According to the WHO, 1,342,418 people in Ukraine are infected with viral hepatitis C. Only 87,269 people are under medical supervision, which accounts for 6.5% of the total number. Most people are unaware of their condition and therefore do not have access to treatment. Testing is the first step toward that.
From November 20 to 27, Ukraine is hosting European Testing Week for HIV and Hepatitis C. We recorded the stories of people who accidentally contracted viral hepatitis C but were tested in time and recovered.
I found out about my diagnosis by chance this past spring. At the time, I suspected I had appendicitis; I had constant pain on my right side. I went to see a doctor through my insurance; he examined me and said everything was fine, but suggested I undergo some tests, probably suspecting something. Among the tests ordered were tests for viral hepatitis B and C. The result for hepatitis C came back positive, and my doctor (a gastroenterologist by training) advised me to see an infectious disease specialist.
Kostya, 31 years old
I work as a system administrator. I’m married and have a son.
I couldn’t even imagine that my viral hepatitis test result could be positive. When I received the result, I wasn’t particularly worried because I didn’t really know anything about the disease. I sent my results to a doctor I knew, and he told me to come see him immediately. During our meeting, he explained what viral hepatitis C is and the potential consequences it can lead to. That’s when I started to panic; I began searching for information and reading about hepatitis C. Of course, it was scary, but the doctor I spoke with emphasized the most important thing—that the disease is treatable and that there are now treatments available that are much easier to tolerate than they used to be.
Before my diagnosis, I knew absolutely nothing about viral hepatitis C. Once I found out and started sharing the news with my family and friends, it turned out that many of them had hepatitis C. For example, the mother of one of my acquaintances had been cured of hepatitis C.
I suspect I might have been infected at the dentist’s office (it was right at the end of 2019). I know you can get infected through blood or unprotected sexual contact, but I haven’t had any surgeries, and I’m certain about my sexual history. By the way, my wife got tested too, and they didn’t find the virus in her.
Of course, I looked for ways to start treatment. I went to a hospital, but it was right in the middle of the quarantine, and they turned me away. Then I came across a doctor who told me about a government program and that I could get the medication completely free of charge. I was told to gather certain documents, undergo an examination, and a month later I finally received the medication for the first month of treatment. The next time, I immediately received medication for two months of treatment, which lasted a total of three months.
I also had a negative experience while searching for a doctor. For instance, one doctor told me that treatment was currently very expensive and didn’t mention the existence of the government program at all. He described the consequences if I didn’t get treated and said that I had a very high viral load in my blood, so treatment was absolutely essential for me. Then he told me I could buy the medication for $400–500 per package (I needed three), but at the same time noted that if the treatment proved ineffective, I would have to buy Italian medication for €16,000 per course of treatment. I was speechless; I didn’t know what to say—it was way too expensive and definitely not an option for me. Well, then I saw a doctor who told me about the government program.
So I got the medication completely free of charge and only paid for the diagnostics. I spent quite a bit on that too, but mainly because I chose to get a lot of tests done. For example, I wanted to make sure the virus was disappearing, so I checked every two weeks.
Original text of the publication in VILLAGE
