,
toothbrushes. For the first few years we
were together she had regular blood
tests which were negative to hep C. To
my shame, I hid my condition from most
people, fear, not of sickness or death, but
of rejection, ignorance and discrimination
and, after all, it was none of their business.
Then one day my world collapsed. My wife
told me that she wanted to separate. I
moved into my parents home and became
their carer and tried to get on with life.
That’s when I decided to seek out a cure.
I could easily have turned to drink or
drugs to cope, but I made a choice - to be
healthy, to be happy. After all, I am one of
the lucky ones. Hepatitis has not attacked
my liver, yet, but that’s not to say that it
wont in the future. A cure would mean....
EVERYTHING. To meet new people and
not have to struggle with the question of
when to tell of my condition, I would just
be Neil, not ‘Neil who has hep C’. I am not
ashamed of it.
Soon after my marriage ended I made the
choice to come out. I told those that I
thought I should have told long ago. What
4
a relief. Hiding it for so long, it was always
eating away at me; guilt and fear. The
question of when to tell somebody. If too
soon, will they fear me? Not want me to
be near their children? If too late, will they
be hurt that I would hide this from them?
Always a battle in my head. But nowadays
I try to just mention it in conversation,
sooner rather than later. Most are
accepting. If they ask questions I try to
educate and, most importantly to me, I
am honest. How I came into contact with
the virus is usually the hard one for me to
talk about. Even though I haven’t suffered
physically, my mental health has.
So, on 23 January 2015 I started my
journey to a cure; triple therapy, Interferon,
Ribavirin and Simeprivir. 2 weeks in and
everything was going fine. Then the side
effects started. Mouth ulcers, psoriasis
and a general feeling of despair. I didn’t
care - I was focused on the goal and
nothing was going to stop me. Then, only
8 weeks in and my specialist told me that
it wasn’t working and she wanted me to
stop treatment. I was both devastated and
relieved. Knowing that new and better
treatments are coming made the news
easier to deal with. I will get my cure, not
this year, hopefully next.
I am not alone, and there are people out
there who need this more than I, with
advanced liver disease, who don’t have
time to wait. My prayers go out to them,
to us all.
Thank you for sharing your story
Neil. -- Hepatitis Queensland

Innovation, Prime Minister?
Yes Please!
1 December 2015
Published in:
PharmaDispatch; Author:
Helen Tyrrell - CEO
Hepatitis Australia
Today should have been the
day when Australia listed
four of the most innovative
medicines ever developed
on the PBS for the benefit
of Australians living with
hepatitis C.
But despite PBAC
recommendations that
date back to March, these
breakthrough antiviral
therapies – Sovaldi, Harvoni,
Daklinza and Viekira Pak
– are missing from the 1
December PBS listings – in
fact, a timeframe for their
listing remains entirely
unknown.
To understand why this
is at odds with the Prime
Minister’s innovation
agenda, we need to focus
on the facts:
• Interferon-free therapies
represent the greatest
innovation in hepatitis
C in a generation
promising to cure more
than 90 per cent of
people with hepatitis C
in just 12 weeks.
• For every month
that access to these
medicines is denied,
250 Australians with
hepatitis C develop
serious and potentially
life-threatening liver
disease.
• This year alone, 700
Australians will lose
their lives to liver
disease directly
attributable to hepatitis
C.
We have no doubt that the
Prime Minister and Federal
Health Minister believe
in innovation and are
committed to improving
the health of Australians.
The Prime Minister has
met with one of his own
constituents who is living
with hepatitis C, so he
understands the desperate
need for access to a cure.
But Prime Minister, if you
want Australia to be a
country that encourages,
values and rewards
innovation, then you have
to be prepared to fund the
fruits of medical innovation.
Research for research’s
sake is no good for anyone.
Achieving the best possible
price for medicines is
a laudable aim – but a
policy that requires every
dollar spent on a new
medicine to be offset
with a dollar saving from
another medicine is
counterproductive to the
Government’s innovation
agenda.
Decades of
underinvestment in the
prevention and treatment
of hepatitis C mandates
urgent investment in
treatments that hold the
key to the elimination of
hepatitis C in our lifetime.
The Federal Government
will shortly release its midyear
economic forecast
alongside an eagerly
anticipated innovation
statement – which must
include a commitment to
fund the most innovative
hepatitis C medicines in a
generation.
The Prime Minister and
Health Minister have
the perfect opportunity
to demonstrate their
commitment to innovation
and end the uncertainty
for Australians living with
hepatitis C.
5

