The Power of Stories

'Positive speakers' are people who are living with hepatitis C or have recently cleared the virus, who work with the education team to explore what it is really like to live with hepatitis C. This is done through the use of personal stories.

By sharing their stories, positive speakers help people gain a better understanding of the emotional, physical, psychological and social impact of the virus. Speakers hope that their stories will help to challenge stereotypes and the considerable discrimination experienced by hepatitis C positive people.

Hepatitis SA’s education program employs a number of different strategies to reach people, as well as workers who work with people, who are affected by or at risk of contracting hepatitis C. Those strategies can include:

• Workforce development
• Direct to community groups
• TAFE and university students
• Project-based work in partnership with key agencies
• Network development

Positive speakers work with education staff to provide personal perspectives across any of these strategies. The education team maintains a ‘pool’ of positive speakers, who are fully inducted into the HSA and are paid an honorarium for their speaking engagements.

Positive speakers can be requested for all education sessions including those held for schools, community groups, healthcare workers and at conferences.

If you are interested in becoming a positive speaker or know someone who may be interested, contact Mahdi on 8362 8443 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .