Tristan Harris - 19 May 2009
A Lickey End woman who was diagnosed with Hepatitis C two years ago is urging residents to get themselves tested.
Sharon Johnson, 38, was having some routine blood tests back in 2007 when the discovery was made and had no idea where she had contracted it from.
Looking back, she said it could have been from a ten-year-old belly-button piercing, a blood transfusion she had been given four years before she was tested, or one of the incidents that happened while she was working a police officer.
Her calls come on World Hepatitis Awareness Day today (Tuesday).
The diagnosis was a huge shock to Mrs Johnson and caused her to be both depressed and scared to tell people, because of the stigma attached to the disease.
The mum completed a 48-week course of treatment earlier this year and, although the virus is undetectable at the moment, it will be months before she will know for sure whether the virus has been eliminated.
Shocking statistics show there is between 250,000 and 466,000 living with Hepatitis C in the UK, but only 100,000 have been diagnosed. Around 320,000 in Britain are living with Hepatitis B.
Mrs Johnson urged anyone who thinks they may have been at risk of contracting Hepatitis to get themselves tested.
"The hardest point for me was going through the agony of not knowing if my husband and daughter had contracted it.
"Thankfully both tested clear from the virus, but watching my daughter, who was three at the time, have a blood test was heart-breaking," she added.
For information about where to get tested and more help, support and advice, call the Hepatitis C Trust helpline on 0845 223 4424.
For more on Hepatitis C, visit: www.hepctrust.org.uk.
