AN IDEA suggested by an NHS Forth Valley support group has led to a nationwide art project exploring the stigma surrounding people with Hepatitis C.

Hepatitis See, developed through a partnership between Scottish charities and a number of NHS boards, deals with the everyday issues that living with Hepatitis C in Scotland brings.

The artwork, which will feature at the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow on July, 28 – World Hepatitis Day – portrays the contrasting identities of people before and after treatment, highlighting the positive impact that treatment has.

Art workshops took place across Scotland to help people express the mental and physical challenges of living with Hepatitis C.

Ann McGregor, NHS Forth Valley blood borne virus project manager, said the experience had proved cathartic.

She explained: “There is no doubt that stigma can affect someone’s self esteem and it was fascinating to see the different ways people chose to express their emotions through artwork.

“Someone’s view of themselves or a particular behaviour can have a huge impact on whether they engage in treatment and make healthier choices.

“Building confidence through expression is also a great way of promoting health and well-being.”

Around 3000 people in Forth Valley are believed to be infected with Hepatitis C, known as the silent disease, but so far only around 1500 have been diagnosed.

An awareness campaign, urging anyone who suspects they may have ever been at risk of contracting Hepatitis C, is continuing until the end of July 2017 to coincide with World Hepatitis Day.

According to the health board, new antiviral treatments for Hepatitis C are proving very successful for Forth Valley patients.

Health experts say they are more effective, 90-95 per cent compared with 70-75 per cemt for traditional treatments, have fewer side effects and are taken for a shorter period (8 – 12 weeks compared with three years).

They are also available in tablet form rather than having to be injected.