Image © Glenn Francis, www.PacificProDigital.com
Pamela Anderson Announces
She’s Cured of Hepatitis C
Amanda Chan Yahoo! Health
10 November 2015
http://yhoo.it/1X9CivQ
Pamela Anderson has revealed that she is
cured of hepatitis C, a viral disease that
affects the liver.
“I am CURED!!! - I just found out
#nomorehepc” the 48-year-old actress
wrote in a caption on her Instagram.
People reported earlier this summer
that Anderson had started a new drug
regimen approved by the Food and Drug
Administration that would eradicate
the virus. “I don’t have any liver damage
and I don’t have any side effects,“ she
told People earlier this year. “I’m living
my life the way I want to but it could
have eventually have caused me some
problems and so it was a real blessing
that I was able to get the medicine. I’m
half way there.”
Anderson was diagnosed with the viral
disease in 2001, and has previously said
that she contracted it from sharing a
tattoo needle with her former husband
Tommy Lee. “Tommy has the disease
and never disclosed it to me during our
marriage,” Anderson said in a statement,
as reported by ABC News. (However,
Lee has denied having hepatitis C.)
Back in 2003, Anderson had told Us
Weekly that “I think I’ve got a good 10
years left in me, which is sad. Maybe 15, if
I’m lucky. … It’s scary, but lately I’ve been
6
feeling great. For some reason, my liver
keeps getting healthier.” However, People
reported at the time that many doctors
were not happy with her comments
about her own life expectancy, noting
that thanks to hepatitis C treatment, the
disease was not an early death sentence
for many with the condition. At the time
of these comments, People reported
that Anderson was not taking the
hepatitis drug Interferon, but was instead
taking something made for her by her
homeopathic doctor.
There are 2.7 million people in the
U.S. living with chronic hepatitis C
infection, though most of these people
are unaware they have the disease
due to lack of symptoms, according to
the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
Hepatitis C infection begins with acute
infection — meaning it’s a short-term
illness that occurs within six months of
being exposed to the virus, the CDC
reports. However, 75 to 85 percent of
people with acute hepatitis C go on to
develop long-term, chronic hepatitis C
infection — which can last a person’s
lifetime. The dangers of chronic hepatitis
C infection include chronic liver disease,
cirrhosis, and liver cancer.
Hepatitis C is spread via blood. A person
can become infected through sharing
needles or syringes or having blood from
an infected person enter you through a
cut in your skin or through your your
eyes or mouth, according to the National
Institutes of Health. Being born to a
mother with hepatitis C, or receiving an
organ transplant or blood transfusion
from a donor infected with hepatitis C,
can also raise the risk of contracting
hepatitis C. However, the disease cannot
be spread through kissing, hugging,
sharing food or water, or through breast
milk, according to the World Health
Organization.
There are no vaccines yet for hepatitis
C (though we could have one in the
near future); however, there are several
FDA-approved treatments. Sofosbuvir
and Simeprevir are two antiviral drugs
approved by the FDA in 2013. Before
2013, hepatitis C treatment typically
entailed taking pegylated interferon and
ribavirin (and sometimes also boceprevir
and telaprevir).
Hepatitis C is one of five main types of
hepatitis (in addition to hepatitis A, B, D,
and E), all of which cause inflammation
of the liver. Hepatitis A, B, and C are
most common in the United States,
and there are vaccinations to prevent
hepatitis A and B, according to Banner
Health. Hepatitis A leads to acute liver
inflammation, and often gets better on
its own; hepatitis B typically has acute
and chronic variations, is spread by blood
or other bodily fluids, and is especially
common in people who were born or
lived in Asia and Africa.

