Guide to Hepatitis B for People Living With HIV

Section 12: Resources

The following websites include excellent resources for support and further information.

Support

The Hepatitis B Information and Support List: www.hblist.org
This online e-mail list was begun in 1998. It provides invaluable resource information and support to persons with hepatitis B and/or their family and friends. Members sign up from countries all over the world, including, but not limited to: China, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Malaysia, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Egypt, Israel, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Physicians and members of the pharmaceutical industry provide information and assistance to its members.

Financial Assistance

Needy Meds: www.needymeds.org
If you need financial assistance for care and treatment, this website is a good place to start. You can find patient assistance programs offered by individual pharmaceutical companies that can provide free medication for uninsured people who meet their eligibility criteria. There is also a section on government programs sponsored by individual states and the federal government.

Positively Aware: www.positivelyaware.com/2009/news_briefs/news_briefs_09_02_03.shtml
As the cost of medication continues to increase, health insurance companies have begun raising patient co-payments. Several drug manufacturers have started providing co-pay assistance to those who qualify. This website provides up-to-date information on these programs.

Information

Treatment Action Group (TAG): www.treatmentactiongroup.org
TAG is an HIV activist group based in New York City that reports new data on the epidemiology and natural history of HBV, HCV, and HIV coinfection, and on the development of new treatments. TAG works with drug companies, government agencies, researchers, and other treatment activists. TAG also educates members of the HIV community about coinfection with HIV and viral hepatitis.

TAG produces the Pipeline Report, which includes a review of new research.

HCV/HBV Advocate: www.hbvadvocate.org
A nonprofit organization founded in 1997 by people living with hepatitis C, HCV/HBV Advocate provides a wide range of HCV, HBV, and HIV coinfection information online, including helpful fact sheets.

HIV i-Base: www.i-base.info
HIV i-Base is an advocacy organization set up in April 2000 by HIV-positive advocates. HIV i-Base produces a monthly publication for doctors, and four non-technical treatment guides, all of which are available free both in print and online.

Hepatitis B Foundation: www.hepb.org Founded in 1991, the Hepatitis B Foundation is dedicated to finding a cure for HBV and improving quality of life for those affected by hepatitis B worldwide. Its services include funding focused research; promoting disease awareness; supporting immunization and treatment initiatives; and serving as the primary source of information for patients and their families, the medical and scientific community, and the general public.

National AIDS Treatment Advocacy Program (NATAP): www.natap.org NATAP is a treatment information and advocacy project that provides wide coverage of news about HIV, HCV, HBV, and other related issues. The website and e-mail lists include postings of conference presentations and full journal articles that are otherwise inaccessible due to journal subscription requirements.

HIV and Hepatitis.com: www.HIVandHepatitis.com This is a medical website that includes research reports on viral hepatitis, particularly as it relates to HIV coinfection. On this site, it is easy to search for articles by subject.

Medical Conferences

Most of the major HIV conferences also include presentations and research relating to HIV/ HBV coinfection. Hepatitis conferences tend to be less focused on coinfection. Many HIV organizations and websites cover reports from these meetings, including NAM (www.aidsmap.com), HIV and Hepatitis.com (www.hivandhepatitis.com), HIV i-Base (www.i-base.info), and NATAP (www.natap.org).