{"id":1922,"date":"2026-06-18T15:26:27","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T05:26:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ruralhealth.org.au\/partyline\/?p=1922"},"modified":"2026-06-18T15:26:27","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T05:26:27","slug":"breaking-the-silence-on-hepatitis-c","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ruralhealth.org.au\/partyline\/breaking-the-silence-on-hepatitis-c\/","title":{"rendered":"Breaking the silence on hepatitis C"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Gracie still remembers being diagnosed with hepatitis C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I was first diagnosed, I was very worried,\u201d she says. \u201cI thought hepatitis C would take 10 years off my life, and I was nervous about telling people because of the stigma around it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many people in rural and remote areas, that worry can sit quietly for years. Appointments can mean long drives and time off work. Some people don\u2019t feel unwell, so they don\u2019t get tested. Others assume treatment will be hard to access. Some people may have tried getting cured years ago but had a bad experience with the old treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt the time, I had heard about the old hepatitis C treatments, that they made you very ill and wouldn’t necessarily work,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When she learned a new treatment was available, she decided to go for it. \u201cIt was simply a course of tablets for 12 weeks,\u201d Gracie says. \u201cI started feeling clearer and more energetic even before I finished. The current treatment is a cure for most people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Afterwards, it wasn\u2019t just her blood test that changed. \u201cYou do not always realise how much the virus is affecting you until it’s gone,\u201d she says. \u201cOnce I was cured, I felt healthier, clearer and relieved that I no longer had to carry that worry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even with the cure widely available, an estimated 63,000 Australians are still living with long-term hepatitis C, and many don\u2019t know they have it. Many doctors in rural and remote areas may have limited knowledge about hepatitis C and be unsure how to manage patients needing testing or treatment.  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why a national hepatitis C telehealth service has launched as part of HepLink, designed to bridge gaps in care by making testing, treatment and support easier than ever, without the need to travel far or wait weeks for a doctor\u2019s appointment. Anyone can access the service without a referral, and appointments are free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The service can manage all parts of hepatitis C treatment, from organising testing and prescribing treatment to confirming whether the cure has been successful.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris Wallis, a nurse practitioner with HepLink, says people often put off testing because they think it will be complicated, or they live a long way from specialist services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hepatitis C can live silently in the body for years, so if you\u2019ve ever had a moment where exposure was possible, even once, Chris says it\u2019s worth getting tested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGet tested. Testing is the most powerful tool we have to eliminate hepatitis C.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than 110,000 people have started treatment and around 100,000 have been cured since new hepatitis C medicines became available in 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019d like to get tested, treated, or just have a chat about hepatitis C, you can call HepLink on 1800 437 222 or visit heplink.au to speak confidentially with a nurse and get help taking the next step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HepLink is funded by the Australian Government Centre for Disease Control. The HepLink telehealth service is made possible through a community grant from Gilead Sciences Australia.<\/p>\n

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