HEPATITIS C specialists are noticing a significant drop in people coming forward for treatment across the Grampians region.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Ballarat Community Health integrated hepatitis C nurse Kirsty Simpson said there was no clear reason for the declining demand, only that this was in line with the trend Australia-wide. There are 200,000 Australians living with hepatitis C and 40,000 people accessed a new tablet-based treatment made available last year.
Ms Simpson urged anyone at risk to present to their general practitioner for advice. Those most at risk are people who have used recreational drugs, had a backyard tattoo or piercing, those who received a blood transfusion before the 1990s or potentially peopl who have shared personal grooming equipment like razors or a toothbrush.
“A lot of people are not aware they have hepatitis C because the symptoms don’t show straight away… these can be fatigue, maybe pain in the liver region or they’re not so tolerant of fatty foods,” Ms Simpson said. “The key is good treatment now. It’s tablet-based, so no nasty injections, it has fewer side-affects and less treatment time.”