Government’s proud record of
subsidising medicines must apply
to new hep C cures
30 September 2015
Hepatitis Australia
Twenty-seven leading medical
associations and health
advocacy groups have published
an Open Letter to the Federal
Health Minister urging the
immediate inclusion of
breakthrough hepatitis C cures
on the Pharmaceutical Benefits
Scheme.
Hepatitis Australia CEO
Helen Tyrrell said that
pricing negotiations with
pharmaceutical companies
appear to have become
protracted and that the time
had come for the Minister to
intervene and expedite the
process.
“This Government is proud
of its record of subsidising
new medicines for conditions
ranging from cancer to eye
disease, citing 798 new and
amended PBS listings since
coming to office. We trust that
the PBS listing of new hepatitis
C cures will be added to this
impressive list of achievements
before the end of 2015,” Ms
Tyrrell said.
“Each month approximately
250 people with hepatitis C
develop serious and potentially
life-threatening liver disease.
Progressive liver disease can
be prevented quite simply –
we just need new hepatitis C
treatments added to the PBS,”
she said.
Ms Tyrrell said an historic
opportunity was available to
the Federal Health Minister,
Australia’s new Prime Minister
and their Cabinet colleagues
which is simply “too good to
miss”.
“To be the Government
that makes history by
transforming hepatitis C into
a rare condition would be an
impressive legacy,” she said.
New generation hepatitis C
medicines offer a cure to nine
out of ten people thereby
preventing escalating rates of
liver cirrhosis, liver cancer and
liver failure. Yet many of the
230,500 Australians living with
hepatitis C are still waiting on
a government decision despite
the new therapies being
recommended for PBS listing in
April.
“We are confident that
the Federal Health Minister
recognises the urgency
of making new hepatitis
C cures available. We
urge her to intervene and
bring the Department, the
pharmaceutical companies and
the Cabinet together to deliver
the new hepatitis C medicines
for which so many Australians
are desperately waiting,” Ms
Tyrrell concluded.
7

8
8

9 9

Image © istockphoto.com/asiseeit. Persons depicted are models and used for illustrative purposes only.
10
Hepatitis C and
Waiting: Ten Tips to
Help You Stay Calm
Lucinda K. Porter, RN
Image © istockphoto.com/GAPS. Persons depicted are models and used for illustrative purposes only.

