Tx! MAG #42

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR!

Hi! Welcome to Tx! Mag #42!

This edition has two stories about life, living with hep C and getting cured. Life can often be busy, complicated and sometimes scary... and that's just the parts without having to deal with hep C! When it comes to adding treatment and cure for hep C to that already hectic mix it can feel like too much.

The stories in this edition are drawn from real life experiences. The characters both have some heavy stuff going down in their lives, but they won't let it stop them from getting cured of hep C. I'd like to thank very much the women and staff at Phoebe House for their collaboration, and for sharing their experiences of living with hep C and of cure. Any names and other identifying material used in this edition has been changes to protect privacy.

Sam's Story is about how she self-cleared hep C in her early twenties, only to get it again later; while Dani's Story looks at domestic violence and pregnancy.

Some readers have asked if our SURVEY (page 11) and COMPETITION (page 23) are legit... are the prizes real, and do they go to real people? The answer is 100% yes! Winners are selected at random from all entries, but there are many, many entries - we received over 150 entries each for the survey and competition in the last three months. Your odds of winning are pretty good... but you're still up against quite a lot of other hopefuls!

Please enjoy Tx! MAG #42! Cheers!

Grace Tx! Mag Ed

Aside from Hepatitis NSW editorial content, views expressed in this magazine or flyers enclosed with it are not necessarily those of Hepatitis NSW or the organisations with whom we collaborate. Neither are such views necessarily those of our funding bodies. Tx! Mag does not promote or condone the use of illicit drugs. Rather, it seeks to provide accurate information that will help people who already use drugs to reduce risks and make safer choices. Nothing in this magazine should be taken as recommending drug use.

Hepatitis NSW is proud to acknowledge Aboriginal people as the traditional owners and custodians of our lands and waters.

EDITOR/DESIGNER

Grace Crowley

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

Tim Baxter

Ben Cork

Paul Harvey

Maria McMahon

Sonam Paljor

Lucy Pepolim

Kate Pinnock

Rhea Shortus

Thomas Wright

SPECIAL THANKS

JD

Naomi Hatchman

CREATIVE CONSULTANTS

gestaltcomics.com

DANI'S STORY

Writer Charlie Foster

Artist Jake Bartok

SAM'S STORY

Writer Lawrence Gergich

Artist Mitch Collins

Hepatitis Infoline

1800 803 990 (freecall)

p: 02 9332 1853

e: info@hep.org.au

w: hep.org.au

fb: facebook.com/HepNSW

tw: @HepatitisNSW

PO Box 432

Darlinghurst, NSW 1300

ABN 30 408 095 245

A non-profit health promotion charity funded by the NSW Ministry of Health. Accredited by the Quality Improvement Council of Australia (QIC). Donations of $2 and over are tax deductible.

TX! survey

PLEASE ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS...

1. Reading this Tx! Mag was useful to me...

2. After reading this Tx! Mag, I know more about hepatitis treatment...

3. Reading Tx! Mag made me think about... (tick all that apply)

4. What is your current postcode (or prison name)?

OPTIONAL QUESTIONS...

5. How could we make Tx! Mag better?

FILL THIS OUT AND YOU COULD WIN A

$100 GIFT

VOUCHER IT'S EASY!

Strongly agree Agree Neither Disagree

Strongly agree Agree Neither Disagree

6. How old are you?

7. Please describe yourself: (tick as many as you like) person with hep C/cured of hep C person with hep B current prisoner Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander someone who doesn't usually speak English at home other (please let us know)

Strongly disagree

Strongly disagree calling the Hepatitis Infoline going to the Hepatitis NSW website talking to someone about support services talking to someone else about hepatitis it hasn't made me think about doing anything other (please let us know)

To enter the draw for the $100 voucher, please give us your name and phone number, email address or prison MIN (optional).

This prize offer is for NSW residents only - one draw per person.

Name: Phone: Email: MIN :

Congrats to Morgan O. who won a $100 Coles/Myer voucher from Tx! Mag #41. (...and yes, the prize does go to a real person! J)

Thank you to the many people who sent in their feedback over the last three months! We love to get, and appreciate, your input.

