Members of the diverse communities across NSW are being urged to take action to test, treat and prevent hepatitis B.

Speaking ahead of the launch of Are you living with hepatitis B? Find Out. Get Tested campaign following focus group consultations, leaders from African, Arabic, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese communities say the campaign provides an opportunity for communities to come together and take action against hepatitis B.

The community leaders said: “Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection and can cause serious health problems, including liver cancer. That’s why it’s important that our people take positive action and get tested, and if found to have hepatitis B, speak to their doctor about regular check-ups and treatment. These simple actions can save lives.”

Figures released by National Centre show there are approximately 230,034 people living with long term hepatitis B in Australia in 2016 with about 83,812 living in NSW.

Chronic hepatitis B disproportionately affects people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, particularly those born in regions where hepatitis B is common such as East and South-East Asia, the Pacific, the Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa.

The community leaders released a list of actions that each member of the community could take against hepatitis B:
• Acknowledge that hepatitis B is common in many diverse communities.
• Understand that chronic hepatitis B can cause serious liver damage, even liver cancer but has no symptoms.
• Know that the most common way hepatitis B is passed on is from mother-to-child at birth.
• Get tested for hepatitis B. If you have it, there are treatments that can prevent liver cancer.
• If you have hepatitis B, talk to your doctor about regular checks and treatment options.

The Are you living with hepatitis B? Find Out. Get Tested campaign is coordinated by the MHAHS and emphasizes hepatitis B testing and treatment.

Visit www.mhahs.org.au for more information on hepatitis B and resources related to the campaign.

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A new emoji video is encouraging testing this HIV Testing Week (1-7 June). Produced by Pozhet NSW in collaboration with the Multicultural HIV and Hepatitis Service (MHAHS), the Never tested for HIV? video features a popular digital icon asking people if they had been tested for HIV.

Emojis are a simple and fun way to connect with others, according to Natali Smud, Senior Health Promotion Officer at the MHAHS.

“By adding the emoji to the video, we hope to inspire people to share the information and spark a conversation about HIV testing. HIV testing is easy and private. Get tested today,” said Natali Smud.

The video is further complemented by a new Testing Options web page on the MHAHS website detailing HIV testing services including anonymous services and those not requiring a Medicare card.

“Lack of health information makes people vulnerable. By addressing the needs of disadvantaged groups, the Testing Options web page reduces health disparities by increasing access to vital HIV testing and care,” said Natali Smud.

Raising awareness of HIV testing is an important element of NSW goal to eliminate HIV transmission, according to Wael Sabri, Senior Community Engagement Officer, coordinator of the International Student Project at the MHAHS.

“One in ten Australians living with HIV are unaware of their situation, and so testing is vital in stopping the spread of HIV. Once people are diagnosed we have very effective treatments, so they are able to just get on with life,” said Mr Sabri.

“There are many safe ways of getting HIV test. Testing at home by ordering a Dried Blood Spot test kit has been available for the past few years. Fast-track “Express” clinics, after hours appointments, and peer-led community-based testing clinics for men who have sex with men are all part of the new era in HIV testing in NSW. People can also request a test at their family doctors,” said Mr Sabri.

For media interviews, please call Sonam Paljor at 9515 1241 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

This year’s World AIDS Day is encouraging everyone to know their HIV status. Aimed at increasing awareness of HIV in the world, the Know your status theme marks the World AIDS Day’s 30th anniversary on 1 December.

Significant progress has been made since the first World AIDS Day campaign in the 1980s, according to Barbara Luisi, Director of the Diversity Programs and Strategy Hub of Sydney Local Health District.

“Today, three in four people living with HIV in the world know their status. But much remains to be done, the latest national Kirby HIV report shows that 1 in 10 people living with HIV in Australia don’t know they have it, so are not linked to quality care and prevention services,” said Ms Luisi.

To mark the occasion and improve HIV testing rates, the MHAHS is relaunching its popular 7 Good Reasons to test NOW resource. Produced in partnership with the Positive Life NSW, this easy-to-read resource features everyday people using everyday language to explain the many benefits of regular HIV testing.



Regular HIV testing is essential in identifying people with HIV as early as possible, according to Professor David Templeton, Acting Director of Sydney Local Health District Sexual Health Service.

“HIV testing is critical to ensure that all people living with HIV can be identified as early as possible and made aware of their diagnosis. The highly effective treatments available currently mean people living with HIV can lead healthy, productive and long lives. HIV treatments usually lead to a very low amount of HIV virus detected in the blood, which makes it highly unlikely a person with HIV can pass on the infection to others,” said Professor Templeton.

Unfortunately, many barriers to HIV testing remain. HIV awareness is still low, particularly among people from culturally diverse communities. Stigma and discrimination still deters people from taking an HIV test. As well as the fear of being diagnosed HIV positive, people also worry about confidentiality, which can stop people from testing at all, particularly those from communities where there are very high levels of HIV-related stigma and discrimination. Many people still only get tested after becoming ill from HIV.

“The good news is that there are many safe and innovative new ways of getting HIV test. Testing at home by ordering a Dried Blood Spot test kit has been available from the past year. Fast-track “Express” clinics, after hours appointments, and peer-led community-based testing clinics for men who have sex with men are all part of the new era in HIV testing in NSW. People can also request a test at their GP. HIV testing is easy, safe and private,” said Professor Templeton.

Join MHAHS this World AIDS Day in raising awareness about the importance of knowing one’s HIV status and calling for the removal of all barriers to accessing HIV testing.

The Sydney Local Health District based MHAHS is undertaking several initiatives during the World AIDS Day campaign. As well as implementing an ethnic media campaign across six languages, it is partnering with Pozhet in promoting a 15-sec video on safe sex and HIV testing aimed at heterosexuals traveling overseas.

HIV is most commonly transmitted through unprotected sexual contact. Condoms still remain an important way of preventing the transmission of HIV, as well as many other sexually transmitted infections.

There is currently no cure or vaccine available for HIV/AIDS, but there are effective treatments that can greatly slow, and even reverse, the damage HIV causes to the body. For further information on free and anonymous HIV testing, please contact your local sexual health clinic, listed under Sexual in the White Pages. To contact a service using a telephone interpreter, call 131 450 from anywhere in Australia for the cost of a local call. Discussions through an interpreter are always confidential.

Some of the major sexual health clinics In Australia include:
NSW: RPA (02) 9515 1200 / Sydney (02) 9382 7440 / Liverpool (02) 9827 8022
VIC: Melbourne (03) 9347 0244
SA: Adelaide (08) 8226 6025
QLD: Brisbane (07) 3227 8666

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For media interviews, please call Sonam Paljor at 9515 1241.