With National Hepatitis Awareness Week coming up on May 19, Living Black takes a look at the disease and what it means for Indigenous Australians.

Hepatitis B and C are two different viruses which attack the liver causing inflammation.

Hepatitis B is spread by contact with infected blood or bodily fluids, while Hepatitis C is spread through blood-to-blood contact. 25 per cent of people infected with the virus will clear it naturally in the first 6 -12 months, but the remaining 75 per cent develop chronic (long term) hepatitis C. A vaccine exists for Hepatitis B, but to date none exists for Hepatitis C.

According to experts, the most dangerous aspect of Hepatitis is that most people aren’t aware that they’ve been infected, and symptoms may not emerge until many years later.

This means that carriers can go on infecting other people without knowing it, and during this time the carrier’s own liver can suffer severe damage.

22,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are estimated to be living with Hepatitis C and 16,000 with chronic Hepatitis C. They are also four times more likely to be exposed to the virus than non-indigenous Australians.

James Ward of the National Centre for HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research says this is because Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's access to health services is lower than the rest of the population.

This week, Living Black speaks to CEO of Hepatitis Australia, Helen Tyrell, and other experts who work with the government to address what has become known as the ‘silent epidemic’.

For more information on the disease, contact Hepatitis Australia on 02-6232 4257, visit their website.

You can also go to your closest Aboriginal Medical Service or call the National Hepatitis Info-line on 1300 437 222 (1300 HEP ABC) to be put through to your closest hepatitis council.

Have Your Say: Is there enough information and support for those living with Hepatitis?

If you missed this story on Wednesday's show, you can watch the video here.

TRANSCRIPT

KG: Next Monday marks the first ever World Hepatitis Day and is the start of a week of educational activities, creating an awareness of the virus. It's estimated 500 million people carry the virus worldwide, with 1 in 12 Indigenous Australians carrying either hepatitis B or C. Video journalist Kris Flanders reports on this virus known as the 'silent epidemic'.

Theresa Gordon, Hepatitis C Sufferer: I contracted hepatitis C from intravenous drug use, sharing needles and syringes, and when I first started using there were no needle and syringe programs and it was a norm for everybody to share.

Reporter: Theresa Gordon works with the Hepatitis C Council of NSW as a public speaker. She's one of the many living with hepatitis C.

Theresa Gordon: Now I'm getting older I can feel it affecting me a wee bit more than what it did, say, 10 years ago. I haven't got the fire in my belly like I used to, I haven't got the get up and go. I've still got it, I'm 47, but I find I get a little more depressed now with it and I find that I've got to look after myself a lot more now.

Reporter: Theresa believes the lack of public awareness has led to discrimination of those living with hepatitis C.

Theresa Gordon: I think that stigma is slowly going, but you still get people thinking that I can still catch it, you know, off you. "Oh, you've got hepatitis C," you know, "Urrgh!" Yeah, there is still a stigma, but I think there's a lot more education out there now, there's more education than was there was 10 years ago.

Reporter: Hepatitis B and C are different viruses attacking the liver, causing inflammation. The infection becomes chronic if it persists for longer than six months. Hepatitis B is spread by contact with infected blood or bodily fluids, while hepatitis C is spread through blood-to-blood contact. To date there is no vaccine for hepatitis C.

Helen Tyrell, Hepatitis Australia: We call it the silent epidemics because quite often the symptoms don't emerge until many, many years later, but during that time your liver can be damaged. Over a period of years you can develop very severe liver disease. It can progress to cirrhosis and to liver failure and even death.

Reporter: Helen Tyrell is the CEO of Hepatitis Australia. Their role is to advocate for people with hepatitis and work with the Government to address the epidemic.

Helen Tyrell: One of the things with hepatitis C is to ensure that you are tested and that you do consider what your options are for treatment and look at self-management strategies.

Reporter: 22,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are estimated to be living with hepatitis C and 16,000 with chronic hepatitis C. They are also four times more likely to be exposed to the virus than non-Indigenous Australians.

James Ward, National Centre in HIV Epidemiology: The reasons why there are much larger numbers of hepatitis C in the Aboriginal community are usually associated with injecting drug use, high rates of incarceration for people and the risks that they pose for transmission of hepatitis C, and people's general access to health services is really quite low compared to the non-Aboriginal population. In the long term, though, hepatitis C and hepatitis B affects the liver dramatically and it usually manifests in liver cancer, and usually after sort of 15 to 20 years people require a liver transplant and we all know that liver transplants are not that easy to come by in Australia.

Reporter: James Ward works with the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research.

James Ward: One of the big programs that is in place in the national centre is about trying to find a vaccine for hepatitis C so in the future that people will be able to be vaccinated.

Reporter: The Connection in Canberra is a support network for those with drug and alcohol issues and people with hepatitis.

John van den Dungen, Coordinator, The Connection: It's really about just trying to give them an option and hoping that they listen to some of the advice you give. We don't try to preach to the boys too much, because we've been down the same paths as they have. It's just trying to show them that it is possible to break that cycle and have a better lifestyle.

Reporter: John is no stranger to the problems faced by his clients.

John van den Dungen: I'm quite lucky I never contracted hep C. I used for a lot of years with a lot of the boys and I guess the one thing that saved me from catching it was the boys being open about it and telling me they had hep C. And they would always let me go - it probably isn't a good thing to say, but they let me go first if we were using only one syringe. The information needs to get out. If these support services are out there, well, then the people who have hep C need to know about it. It's hard to grasp, you know. In the non-Indigenous community it is starting to level out, but in ours it's slowly and steadily rising.

Reporter: Treatment is available for hepatitis C but few people access it. This includes a weekly injection of pegylated interferon and daily tablets of ribavirin for a period of either 6 or 12 months. Side effects can be debilitating and the cure rates vary from 50% to 80%.

Nicky Newley, QLD Hepatitis Council: When I contracted it I was sick, I just realised that my body wasn't well. I just thought I had the flu so I went to the doctor's. Because I was in a high-risk group I decided to have blood tests and then I found out I contracted hepatitis. I did eight months of treatment, which I found really hard, but the outcome was excellent. Being able to do things, you know, during the day and not have to go and lie down and sleep and feel sick.

Reporter: With National Hepatitis Awareness Week approaching there is a huge push to have a needle and syringe program introduced into Australian prisons.

John van den Dungen: They've already been tested overseas in more than seven countries and work quite well. And I don't see why one here couldn't work just as well as what they have everywhere else. It'd stop the spread of hepatitis dramatically, I think.

James Ward: There's been a range of strategies to try and advocate for safer injecting equipment and making sure that people are aware of the risks of sharing things like toothbrushes and razors while in the prison system. But also the really big risk in prison is around unsterile tattooing.

Theresa Gordon: I've probably had the virus for over 30 years or more and I'm living proof, you know, that you can keep living a normal life.

KG: That story was filmed and reported by Kris Flanders. And if you'd like more information on National Hepatitis Awareness Week, visit our website, where you can also have your say on this issue. This week we're asking, is there enough information and support for those living with hepatitis? Still to come on Living Black - Bangarra Dance Theatre's latest work, 'Mathinna'.