Hepatitis C and Waiting: Ten
Tips to Help You Stay Calm
By Lucinda K. Porter, RN
17 August 2015
I had no idea that living with
hepatitis C would involve a lot of
waiting. I waited for lab results,
insurance approvals, medication,
and the ultimate wait--better
hepatitis C treatment. With all that
waiting, either I had to develop
patience or I was going to be a hot
mess.
In 1997, I muddled through 3
months of treatment for chronic
hepatitis C virus infection.
Treatment was interferon, selfinjected
three times weekly. Since
I had genotype 1, my chances of
eliminating the virus were low (less
than 10%), so it was no surprise
that I didn’t respond. Waiting for
better treatment was my best
option.
In 2003, peginterferon became
available. Used with ribavirin, I had
a nearly 50% chance of success, so
I took the plunge. I responded to
treatment, and went through a 48-
week course. I waited for 24 weeks
for lab results to learn that the hep
C was back.
I waited another 10 years for
treatment. I participated in a 12-
week clinical trial with Harvoni
plus ribavirin. Like everyone else, I
waited for results. The wait times
were getting shorter now that
we have post-treatment week 4
results that are strong indicators
of success. We also have cures
that can be declared at 12 weeks
following treatment, rather than
waiting for 24 weeks for the results.
Graceful waiting is an act of
courage and patience. It takes
courage to live with a virus that
is gradually damaging one’s liver. It
takes even greater courage to live
in peace with this knowledge. Here
are my tips for developing patience:
Tip #1: Don’t be a victim--
be your own hero. Waiting is
an active process. While waiting
for better treatment, a frustrated
patient once told me, “I feel like
I am sitting around and doing
nothing while the hepatitis C is
eating away at my liver.” Don’t sit
back and let this happen. Use this
time to build your health.
Tip #2: Take care of your entire
body. You may have a liver disease,
but statistically you are more likely
to die of an unrelated medical
condition. While you are at it, take
care of your mind and spirit too.
Tip # 3: Get a life. It’s easy to
dwell on hep C, especially when we
are first diagnosed. However, after
awhile, thinking about hep C all the
time can become an obsession that
may hurt more than help. Strike a
balance between the need to stay
current and the need to be free
from thinking about the virus.
Tip # 4: Imagine health.
Visualization, positive self-talk, and
imagination are powerful tools. We
can use them to our advantage or
detriment. If all we can think about
is how tired and befuddled we are,
it doesn’t leave room for much else.
Tip # 5: Stay connected. Find
people, with or without hep C,
who are vital and wise. I found it
necessary to let go of unhealthy
relationships, and surrounded
myself with people who had
gumption. Someone wrote, “Life
isn’t about waiting for the storm to
pass. It’s about learning to dance in
the rain.” If I was going to dance in
the rain, I wanted to be with other
dancers.
Tip # 6: Strive for the
healthiest lifestyle you can.
This is courage in action. Lao Tzu
said, “A man with outward courage
dares to die: A man with inward
courage dares to live.” Start small.
I don’t smoke or use alcohol. I eat
well, maintain my weight, am active,
and I meditate. This took years to
achieve. I gave up alcohol first, then
cigarettes. Exercise came next. I
am still working on meditation. It’s
a process. If I tried to change all of
me at once, I would have given up.
Tip # 7: Live in health, not fear.
Hep C is scary, and it is reasonable
to freak out about it. However, fear
and worry don’t help, so when you
are ready, consider giving up fear.
Amy Tan wrote, “If you can’t change
your fate, change your attitude.”
Attitude can change everything.
Tip # 8: Surround yourself with
positive messages. Mary Kay Ash,
founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics
said, “If you think you can, you can.
And if you think you can’t, you’re
right.”
Tip # 9: Live in gratitude. There
is a Chinese proverb that states,
“We count our miseries carefully,
and accept our blessings without
much thought.” Are you counting
your blessings or your troubles?
Tip # 10 Keep your sense of
humor. The English poet, Lord
Byron wrote, “Always laugh when
you can. It is cheap medicine.” In
addition to scientifically proven
health benefits, humor lightens even
the heaviest load.
Developing patience is much like
being in training. It is a declaration
of intent to stay healthy no matter
what. It is medicine without taking
drugs. When we dare to live well,
honor ourselves and inspire others
to do the same.
This article first appeared
17 August 2015 on Lucinda
Porter’s blog at HepMag.com.
Reprinted with permission.
http://blogs.hepmag.com/
lucindakporter/2015/08/
hepatitis_c_and_wait.html
11

