Viral+Load

//By Stuart Anderson.//
 * // Viral Load (Sample Report) //

1. Introduction: ** Hepatitis C is the second fastest growing Infectious Diesease in Australia, after the sexually transmitted infection,Chlamydia. The disease itself is a long term chronic illness that affects the functioning of the liver and is caused by a Blood Borne Virus. Hepatitis C unlike its relatives Hepatitis A and B is only spread by blood to blood contact between an infected person and a non-infected person. The virus can live within a person once they are infected without initially causing them any ill effects, which means a person may be carrying the virus without knowing that they are. The virus may then take up to 20 years to cause damage to the liver which for a small number of people can be serious enough to cause death through cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver or by liver cancer. For a larger group of people infection will cause them to be chronically sick. The liver which can be thought of as the body's "chemical factory" and "detox unit" starts to function abnormally causing changes to the body's metabolism. For these people they will experience a wide range of symptoms such as depression, jaundice (yellowing), abdominal pain, extreme tiredness, reduced tolerance to alcohol, nausea and scarring and swelling of the liver and weight loss. A smaller group of people will carry the infection without reporting any ill effects and one quater of people who are infected clearing the virus completely. It is unknown why some people clear the virus however it is known that they do not develop immunity and can become reinfected. At current time there is no available vaccination for hepatitis C, although there is a treatment which has a good success rate (80%) but also carries very significant side-effects. For these reasons prevention and health promotion is a major focus for campaigns against Hepatitis C. It is known that young people are at higher risk for becoming infected due to the higher incidence of risk taking behaviours among young people and their lack of awareness about blood borne virus infection. The main ways that young people may become infected are:


 * Sharing equipment used for injecting drugs
 * Unsafe body piercing and tattoing
 * Fighting
 * Sharing personal items such as razors or toothbrushes
 * Blood rituals (blood brother/sister, "cutting" etc)



Sexual activity is generally regarded as a very very low risk activity however infection is possible if blood is present in sex. Abstinence or using condoms for all sexual activity provide good ways of preventing sexually transmitted infections as well as Hepatitis B and C.

**2. Involving Young People:** The Viral Load project was conceived when I was working at the Northern Territory AIDS and Hepatitis Council as their Youth Outreach Officer and Community Educator. As part of this position my job was to engage with young people and disseminate health promotion messages aroung HIV and Hepatitis C infection, and more importantly on how to prevent infection. Whilst this was a year round job that found me providing these interventions in schools, youth centres and at youth events, funding became available through the Hepatitis Council of Australia for Hepatitis C Awareness week for the running of an event "by youth, for youth".

In order to get a genuine youth voive and input into the potential project it was decided that a reference group needed to be formed to generate ideas for a posible event. Posters were created to promote the reference group and distributed at schools, youth drop in centres, at youth events, and to Youth Work students at Charles Darwin University. An initial meeting date was set for the weekend outside of school and study hours which was catered with foood and refreshemnents by NTAHC. A total of 8 young people attended the reference group meeting which was facilitated by myself. Records of discussions amongst young people were refined by mindmapping until consensus amongst all members of the reference group was reached. Half of the group wanted to hold a skateboard/BMX and blading competition whilst the other half of the group wanted to hold a concert. We also discussed how both of these events could carry the Hepatitis C prevention message. When discussions were finalised it was decided that both the competition and the concert event could both be done in a single event.

At subsequent meetings young people identified bands that they knew that might want to play at the event and approached them. Members of the bands who were also young people were able to provide a lot of help to myself and reference group members in sourcing PA equiment at a good price, with two bands also writing songs with Hepatitis C prevention messages in them especially for the event. The Skater goup suggested the use of Lake Leanyer recreation reserve for the event and were also got incolved in sourcing sponsorships and competition prizes for the event, which included a free body piercing voucher from Vogue body piercing. My role was mainly to facilitate these processes to happen, provide an equipped office space for reference group members to access and give guidance on Hepatitis C related health promotion information. It was also decided that we would invite other youth service providers to put up information stalls on the day as well as a way of involving more people and communicating information about Hepatitis C to agencies that work closely with youth. My own membership to the DARRWYN and PARYS youth service provder networks were used to facilitate and co-rdinate this aspect of the program. My other key responsibility was to manage the budget of the project so that the event would fall within the buget limitations set by the funding body and NTAHC. In order to be able to access Lake Leanyer for the event NTAHC also had to provide proof of public liability insurance and evidence that security was being arranged for the event, both of which could not be done by the young people themselves.



The reference group were also asked to come up with a name for the event which reflected the theme of Hepatitis C infection. Many names were considered including the delightful "Blood on the Bowl", that used a play on the skating theme, however consensus was reached on the name Viral Load. The name, Viral Load aso represents a play on words as its medical meaning is tthe measurement of the number of virus particles in a patient's blood. The naming process also provided a valuable way of communicating the Hepatitis C specific education to reference group members.

It was also decided that we would survey attendees at the event to find out their level of awareness of blood borne virus infection, high risk activities and Hepatitis C was, which was included as part of an evaluation of the event form and a raffle for the major prize.

**3. The Event:** Hepatitis C awareness week activities in Darwin concluded on Saturday 28th of May with the FREE viral Load Youth Event. The event attracted 130 young people, and had a lineup of five local bands including local favourites Plonker and Test Theory. Band members form Test Theory who were also very keen skaters helped run and judge the bikes, blades and boards event. The event started at 1.30pm and went through to 7pm, and was also attended by Youth Service agencies that included Mission Australia (Youth Beat), Anglicare Youth Services, Centacare's DAISY program, Danila Dilba Health service and the Duke's Mob. Food and refreshments were provided on the day proceeds from which went to supporting the Don Bosco youth Centre in East Timor. Shaun from Plonker who closed the show, gave a brief word to the crowd about Hepatitis C and where to get tested.



**4. Evaluation:** As mentioned above a voluntary and anonymous survey of some the atttendees at Viral Load was done which included an evaluation of the event. A raffle ticket was also given out after completing the survey which went oward the major prize, A free body piercing including jewelley at Vogue Body Piercing. A total of 51 young people participated in the survey which gave overwhelmingly positive evaluation of the event. Useful feedback also included that we could made use of free radio adverising and the internet to better promote the event.

Information collected showed that whilst most young people surveyed had heard of Hepatitis C few of them understood well how it was transmitted. Whilst most participants indicated that they did not inject drugs, a considerable number (18) participants reported that one or more of their peers engaged in this activity. Most participants were unaware of the risk posed by sharing personal items or fighting but were aware of the risk posed by unsafe body piercing or tattoing. Despite this 5 participants indicated that they had piercings that were done outside of professional settings. A total of 16 young people thought that they would consider getting tested for Hepatitis C soon.

When asked how young people could be best informed about Hepatitis C a mixed response was received. Many thought that youth events were great however others thought that Shool and community based education programs and access to information at clinics was also very important. Other responses included TV advertisements and awareness campaigns.


 * 5. References: **

//**The Northern Territory AIDS and Hepatitis Council**// [|//http://www.ntahc.org.au///]

//**The Hepatitis Council of Australia**// [|//http://www.hepatitisaustralia.com///]

//**The Northern Territory Government, Clinic 34.**// [|//http://www.health.nt.gov.au/Centre_for_Disease_Control/Sexual_Health_and_Blood_Borne_Viruses/index.aspx//]