When people say stigma kills, it’s not hyperbole. For some reason, it’s still totally socially acceptable in some circles to say that if someone gets an illness related to drug use, that they deserve it. Such sentiments aren’t just dangerous and untrue, they hold people back from getting what should be routine healthcare. Hepatitis C is a perfect example of this.
There’s a cure for hepatitis C, but millions still can’t get it due to high costs, insurance strangleholds and a lack of widespread testing. That leaves people vulnerable to liver cancers, liver failure and death — all of which is totally preventable. Stigmatizing attitudes from medical staff and the Kafkaesque hoops people have to jump through to get treatment are just some of the many artificial barriers that make people who use drugs more vulnerable to bloodborne diseases. This is, of course, outrageous.
On this episode of Narcotica, co-hosts Aaron Ferguson and Troy Farah speak with Nick Voyles of Bloomington, Indiana, where he is Program Manager at the Indiana Recovery Alliance. He also works nationally with Urban Survivors Union on viral hepatitis elimination and medication assisted treatment reform. He is a proud Patient Advocate for NVHR and believes in Harm Reduction. Nick is hepatitis C and interferon survivor, and his experience with intravenous drug use, incarceration, and homelessness fuel his advocacy. Radical Love and ‘Any Positive Change’ are the driving forces behind his work.
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If you liked this episode, here are others you might enjoy:
Episode 65: Restoring Trust in Doctors Amidst The Overdose Crisis with Dr. Ben Cocchiaro and Dr. Ashish Thakrar
Episode 71: Aduhelm, Obscene Drug Prices and Big Pharma Tactics with Dr. John Abramson
Episode 81: Harm Reduction Against the Prison-Industrial Complex
Episode 82: Drug War Activism and the Future of Harm Reduction with Louise Vincent
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Producers: Troy Farah, Aaron Ferguson
Music: Glass Boy / Nomad1 / Algorithms by Chad Crouch
Intro voice: Jenny Schaye
Image: Wikipedia
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