Charlie Sheen and ten million
dollars worth of HIV stigma
18 November 2015
By Jennifer Power, Australian
Research Centre in Sex, Health, and
Society, La Trobe University.
Following widespread speculation, actor
Charlie Sheen has publicly announced
he is HIV positive. In an interview on
the US Today Show, Sheen spoke about
numerous extortion threats from former
sexual partners and confidants. In the
four years since his diagnosis, he has paid
upward of US$10 million to buy people’s
silence about his HIV status.
Ten million dollars is more than most of
us would see in our lifetime. That Sheen
– a longtime supporter of HIV charities
– would pay this much to keep his status
private is indicative of the level of stigma
still attached to HIV.
The stigma timeline
In the early 1980s, when there was
scientific uncertainty about the
ways in which HIV was transmitted,
discrimination was fuelled largely by
fear. People worried they would “catch”
HIV from toilet seats, kissing or casual
contact. There were calls for compulsory
HIV testing of gay men and injecting drug
users, along with quarantining all HIVpositive
people.
In 1984 in Australia, NSW police
demanded a halt on random breath
testing for fear that HIV could be
transmitted via motorists’ saliva, while
Ansett and TAA airlines sought to ban
HIV-positive passengers.
Even by the end of the 1980s, when
it was well established that HIV was
a relatively difficult virus to contract
– requiring close blood-to-blood or
sexual contact – this fear remained. In
1991, pro-basketballer Magic Johnson
announced he had HIV and was forced
into early retirement because other
players feared being on the court with
him.
Still today, unrealistic fears about HIV
transmission are written into law. For
instance, some countries prohibit HIVpositive
people from acquiring travel
visas – a restriction only lifted by the
United States in 2010.
12
Misunderstanding transmission
The world today has changed for people
living with HIV. For someone who is
appropriately treated with antiretroviral
medication and has an undetectable viral
load – as is the case with Sheen – the
chance of them transmitting HIV to
another person is close to zero. Add
condoms to this and the risk of sexual
transmission is even lower still. But how
many people know this?
A recent survey in the United Kindom
found that only 5% of people surveyed
understood the impact of antiretroviral
treatment on HIV transmission risk.
The study also revealed widespread
misunderstanding of regulations
surrounding HIV disclosure and risk – a
third of respondents incorrectly believed
a person living with HIV was banned
from working with young children or as
a chef.
HIV and ‘bad behaviour’
Undoubtedly ignorance about HIV
transmission contributes to stigma and
discrimination. But this is only part of the
story. HIV has always been associated
with behaviours considered deviant or
morally suspect – homosexuality, drug
use, promiscuity.
The impact of this is not just that people
living with HIV are, rightly or wrongly,
associated with such behaviours or
identities, but that there is a stark lack of
compassion for people living with HIV.
Like no other illness, there tends to
be an implicit (and often explicit)
differentiation between the “innocent
victims” of HIV – children, people who
acquired HIV through blood transfusions,
women infected by their husbands –
and those who presumably invited HIV
through their choices and actions.
This maintains both stigma and silence
around HIV. People don’t expect
sympathy when they disclose they are
HIV positive. They expect fear, blame
and judgement, and so they don’t tell.
This can create an immense burden for
people living with HIV, irrespective of
how they contracted the virus.
Removing the stigma
In 2010, the National Association of
People with HIV Australia conducted
a national study of the experiences of
stigma among Australians living with
HIV. The study revealed that while most
people had experienced little or no
overt discrimination, many held a level
of internalised stigma and were anxious
about how others would react to them.
Some 40% agreed with the statement
“most people think that a person with
HIV is disgusting”; 77% agreed that
“telling someone I have HIV is risky”.
In response to this, anti-stigma campaigns
in Australia today focus on people living
with HIV as much as they do the wider
community.
The “Fear Less, Live More” campaign
by the Australian Federation of AIDS
Organisations encourages people living
with HIV to actively challenge their own
fears and negative feelings about being
HIV positive.
But this does not mean the community
and media hold less responsibility to
challenge stigma. Positive representations
of people living with HIV are incredibly
important in shifting attitudes and
reducing ignorance.
Charlie Sheen described revealing his
HIV status as releasing him from the
“prison” of hiding this part of his life.
Hopefully, this is true for Sheen and he
does find public and personal support.
If nothing else, the focus on Sheen
creates an important opportunity for
renewed public discussion and reflection
on how we as a community can
engender greater awareness and respect
for people living with HIV.
This article was originally published
on The Conversation at
http://theconversation.com
World AIDS Day 1 December
www.worldaidsday.org.au
Persons depicted are used for illustrative purposes only. Published under Creative Commons license Mike Mozart https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeepersmedia/23139278256/
Published under Creative Commons license Gary van der Merwe https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Red_Ribbon.svg

