There’s a story BehinD the SilenCe.
Sometimes, what people living with
hepatitis don’t say, says everything.
For many people living with hepatitis B, C, and D—stigma, stress, and fear can prevent them from opening up about what they are truly experiencing.1
BehinD the SilenCe invites you to step into their world and listen, in their own voices, to the contrast between what is shared with their healthcare providers and what is left unsaid.
Their stories, alongside the perspectives of a healthcare provider, underscore the importance of asking deeper questions to uncover the fears that hold them back from accessing care.
BehinD the SilenCe is a collaboration between Gilead and the World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA).
We are harnessing the transformative power of art to give voice to the unspoken. Photography and audio have brought to life the experiences that words alone cannot capture, to reveal the hidden truths and emotions too often hidden BehinD the SilenCe.
By recognizing the unspoken, healthcare providers can play a critical role in transforming care through improving shared decision-making, breaking down stigma, and ensuring every person living with hepatitis can access the support and care they deserve.
Listen to what’s BehinD the SilenCe
Meet the Ambassadors
Person featured compensated by Gilead Sciences
Terry D. Box, MD
During his four decades long career as a hepatologist, Dr T Box focused on chronic viral hepatitis and transplant hepatology. He has seen first hand how stigma is the significant barrier to appropriate care.
“Until we can convince people living with hepatitis that we, their healthcare providers, are not going to judge them, we can't have open, frank, and honest conversations.”
Person featured compensated by Gilead Sciences
Steffy P.
Steffy describes herself as a fighter with the heart of a survivor and the love of a healer. As a survivor of childhood sex trafficking, addiction, hepatitis C and silence, Steffy now supports people living with hepatitis C, and HIV to provide mobile testing, case management, and peer support.
“My advice to doctors would be to not diagnose a story that you haven't heard. Lead with compassion first and medicine second.”
What inspired this campaign?
In a recent survey by the WHA, one in four respondents living with hepatitis B (25%) and around a third (34%) of those living with hepatitis C reported they were worried they would be treated differently from other patients by healthcare staff.1 This stigma is a barrier to testing and care.1 For a future without viral hepatitis, we need everyone to feel supported and free of judgment when engaging with their healthcare providers.
This is the catalyst to the ‘BehinD the SilenCe’ campaign. Gilead and the WHA are working together to close the gap between what's said by people living with hepatitis and what remains unspoken to break down barriers in access to diagnosis and care.
Speak up for Testing Week: Starts November 17
World Hepatitis Testing Week will raise awareness of viral hepatitis, demand policy changes to improve diagnosis rates, and deliver innovative testing initiatives. The campaign drives momentum around the need to dramatically increase diagnoses. Encourage testing now as part of World Hepatitis Testing Week.
Ask open, deeper questions. Normalize the conversation. Find out more at https://heptestweek.org
Reference
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. A pilot survey of stigma related to infection with hepatitis B and C. World Hepatitis Alliance. Accessed October 2025. https://www.worldhepatitisalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Hep-B-and-C-survey-on-stigma-FINAL.pdf