Hepatitis NSW respects your right to privacy. We have a policy and set of procedures on how we collect, use, disclose and hold your personal info. For a copy of the policy, please contact us on 02 9332 1853 or visit hep.org.au

HEP C, PREGNANCY & BABIES

CAN I HAVE A BABY IF I HAVE HEP C?

Hep C usually won’t affect your ability to become pregnant.

TESTING FOR HEP C WHEN YOU ARE PREGNANT

When you're pregnant, you'll probably be given a lot of tests. One of these will probably be for hep C.

The first hep C test (antibody test) will tell if you've ever had hep C. If the first test comes back positive, you'll be asked to take another test.

The second hep C test (PCR or HCV DNA test) will tell if you have hep C now. Your doctor or nurse will then work with you to keep you and your baby as healthy as possible during your pregnancy and birth.

HOW IS HEP C PASSED ONTO BABIES?

Most babies are not at risk of catching their mum’s hep C. A very small number of babies might be born with hep C. Of all pregnant mums with hep C, less than 6 in 100 babies will be born with hep C.

Hep C is passed on through blood-toblood contact. If a baby is born with hep C it will have been passed on either in the womb or during child-birth.

BREASTFEEDING

Hep C is not passed onto your baby through breastmilk. Mothers are encouraged to breastfeed whether or not they have hep C.

If your nipples are cracked and bleeding, stop breastfeeding until they are healed.

WHEN TO TEST A BABY FOR HEP C

Your baby only needs to be tested for hep C if you had hep C while you were pregnant. Your baby can be PCR tested at 8 weeks and then 14 weeks old. This'll show if your baby has hep C at the time of the tests.

WHAT IF MY BABY IS BORN WITH HEP C?

If a baby is born with hep C, there's a 50% chance of clearing their infection naturally. This'll happen by the time your baby is 1 year old.

CAN I HAVE HEP C TREATMENT DURING PREGNANCY?

Hep C DAA treatment of pregnant women, or women who are breast-feeding, is not advised. The usual recommendation is to wait 4 weeks after treatment ends before trying to become pregnant.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT TREATMENT, PREGNANCY, AND CONTRACEPTION.

Tx! COMPETITION

ANSWER FOUR EASY QUESTIONS TO HAVE A CHANCE OF WINNING A $100 VOUCHER!*

Tx! COMPETITION

ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS...

All you have to do to win is answer these four questions correctly, just tick the right box! We'll choose one entry at random and the first one with all answers right will be the winner!

1. Can you have hep C treatment while pregnant? [DANI'S STORY]

No, you need to wait until after the birth (and breastfeeding) before starting hep C treatment. Um... probably?

Don't know... I have to read Dani's Story...

Baby Spice

2. Does self-clearing hep C give you immunity to hep C? [SAM'S STORY]

Nope. You can get it again if you have blood-to-blood hep C contact.

Yes... er... maybe.

Don't know... I have to read Sam's Story...

Posh Spice

3. Can you pass on hep C through sharing injecting equipment? [DANI'S STORY]

Yep. Any sharing, even if you can't see the blood can do it. Nah, mate - she's alright.

Don't know... I have to read Dani's Story...

Scary Spice

4. New hep C treatments are nothing like the old interferon treatment... [SAM'S STORY]

Very different - 95% cure rate, minimal or no side-effects, 8 or 12 weeks, pill only. Someone said that someone said they were, I think?

Don't know... I have to read Sam's Story...

Ginger Spice

TELL US YOUR DEETS...

To enter the competition for the $100 voucher, please give us your name and phone number, email address and postcode (if you're in prison, tell us your prison and MIN). This prize offer is for NSW residents only - one entry per person.

Name:

Phone:

Email:

Postcode (or prison name):

MIN :

We'll contact the winner and announce their name in the next issue.

Hepatitis NSW respects your right to privacy. We have a policy and set of procedures on how we collect, use, disclose and hold your personal info. For a copy of the policy, please contact us on 02 9332 1853 or visit hep.org.au

Congrats to Sam J. who was the lucky winner from last edition's competition draw!

FIND-A-WORD!