World
Hepatitis
Day 2015
Hepatitis Queensland revamped
the Small Grants program in
2015. Three levels of grants
were available: $3000, $500 and
$150. 17 grants were funded to
coordinate a World Hepatitis Day
event incorporating the theme of
“Time to Act”. The grants were
spread across the state and varied
between multicultural services, non
government organisations, alcohol
and drug services, Aboriginal
Medical Services, hospitals and the
Big Issue Soccer.
A further World Hepatitis Day
grant was funded by Hepatitis
Australia to conduct an event
for parliamentarians and policy
makers. Senator Ian Macdonald
spoke in Townsville about his
experiences with a family member
living with hepatitis C, stigma and
discrimination, and the importance
for local action to be taken. Senator
Macdonald stated that he would
continue to support the early listing
of new hep C treatments on the
PBS.
A highlight, included a radio
campaign on 98.9FM which ran
over a 10 day period consisting
of 4 radio advertisements and a
live interview on the “Let’s Talk”
program. The campaign was
focused on the newly designed
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
resources “Live Deadly, Stronger
and Longer”. Hepatitis Queensland
thanks Gilead for this opportunity.
There were 187 WHD kits sent out
to organisations across the state. In
addition to the WHD kits, a specific
prison, community parole and
prison stakeholder mail-out was
conducted. These resources (as well
as additional resources ordered
with WHD packs) meant that
50,864 resources were distributed
for the World Hepatitis Day period.
Events funded by the HQ small
grants program directly reached
2,368 people. With the addition of
other non-funded events a further
205 people were directly reached,
bringing the total number of people
directly reached through awareness
raising events to 2,573. HQ staff
attended 12 of these events with
some of these events generating
media/print/you tube coverage.
Report Card on revamped Small
Grants Program from recipients:
• I can’t think of anything you
guys do a great job. I was so
appreciative of the resources
and your support on the day.
Inala Addiction Services
• The grant application was
Attribution : © Glenn Francis, www.PacificProDigital.com
a simple process and quite
appropriate for running
small activities. We greatly
appreciated the support
provided by Hepatitis QLD
[grant and promotional
resources] and having staff
participate in our event. The
promotional resources were
of great benefit and were good
incentive to get people involved
in discussions, both at the NSP
and the community event.
Redland Addiction Services
• The process for accessing and
completing the grant application
was efficient and user friendly.
Responses were timely and
information and assistance was
easy to access. Thank you for
your efficiency, it would be hard
to improve upon this important
service. ATODS Mackay
• The support and guidance
received was excellent. The
team can’t think of any other
way HQ could have done any
more to improve the grant
program. Napranum Primary
Health Care Centre
• Shows that some extra funding
can lift it to the next level…..
I believe that you get about
10 times more value from $3k
than from $1k. CHAT
13

Big Issue Soccer
#WHD2015
West End
12 14 Cairns

Logan Civic Gardens
Napranum
#TimeForAction
Townsville
13
15 15

Image © istockphoto.com/amathers
Think before you drink: alcohol’s
calories end up on your waistline
By Veronique Chachay, The University of
Queensland
Alcoholic drinks should all carry calorie counts
according to a leading UK public health doctor
writing in the BMJ today, because of their
contribution to obesity. Fiona Sim, Chair of the
UK Royal Society for Public Health, writes that
while adults who drink may be getting as much
as 10% of their daily calories from alcohol, most
people are unaware drinking contributes to
their energy intake.
Digesting alcohol
There are seven calories in every gram of
alcohol. In comparison, a gram of carbohydrate
or protein yields four calories, while one gram
of fat has nine calories.
The amount of alcohol that gets stored in the
body as fat rather than being used as immediate
fuel depends on how much you drink, the
availability of the vitamins and minerals needed
to metabolise alcohol, and how much fuel your
body requires at the time.
Although her data are from local surveys, Sims is
absolutely right in highlighting the silent role of
alcohol on weight gain. The lack of information
about the energy content of alcoholic beverages
is likely contributing to an underestimation of
consumed energy.
Given the equilibrium between “energy in” and
“energy out” is a constant balancing act when
aiming for a healthy weight, it’s important to
be aware that alcohol is worth almost as much
as fat in terms of the energy it provides. And
the best way to inform people of this is by
highlighting the number of calories on the labels
of alcoholic drinks.
16
About 20% of ingested alcohol is absorbed
into the bloodstream from the stomach. The
remaining 80% gets absorbed in the small
intestine like food. This happens quite quickly as
alcohol doesn’t need to be digested first.
Alcohol travels freely in the blood, which is
why levels are tested by checking blood-alcohol
concentration. It can’t be stored but spreads
in body tissues and fluids - wherever water is
present – until it’s metabolised. For the most
part, this is done by the liver, although some
alcohol metabolism occurs in the stomach too.
Alcohol is metabolised as a priority over other
ingested energy-containing nutrients because

