18 May 2026
European Testing Week is a vital initiative that brings together partner organisations from all across Europe. The goal? To increase access to testing and raise awareness about the life-changing benefits of early hepatitis and HIV detection.
Meet Sarah, a Team Leader at WithYou in Cornwall. Sarah’s passion for harm reduction and her drive to make a difference in her local community began at a young age.
“I grew up at a time when the HIV and AIDS pandemic was very prevalent,” explains Sarah.
“There was a lot of scaremongering around AIDS and HIV. It was really stigmatised in the LGBTQ community, which I'm part of. It was a very scary time.
“When I joined WithYou in 2015, I learned about bloodborne viruses in more detail, including hep B and hep C.
“Finding out that hep C was curable, and how it affected a cohort of people who were stigmatised, I realised that I could fight against the stigma, and raise awareness to bring treatment to people who needed it.”
Sarah worked alongside Helen Hampton, WithYou’s Clinical Lead in Cornwall. Sarah soon became a Hep C Champion for Cornwall, with the primary goal of eliminating Hep C throughout the county.
Working as a Team Leader in West Cornwall, and with the help of her dedicated team, Sarah started working towards her goal.
As part of my role, I deliver safer injecting training and bloodborne virus training to WithYou colleagues across Cornwall. My team is aware that I am very passionate about harm reduction.
“I believe it is a way to make change effectively and to get people to engage with the service by explaining to them that we provide a practical, life-saving intervention. It is an opportunity to show someone that we care.”
In April, Sarah’s team achieved hep C elimination in West Cornwall.
“I am so proud of the team for working towards this huge milestone,” says Sarah. “They are all very passionate about harm reduction. It is integrated into their day-to-day approach. They’ve all been amazing.”
“The pathway that Helen has set up in Cornwall was established in 2016 in partnership with the NHS ODN and Royal Cornwall Hospital Hepatology unit is the fastest in Europe,” explains Sarah. “We also work collaboratively with the Hepatitis C Trust, a charity dedicated to eliminating hep C in the UK by 2030.”
“As soon as somebody tests positive, this is immediately flagged to Helen. Helen sees the client and prescribes treatment.
The medication is then sent out to a GP surgery for the client to collect, or either Helen or I will collect the medication from a local hospital and hand-deliver it to the client.”
“A lot of individuals are reluctant to take a test due to a fear of not wanting to know what their blood-borne status is,” continues Sarah.
“It’s a very scary thing, especially if you are having challenges in other aspects of your life. I reassure people by making them aware that the dry blood spot test is very simple.
Your quality of life can be improved by a simple finger-prick test.
At WithYou, we're proud to play our part in the global movement to eliminate hepatitis C. If you, or someone you know is at risk, We encourage you to get tested.
Find your nearest WithYou support at wearewithyou.org.uk/find-support/search-for-local-support or order a free home testing kit from the NHS at https://hepctest.nhs.uk/
