Pamela Anderson has opened up about the devastating impact of her hepatitis C diagnosis, revealing that a doctor once told her she probably had around 10 years to live.

The actress and model recalled the frightening prognosis during an emotional speech at the amfAR Gala in Venice, where she was honoured with the organisation's Award of Courage.

'It was a death sentence. That's what my doctor told me — that I probably had around 10 years to live,' the 'Baywatch' star recalled.

'I'm sure that colored and corrupted my decisions. It was not fear of death, but fear of what might happen to my young children. It turned my life inside out.'

A Diagnosis That Changed Her Life

Hepatitis C is a blood-borne viral infection that can become chronic and cause serious liver disease. Many people with chronic HCV have few or no obvious symptoms.

When symptoms do occur, they can include fatigue, muscle aches, loss of appetite and abdominal pain. Without effective treatment, chronic hepatitis C can lead to fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver cancer.

According to the National Library of Medicine, the infection is primarily spread through blood-to-blood contact. Transmission has been associated with contaminated blood or blood products and inadequately sterilised needles and medical equipment.

Treatment Has Transformed Hepatitis C

Treatment for hepatitis C has changed dramatically over the years. Earlier therapies, including interferon-based treatment, were associated with significant side effects and lower success rates.

The introduction of direct-acting antivirals transformed treatment, offering cure rates above 95 per cent with minimal side effects.

For Anderson, the change came during a period when new curative treatments were emerging. By 2015, she said she was 'hep C free'.

The treatment came at a significant financial cost. Anderson said 'it took everything I had in my bank' to pay for it.

Her experience reflects how dramatically the outlook for people with hepatitis C has changed, from a diagnosis she understood as potentially fatal to one she was ultimately able to overcome.

The Emotional Impact Remained

Anderson has said the diagnosis continued to affect her emotionally even after she cleared the virus. She said she had not 'fully recovered' from the news.

'But my experience of shame and guilt was also an unconscious journey. It stays with me; it haunts me,' she said.

Despite the lasting impact, Anderson said she had perhaps 'finally come to terms' with what happened.

At the amfAR gala, she described how her experiences had shaped her creative life through the arts.

'My truth has come through my work, finding ways to express myself through the arts. It gave me the ammunition I needed, a fertile life to use and play in,' Anderson concluded.

'I'm not a victim, I'm a victor. I am strong and capable, more now than I could ever dream of ... I'm not the damsel in distress, no matter how easy that role is to play.'

A Continuing Global Health Challenge

Despite major advances in treatment, hepatitis C continues to affect millions of people worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 50 million people are affected globally, with around one million new infections each year.

For people who develop HCV-related cirrhosis, the risk of liver cancer can persist even after the virus has been cleared.

That makes diagnosis and treatment particularly important. Anderson's story shows how profoundly effective treatment can change the course of a disease once feared as a death sentence.

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