it’s a toxin. The estimated amount metabolised
by the liver in an hour is between seven and ten
grams.
Calories everywhere
The alcohol content of a beverage is indicated
by percentage of the volume of pure alcohol
contained in 100 millilitres of that drink. So
a 375mL bottle of beer labelled 4.5% alcohol
per volume contains 4.5mL of pure alcohol for
every 100mL of beer. That’s 3.6 grams of alcohol
in every 100mL and 13.5 grams in the bottle.
The energy in an alcoholic beverage includes
the calories from the alcohol itself, as well as
additional non-fermented starch and sugar in
beer and wine, or added sugar in mixers, such as
the tonic in a gin and tonic.
A 150mL glass of red wine with 14% alcohol
contains on average 120 calories; a bottle, which
is 750mL, contains 600. So, if you’re sharing
a bottle of wine with your partner at dinner,
you’ve had 300 calories even before you start
to consider the energy content of your first
bite. That’s the equivalent of a cup of chunky
vegetable soup, a slice of wholemeal bread
with a teaspoon of butter, and two slices of
prosciutto.
Mixed drinks and cocktails contain at least
30mL (one nip) of spirits and liquors, which
have between 30% and 90% alcohol per volume,
and soft drink, juice or sugar syrup. On average,
a gin and tonic has about 140 calories, while a
Margarita has around 170 and a Mohito comes
in at approximately 145.
Premixed drinks are diluted to contain similar
alcohol concentration to full-strength beer, but
also contain a mixer, usually a soft drink, which
boosts their calorie content.
What you can do
Given that the average woman needs around
2,300 calories a day while men need about
2,750, having a few drinks after work can add a
substantial amount of “empty” energy to your
day. It’s called empty calories because you’re
supposed to get all the vitamins and minerals
you need for good health while getting your
daily estimated energy requirements.
You can do that with food but alcoholic
beverages are nutrient-poor, or “nutrient
empty”; they provide calories but insignificant
amounts of vitamins or minerals. There are
claims that beer and wine contain some
nutrients but the amounts are so low that their
impact is negligible.
So what can you do while waiting for
governments to actually get around to
mandating caloric information on the labels of
alcoholic drink?
1. Inform yourself of the energy content of
alcoholic beverages by volume consumed
and compare this with the energy content of
food items.
2. Ask for unsweetened options for mixers,
refill your glass with soda water before it’s
empty and be aware of “on tap” alcohol
content and the volume you order.
3. If you’re planning to drink, choose alcohol
with the lowest number of calories. Choose
light beers, for instance, and make lowalcohol
cocktails at home by halving the nip
of spirit and using diet soft drinks, carrot
or tomato juice or sparkling water. There’s
a variety of low-alcohol and lower-calorie
wines to choose from.
4. If you’re planning to drink alcohol, remove
other “discretionary foods”, such as
chocolate bars, muffins and slices, from the
day to keep your energy intake balanced.
And, of course, always drink in moderation,
because alcohol is toxic to your body.
This article was originally published on The
Conversation at
http://theconversation.com
717

