THE STIGMA ATTACHED TO HEPATITIS C (1)

Not knowing anything about Hep C before being told I had it meant I just accepted having it as bad luck. In some ways it was a bit of a relief, because it finally explained some of the symptoms I’d been experiencing over the past few years. Debilitating cramps, headaches, oedema (swelling of fingers, ankles), and tiredness etc. We spent 8 days in Bali hospital before Prof Wibawa considered me stable enough to discharge with a sack full of pills to treat my various ailments. This was followed by three weeks of recuperation before our return flight home.

We arranged to stay with our daughter in Stroud which was also close to the majority of my family in the Cotswolds. I needed a doctor in England as there was no way we could go back to Spain with Hep C, my Spanish was certainly not good enough to cope with the complex medical dialogue needed for me to understand all the issues raised during my time in hospital. So while we were resting in Bali, my sister signed me up to an excellent surgery in Stroud ready for our return. The process of recovery was now under way and I was back in the NHS. My new GP in Stroud immediately referred me to Gloucester Hospital where I went through many rounds of clinics, consultations, blood tests and results.

It was during this process that I became painfully aware of general attitudes to this disease and those who suffer with it. Hepatitis C is a BBV (Blood Borne Virus); it is passed on through the exchange of blood. So drug addicts become prime candidates when they share needles for example. Tattoos are another source if the tattooist doesn’t use a clean needle. Cocaine users can also pass it on where a £5 note is shared to ‘snort’ it; blood from the nasal mucus membrane of one can transfer to the note which is then used by another, blood transfusions before the early 90’s before Hep C was discovered.

Contrary to common belief though, it is more difficult to transmit through sexual activity, unless the sex is rough or violent to the point where blood passes from one to another. There are also many innocent ways to pass this disease on, couples sharing a toothbrush where gums have bled, and partners sharing safety razors where one tiny nick of blood is sufficient to transmit the virus. But in general, I have found it to be considered a disease suffered by drug addicts, ne’er do wells and people with low morals. Much in the same way HIV and Aids was considered the disease of homosexuals 20 – 30 years ago, and how far have we come since then!In fact the further down the road of treatment and recovery I went, the more biased and entrenched I found these attitudes to be.