EASY AS SUDOKU

NUMBERS

Each grid is partially completed with numbers. The goal is to fill the missing numbers into the grid - from 1 to 4. In each column, row and grid you can use each number only once.

Can you find all 29 of these words in the puzzle above? The words might go up or down, left or right, forwards or backwards. The solution is below, but no peeking!

SHAPES

Each grid is partially completed with shapes - star, circle, square, triangle. The goal is to fill the missing shapes. In each column, row and grid you can use each shape only once.

1 3 3 4 2 4 2 1 3

3 4 2 1 4 3 1 4 2 3 1

Needing a nudge

We meet Baz and Jim... despite knowing they have hep C neither of them are interested in getting cured. Will they change their minds by the end of their stories?

& barriers!

This edition looks at reasons that people think might prevent them from starting hep C treatment... "too busy", "not sick enough", "reinfection", "side effects".

Community Peers

We learn about how community peers build a bridge of trust and understanding between people living with, or at risk of, hep C and clinical staff.

DO YOU NEED A DBS TEST?

The dried blood spot (DBS) test is a new, free, easy and private way to test for hepatitis C and HIV.

Just take a few drops of blood from your finger, mail the test back and get your results by phone, text or email.

You don’t need to go to a clinic or see a doctor to do this test.

ORDER A KIT / MORE INFO:

dbstest.health.nsw.gov.au

TX! MAG #41 [HEP C]

TX! MAG #39 [HEP C]

TX! MAG #40 [HEP C] Myths

CROSSWORD 1

TARGET

ACROSS

1. Prohibit. Forbid. (3)

3. What’s left of burnt wood... (3)

5. Possess; have or hold as property. (3)

6. A flower before it blooms. (3)

8. Japanese money. A longing. (3)

10. Squirted by a surprised squid. (3)

12. Short pull. Busy harbour boat. (3)

14. The night before. (3)

15. Small dog with curly tail and squished nose. (3)

16. Tiny bite or pinch. (3)

DOWN

1. Hairstyle. Robert. (3)

2. Agree with your head. (3)

3. Whichever; no matter how many. (3)

4. Egg layer. (3)

7. Container for burnt remains. (3)

9. Huge Australian bird. (3)

10. Little troublemaker. (3)

11. Holds lots of beer! (3)

12. 5+5; 2+8; 1+9, etc. (3)

13. Small space between two objects! (3)

Solution next page

C R A N Y G P N

E

How many words of four letters or more can you make from the letters here? In making a word, each letter may be used once only. Each word must contain the centre letter, and there must be at least one nine-letter word. No foreign words, no words with initial capitals and no hyphenated words.

What's your score?

5 Meh. But at least you tried!

8 Pretty good, eh?

21 Awesome

30 Holy crap! Mega genius!

37+ You are clearly a human dictionary and/or computer...we didn't even know half of those crazy words!

Answers next page

1. Eight limbed sea creature! (7)

6. For hearing with. (3)

7. Not in any place; not anywhere. (5)

8. This very moment. (3)

9. Solid piece of rock/wood/stone with flat sides. (5)

10. Unusual. (3)

12. Harsh, scraping noise. Coarse file. (4)

15. A being with independent existence!! (6)

17. Display. Performance. (4)

18. Estimated Time of Arrival. (1.1.1.)

1. Piggy sound. (4)

2. For drying hands after washing. (5)

3. Deliver a sermon. (6)

4. Observed. (4)

5. Made beer. (6)

9. Stretch out arm to grasp; arrive at. (5)

11. Computer info. (4)

13. Long bench for sitting on in a church. (3)

14. Consumed. (3)

16. Information Technology! (1.1.)

Solution at right (no peeking now!!)

TARGET SOLUTION (red=more common)

acne, agency, anergy, anger, angry, cane, caner, canner, cannery, canny, carney, carny, crane, cranny, cyan, earn, gean, gran, granny, nacre, nance, nancy, nape, napery, narc, nary, neap, near, pane, pang, panne, pean, pecan, peng, penna, penny, prance, prang, PREGNANCY, rance, rang, range, rangy, yang, yarn, yean, yearn

IN PRISON? USING?