18

Look after your mind
People living with hepatitis B emphasise
mental health in a new campaign
26th October
MHAHS Media Release
Mental health is an integral part of
living with chronic hepatitis B, according
to a Multicultural HIV and Hepatitis
Service (MHAHS) campaign. Aimed at
increasing awareness of mental health
during Mental Health month, the
#ValueYourMind campaign highlights
the diversity and need for psychosocial
support in hepatitis B care.
Mental health is an important
component of our everyday lives,
according to Barbara Luisi, Manager of
the MHAHS.
“Looking after our mind is a natural
part of our everyday self-care. Being
aware of how we feel about life and
seeking help when necessary are keys to
having a healthy outlook and preventing
mental illness. You don’t have to have a
mental health condition to care about
mental health,” said Ms Luisi.
Whilst it’s desirable to have a positive
mental outlook in everyday life, new
research suggests it is imperative if you
are diagnosed with a long-term health
condition such as chronic hepatitis B.
According to the Australian Research
Centre in Sex, Health & Society’s
Hepatitis B Patient and Clinical Practice
Survey exploring the psychological and
social health of people with hepatitis
B in Australia, most participants (76%)
reported having at least one hepatitis
B-related concern, including feeling
worried about getting liver cancer
and infecting other people. A small
percentage of participants (14%)
reported that having hepatitis B made
them feel sad or hopeless.
Chronic hepatitis B disproportionately
affects people from culturally
and linguistically diverse (CALD)
backgrounds, particularly those born in
regions where hepatitis B is common
such as East and South-East Asia, the
Pacific, the Middle East, Mediterranean
and Africa.
After almost two decades after her
diagnosis, Vietnamese-born Hepatitis
B Community advocate, Linh Nguyen,
still recalls the shock of her hepatitis B
diagnosis.
“I found out about my hepatitis B
diagnosis in 1995. At the time, I was
pregnant with my first child. I went for a
check-up at the local hospital and a few
days later the doctor bluntly told me I
had chronic hepatitis B. Just like that! It
was scary and shocking as I knew very
little about the disease. It was sudden,”
said Ms Nguyen.
Thanks to the advances in hepatitis B
care, more people with chronic hepatitis
B are living longer productive lives.
However, the emotional cost of longterm
treatment and care often goes
overlooked, according the Somali-born,
hepatitis B advocate Nafisa Yussf.
“For many people with chronic hepatitis
B, hospitals are like our second homes,
with ultrasounds, blood tests and
doctor’s appointments every 3 to 6
months. I decided to participate in
this campaign because I want to raise
awareness about what it is like to live
with hepatitis B, so we can all take
tangible action because it is a serious
condition,” said Ms Yussf.
According to the campaign, it’s
important that people living with
chronic hepatitis B feel supported and
not alone.
“If you have hepatitis B, you are not
alone. This might sound a little cliché
but you really aren’t. It’s important you
find people who can understand your
situation and can support you through
your journey,” said Ms Yussf.
“In trying to look after our physical
health, we often overlook our mental
wellbeing. It’s very important that
we look after our mental health. Do
whatever it takes to look after your
mind. Whether that’s doing yoga, pilates
or chatting with a friend, or seeing a
doctor. Do whatever helps you to cope
living with hepatitis B and makes you
relax.
Far from being disempowered by her
diagnosis, Ms Nguyen similarly echoes
the need to look at the brighter side of
living a life with hepatitis B.
“Hepatitis B has changed me in many
ways. It has made me more resilient.
I have learnt to keep looking for that
one doctor who not only understands
my disease but also me and my
circumstances. Hepatitis B does not
define me. How I choose to deal with it,
that defines me,” said Ms Nguyen.
“It’s important to have a healthy life
style if you have been diagnosed with
chronic hepatitis B. Enjoying life with
friends and relatives, having a regular
blood test and liver ultrasound are
necessary.”
Read and listen to more stories of Ms
Yussf and Ms Nguyen here at
www.mhahs.org.au.
The MHAHS is working with the
Hepatitis B Community Alliance NSW
to increase awareness of hepatitis
B testing, monitoring, treatment and
prevention. Featuring people living with
chronic hepatitis B, #ValueYourMind
campaign is our third media story in the
series.
Key hepatitis B messages:
• Mental health is an important part
of living with chronic hepatitis B
• Chronic hepatitis B
disproportionately affects people
from many CALD communities
• Hepatitis B can lead to liver damage
or liver cancer
• Hepatitis B in most CALD
communities is passed on from
mother-to-child at birth or during
childhood
• Get tested for hepatitis B. If you
have it, there are treatments that
can prevent liver cancer.
For media interviews, please contact
Sonam on 02 9515 1234
19

Hepatitis Queensland Inc.
Suite 2, 12 Cordelia St, SOUTH BRISBANE QLD 4101
PO Box 3490, SOUTH BRISBANE QLD 4101
Phone 07 3846 0020 Fax 07 3844 8065
Info and support line 07 3846 0720 Free Call 1800 648 491
Email info@hepqld.asn.au
Website www.hepqld.asn.au
FREE MEMBERSHIP FORM
Hepatitis Queensland is a charitable, not-for-profit, community organisation, providing:
• Free, confidential Telephone Information & Support Service
• Free, confidential counselling with a registered psychologist
• Education & training sessions, tailored for organisations
• Outreach activities & information evenings
• Free brochures, fact-sheets, DVDs and news on viral hepatitis issues
• Members receive free newsletters and updates.
There are no fees or charges for membership. You can contact Hepatitis Queensland to
cancel your membership at any time. Any mail from Hepatitis Queensland is sent in a
discreet and unmarked envelope.
Privacy Notice: Information on this form is for the purpose of a register of members, which may be used to
communicate with members. Without this information Hepatitis Queensland cannot deliver member services. This
information will not be shared with any other agency in Australia or elsewhere.
I hereby apply for membership of Hepatitis Queensland.
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or Hepatitis Queensland info line 1800 648 491