Unmet Health Care Needs and Hepatitis C Infection Among Persons Who Inject Drugs in Denver and Seattle, 2009

Persons who inject drugs (PWID) shoulder the greater part of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) epidemic in the USA. PWID are also disproportionately affected by limited access to health care and preventative services. We sought to compare current health care coverage, HCV, and HIV testing history, hepatit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Prevention science 2015-02, Vol.16 (2), p.330-340
Main Authors: Al-Tayyib, Alia A., Thiede, Hanne, Burt, Richard D., Koester, Stephen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Access to health care
Adolescent
Adult
Alcohol
Antibodies
Child and School Psychology
Colorado
Colorado - epidemiology
Disease control
Disease prevention
Drug use
Female
Health care access
Health Psychology
Health Services Needs and Demand
Hepatitis
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A virus
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C - complications
Hepatitis C - epidemiology
Hepatitis C virus
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus
Humans
Immunization
Infections
Male
Medicaid
Medical tests
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Middle Aged
Participation
Prevention
Public Health
Substance Abuse, Intravenous - complications
Surveillance
U.S.A
Uninsured people
Viral infections
Washington
Washington - epidemiology
Young Adult
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Summary:Persons who inject drugs (PWID) shoulder the greater part of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) epidemic in the USA. PWID are also disproportionately affected by limited access to health care and preventative services. We sought to compare current health care coverage, HCV, and HIV testing history, hepatitis A and B vaccination coverage, and co-occurring substance use among PWID in two US cities with similar estimated numbers of PWID. Using data from the 2009 National HIV Behavioral Surveillance system in Denver ( n  = 428) and Seattle ( n  = 507), we compared HCV seroprevalence and health care needs among PWID. Overall, 73 % of participants who tested for HCV antibody were positive. Among those who were HCV antibody-positive, vaccination coverage for hepatitis A and B was low (43 % in Denver and 34 % in Seattle) and did not differ significantly from those who were antibody-negative. Similarly, participation in alcohol or drug treatment programs during the preceding 12 months was not significantly higher among those who were HCV antibody-positive in either city. Significantly fewer participants in Denver had health care coverage compared to Seattle participants (45 vs. 67 %, p  
ISSN:1389-4986
1573-6695
DOI:10.1007/s11121-014-0500-4