Health Report

Hepatitis C

by Tanya

(The Gender Centre advise that this article may not be current and as such certain content, including but not limited to persons, contact details and dates may not apply. Where legal authority or medical related matters are cited, responsibility lies with the reader to obtain the most current relevant legal authority and/or medical publication.)

It is believed that about 1 in 200 people carry the virus in Australia.

Hepatitis C, formerly known as Hepatitis non-A non-B, is not related to the other hepatitis viruses although the others also affect the liver. It had remained a mystery until 1989 when scientists discovered the specific antibodies in the blood to the virus that has been around for about 20 years. It is believed that about 1 in 200 people carry the virus in Australia.

When someone catches the Hepatitis C virus, their body produces antibodies to try to destroy it. More often than not, the antibody response fails to identify the hepatitis C virus properly and it evades the body's defence system. The infection then remains long-term. Most infected people don't know that they have the virus. This is because for some people there will be no symptoms and for others, symptoms take an average 13 years to develop. Some people may have hepatitis C for 20 years or more before finding out.

Hepatitis C may damage the liver. The damage may be slight or serious. At this stage there is not enough known about Hepatitis C to predict what will happen for any one person. However, it seems at present that if 100 people catch hepatitis C, 15-20 people will get rid of it in the first month or so 60 people will have a long-term infection that may cause no problems or may cause levels of liver damage ranging from mild to serious. Symptoms that can range from mild to severe will occur. These may include tiredness, abdominal discomfort and nausea. 20-25 people will have a long-term infection that leads to serious liver damage after 20 years. Of these people, 10-15 will remain stable and the other 10 will progress to liver failure or liver cancer after another 5-10 years.

Hepatitis C infection doesn't always make people sick. When someone does get sick, symptoms take a long rime to develop [approximately 13 years]. Symptoms often stay at a certain level and don't always get worse.

Transmission of H.C.V. is nearly always through blood to blood contact, bur unlike H.I.V., the virus can survive longer outside of the body.

Sharing of injecting drug equipment, unsafe tattooing and body piercing, blood transfusions and use of blood produces before 1990 are the highest risks. Other activities involving blood contact are risky but much lower. Needle stick injuries, sharing razor blades or toothbrushes, sexual transmission and blood transfusions after 1990 are included here.

There remains a very high incidence of H.C.V. in the injecting drug using community. The new message now is if possible, keep everything separate from other users.

Use your own fits, spoons, filters, water, tourniquet and swabs. Sharing fits is not an option even if you use bleach 3 times, which is the method suggested to kill H.I.V. It may not kill H.C.V. Stopping the bleeding with fingers also involves risks if someone has had blood on their fingertips and then helps someone else. Shared tourniquets may also carry blood from one person to the next. To avoid H.C.V., your own fit is not enough. Try to use all your own equipment when injecting, and although it is always safer to use. With other people, in case of overdose, the safer way is to inject yourself. The safest way, of course, to avoid the virus is to smoke, snort or swallow drugs.

If you would like to be tested, you need to wait 6 months after the contact with H.C.V., before the antibodies can be detected. The test is free if you take your Medicare card to a doctor who bulk bills.

You are under no legal obligation to tell anyone if you have Hepatitis C. However, there are various treatments that can be investigated. At present there is no cure, but trials with the drug Interferon are showing some promise. Lifestyle is also important. Controlling alcohol use, eating a healthy balanced diet, planned exercise, managing stress, getting adequate rest and giving up smoking all help to keep you as healthy as possible.

For tranys with Hepatitis C on hormones, there does not appear to be a problem with further liver damage, unless the damage is already serious. Oral hormones will be processed through the liver whereas patches and injections Ire not. However, this should not be a concern for most people with Hepatitis C.

Unfortunately, there just isn't enough information on Hep. C, because it is so new to dentists. But the Hepatitis C hotline is in place for people in N.S.W. who want information or support. The numbers are 9332-1599 and 1800 803 990. Or you can call us at the Gender Centre on 9569-2366 for any questions you night have. As limited as it can be, we do still have more information on hormones and other trany specific areas and will be keeping up to late as the research comes out. In the mean time, stay safe and be well.

Polare is published in Australia by The Gender Centre Inc. which is funded by the Department of Community Services under the S.A.A.P. Program and supported by the N.S.W. Health Department through the AIDS and Infectious Diseases Branch. Polare provides a forum for discussion and debate on gender issues. Advertisers are advised that all advertising is their responsibility under the Trade Practices Act. Unsolicited contributions are welcome, though no guarantee is made by the Editor that they will be published, nor any discussion entered into. The editor reserves the right to edit such contributions without notification. Any submission which appears in Polare may be published on our internet site. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, The Gender Centre Inc.I, the Department of Community Services or the N.S.W. Department of Health.